Аbstract. As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, the observed increase in mental health issues requires more and more clinical attention. Mental disorders have become a major cause for disturbances in social adjustment, primarily due to disorders that fall into three clusters: prolonged fatigue (asthenia) with cognitive impairment; anxiety disorders with sleep disorders; and depression. The last two are also found in individuals who have not contracted SARS-CoV-2; they are seen as a result of their exposure to the stress of the pandemic. Therefore, to successfully manage the consequences of the pandemic, it is necessary to develop a cohesive clinical interpretation of mental disorders related to COVID-19 infection. Our proposed model would encompass all the above manifestations as follows: а) for the general population – by the triad of ‘nosogenic reactions’ with excessive (hyper-), normal (normo-) or ignoring (hyponosognostic) psychological responses to stress related to the semantics and individual significance of the SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (nosos); b) for long COVID – by the biopsychosocial model as a typical combination of neurotoxic asthenia with cognitive impairment (Bonhoeffer’s neurobiological factor) that exacerbates ‘nosogenic’ anxiety and sleep disorders (psychological factor) and thus provokes a depressive response (as a social maladaptive factor)

Objectives Understanding the negative consequences of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Ukraine among a population who have collectively experienced difficult life events, provided the impetus for the current study which analyzed whether the perception of psychological distress differed among older adults with two types of MCI (amnestic MCI [aMCI] & nonamnestic MCI [naMCI]) compared to their cognitively intact peers. Method A sample of 132 older adults were selected from an outpatient regional hospital in Lviv, Ukraine and assigned into either an MCI or non-MCI control group. A demographic survey, and the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ) were administered to both groups. Results Results of an ANOVA comparing the SQ sub-scales between the Ukrainian MCI and control groups were analyzed. A multiple hierarchical regression analysis assessed the predictive value of MoCA scores on the SQ sub-scales. Compared to adults in the MCI group, adults in the control group reported significantly lower rates of anxiety, somatic, depressive symptoms, and total psychological distress. Discussion While the level of cognitive impairment was a significant predictor for each sub-type of distress, the explained variance was minimal suggesting that other factors also played a role. Reference was made to a similar MCI sample in the U.S. which had lower SQ psychological distress scores than the Ukraine sample, further suggesting possible environmental effects on symptoms. The importance of depression and anxiety screening and treatment for older adults with MCI was also discussed.

Introduction. Health care professionals experience severe occupational and psycho-emotional stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, which put them at high risk of mental disorders. The aim of the study was to examine the mental health of healthcare workers who provided treatment and support to patients with COVID-19. Materials and methods. A set of standardized psycho-diagnostic scales to assess the symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI) and the impact of traumatic events on psycho-emotional state (IES-R) was used for an online survey of healthcare professionals from all regions of Ukraine during 04/04/2021 to 05/29/2021. A comparative study was conducted comparing two groups of specialists who provided (n = 441) or who did not support (n = 40) patients with COVID-19 on socio-demographic characteristics and indicators of psycho-diagnostic scales. Results. In total 500 staff were invited to take part in this survey. A signifi cant number of health workers in both groups experienced symptoms of mental disorders, indicating the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health. However, in the group of medical professionals who provided care to patients with COVID-19, there were more pronounced symptoms of depression (p = 0.010), anxiety (p = 0.010), sleep disturbances (p = 0.018) compared with the group of specialists who did not provide direct care to COVID-19 patients. Statistically signifi cant diff erences were also obtained on the IES-R scale: subscales “avoidance” (p = 0.048), “intrusion” (p = 0.021), “hyperarousal” (p = 0.035). Conclusions. Healthcare professionals who care forCOVID-19 patients have a signifi cantly increased risk of mental health problems and require particular attention and the development of special programs of psychological support and psychiatric care