Abstract Contemporary medical approaches for opioid addiction often include medication-assisted therapy, utilizing methadone and buprenorphine. However, factors influencing patient preferences for ...starting buprenorphine or methadone therapy are poorly understood. This study aims to explore whether variances in personality traits and attachment styles are related to treatment preferences among individuals undergoing buprenorphine and methadone maintenance therapies. 300 participants completed the Big Five Questionnaire for personality traits and sub-dimensions and the Experiences in Close Relationship Scale for assessing attachment styles. The results indicated that patients with higher levels of Dynamism, Conscientiousness, and Perseverance personality traits were more likely to choose buprenorphine over methadone for achieving and maintaining abstinence. Although attachment styles showed a greater ability to differentiate between groups compared to personality traits, the differences were not significant. However, Conscientiousness stood out for its high discriminant validity, suggesting that scores in this personality dimension could significantly distinguish between groups, with individuals in the buprenorphine group showing higher levels of Conscientiousness compared to the methadone group. The study suggests a partial association between individuals' preference for abstinence therapy and their personality traits. These findings could be considered useful indicators when choosing maintenance therapy to help opiate-addicted patients achieve and maintain abstinence.
Cilj je
ovoga istraživanja bio ispitati neke psihometrijske karakteristike hrvatske
verzije Youngova upitnika shema. Istraživanje je provedeno na kliničkome
uzorku od 269 pacijenata liječenih od ...anksioznih poremećaja i poremećaja
raspoloženja (Mdobi = 46.8, SDdobi = 10.5). Provedena je metoda glavnih
komponenata uz ortogonalnu (Varimax) rotaciju. Rezultati provjere konstruktne
valjanosti pokazali su da hrvatska verzija Youngova upitnika shema u većoj
mjeri potvrđuje originalnu faktorsku strukturu (potvrđeno je 16 od 18 faktora
kojima je objašnjeno 56.32 % ukupne varijance toga konstrukta). Cronbachov
alfa koeficijent za cijeli upitnik iznosi .96, dok se vrijednosti
koeficijenta pouzdanosti za pojedine sheme kreću u rasponu .71 do .93, uz
iznimku sheme samokažnjavanje čija je pouzdanost tipa unutarnje konzistencije
.49. Kako bismo provjerili konvergentnu valjanost upitnika, korišteni su
Beckov inventar depresije – II (Beck i sur., 2011) i Ljestvica anksioznosti
kao stanja i osobine ličnosti (Spielberger, 2000). Korelacije između
rezultata na Youngovu upitniku shema i Beckovu inventaru depresije – II
kretale su se između .12 i .62, a korelacije između rezultata na Youngovu
upitniku shema i Ljestvici anksioznosti kao stanja i osobine ličnosti bile su
između .23 i .50. Rezultati su pokazali da je hrvatska verzija Youngova
upitnika shema mjerni instrument primjerene konstruktne i konvergentne
valjanosti te zadovoljavajuće pouzdanosti tipa unutarnje konzistencije koji
se može koristiti za procjenu ranih neprilagođenih shema na kliničkoj
populaciji osoba koje se liječe od anksioznih i depresivnih poremećaja.
This study
aimed to examine some of the psychometric characteristics of the Croatian
version of the Young Schema Questionnaire to verify its construct validity and
to compare these results with results of research in different populations. The
study was conducted on a clinical sample consisting of 269 patients treated for
anxiety disorders and mood disorders (Mage = 46.8, SDage = 10.5). Principal
component analysis with orthogonal (Varimax) rotation was conducted. The
results of examining construct validity showed that the Croatian version of
Young's scheme questionnaire largely confirms the original factor structure (16
of the 18 factors that explain 56.32 % of the total variance of this
construct). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the whole questionnaire is
.96, while the reliability for the individual schemas range from .71 to .93
(the exception is the selfpunishment scheme whose internal consistency
reliability is .49). To investigate the convergent validity of the
questionnaire, we used Beck's Depression Inventory - II (Beck et al., 2011) and
Anxiety Scale as state and trait (Spielberger, 2000). Correlations between
scores on the Young Scheme Questionnaire and Beck’s Depression Inventory - II
were between .12 and .62, and correlations between the scores on the Young
Scheme Questionnaire and the Anxiety Scale as state and trait were between .23
and .50. The results showed that the Croatian version of the Young Schema
Questionnaire is a measurement instrument with good construct and convergent
validity as well as satisfactory internal consistency reliability, that can be
used to measure early maladaptive schemas in the clinical population of people
being treated for anxiety and depression.
The aim of this paper was to present the existing scientific knowledge about the effects of a pandemic on psychological needs and mental health. A search of bibliographic databases (WoS, Scopus, ...Medline) found numerous studies published in various publications by entering the keywords: COVID-19 OR pandemic AND psychological needs AND mental health AND hardiness. The results of the research indicated that the fear of infecting oneself and loved ones, the consequences of social distancing and the economic consequences of a pandemic could have a significant effect on mental health. The following groups have been identified as particularly vulnerable to pandemic stressors: (a) people who have been in direct or indirect contact with the virus; (b) people with previous psychiatric problems; (c) health professionals and (d) people who constantly follow pandemic news. The consequences of a pandemic threaten basic psychological needs such as physiological needs, the need for safety, and the need for love and intimacy. The most common mental health problems that have been identified since the onset of the pandemic are anxiety, depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and substance abuse. In conclusion, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of risk factors that can endanger mental health have been identified, as well as protective factors, such as psychological resilience.
The aim of this paper was to present the existing scientific knowledge about the effects of a pandemic on psychological needs and mental health. A search of bibliographic databases (WoS, Scopus, ...Medline) found numerous studies published in various publications by entering the keywords: COVID-19 OR pandemic AND psychological needs AND mental health AND hardiness. The results of the research indicated that the fear of infecting oneself and loved ones, the consequences of social distancing and the economic consequences of a pandemic could have a significant effect on mental health. The following groups have been identified as particularly vulnerable to pandemic stressors: (a) people who have been in direct or indirect contact with the virus; (b) people with previous psychiatric problems; (c) health professionals and (d) people who constantly follow pandemic news. The consequences of a pandemic threaten basic psychological needs such as physiological needs, the need for safety, and the need for love and intimacy. The most common mental health problems that have been identified since the onset of the pandemic are anxiety, depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and substance abuse. In conclusion, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of risk factors that can endanger mental health have been identified, as well as protective factors, such as psychological resilience.
The present study aimed to identify the contributions of sociodemographic factors, psychological hardiness, and pandemic‐related stressors to the development of peritraumatic distress and ...posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during the peak of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We also examined the mediating contribution of peritraumatic distress with respect to the associations between PTSS and (a) individual characteristics and (b) pandemic‐related stressors. A total of 1,238 participants (82.1% women, 17.9% men) aged 18–75 years were included in the study. Participants completed the Dispositional Resilience Scale, Peritraumatic Distress Inventory, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist. The results showed that 11.5% of participants scored above the clinical cutoff for peritraumatic distress, and 12.8% of participants scored above the clinical cutoff for PTSS. Regression models showed that higher levels of peritraumatic distress were statistically predicted by female gender, β = ‐.12, p < .001; exposure to more than one stressor, β = .21, p < .001; lower levels of commitment to people and activities, β = –.12, p = .002; and resistance to challenges, β = –.17, p < .001. Additionally, male gender, β = .05, p = .007; younger age, β = –.05, p = .005; lower levels of commitment to people and activities, β = –.11, p < .001; lower ratings of hardiness with regard to challenge, β = –.04, p = .043; and more severe peritraumatic distress, β = .75, p < .001, predicted more severe PTSS during the pandemic. Peritraumatic distress mediated the associations between PTSS and both the number of experienced stressors and psychological hardiness.
U ovom radu je ispitana posredujuća uloga seksualnoga zadovoljstva u odnosu između dimenzija privrženosti i zadovoljstva vezom. Modificirani inventar iskustava u bliskim vezama (Kamenov i Jelić, ...2003) i Nova skala seksualnog zadovoljstva (Štulhofer i Buško, 2008) primijenjeni su na prigodnom uzorku dobivenom na 255 muškaraca i 257 žena metodom “snježne grude”. Rezultati upućuju na značajno više vrijednosti na dimenziji anksioznosti kod žena te na značajno više vrijednosti na dimenziji izbjegavanja muškaraca. Obje dimenzije privrženosti negativno su povezane sa seksualnim zadovoljstvom i zadovoljstvom vezom, pri čemu je utvrđen posredujući učinak seksualnog zadovoljstva između obje dimenzije privrženosti i zadovoljstva vezom kod muškaraca i žena. Na dimenziji izbjegavanja utvrđen je izraženiji učinak na seksualno zadovoljstvo kod oba roda, dok je na dimenziji anksioznosti utvrđen izravni učinak samo na zadovoljstvo vezom žena. Ključne riječi: Seksualno zadovoljstvo, zadovoljstvo vezom, privrženost
An unprecedented health and economic crisis in small island communities during the COVID-19 pandemic indicated the importance of studying its harmful effects on residents' mental health.
To examine ...the differences in negative affectivity, perceived stressors, and social support both on the quarantined and not quarantined islands.
A web-based survey and correlational cross-sectional research design were used, based on a nonprobabilistic convenience sampling method to select 613 Croatian islands' residents during May 2020. The participants completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the General Information Questionnaire, data on their exposures to stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic and the perceived social support.
Compared with the nonquarantined residents of other islands, the island of Brač residents scored significantly higher on the symptoms of depression (M = 11.61; t = 2.13, P < 0.05) and stress (M = 13.06; t = 3.21, P = 0.001) subscales, receiving more support from religious communities (t = 2.34, P = 0.02) and less from the physicians (t = -2.68, P = 0.01). Lower sociodemographic status was associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need to protect mental health in isolated island areas specially for singles and people of low socioeconomic status.
The aim of this study is to determine the main variables associated with nurses' sickness absence (SA) and to improve the prediction of SA based on pandemic-related experiences. The second aim is to ...examine the differences between COVID-19 (CoV) and non-COVID-19 (non-CoV) nurses in levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, personality traits, coping strategies and professional stressors experienced.
This historical prospective study enrolled 1305 nurses from the University Hospital of Split, Croatia. A total of 380 subjects participated in the study, 163 non-CoV and 217 CoV subjects. Nurses' pandemic-related experience questionnaires, Big Five Inventory (BFI), Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and Occupational Stress Questionnaire, were used for evaluation.
Non-CoV nurses felt more fear of infection, were more socially distanced, had more PTSD symptoms and neuroticism and felt more stress due to public criticism and job requirements compared to CoV nurses;
< 0.001. The groups of SA users and non-SA users could be distinguished based on predictor variables in CoV and non-CoV nurses, with a correct classification of 84.8% vs. 79.1%.
It was possible to predict the probability of using SA among nurses due to pandemic professional experience, personality traits and coping strategies.
The aim of this study was to examine the moderating role of attachment styles among single and coupled participants (N = 632) in the associations between sexual self‐concept (sexual self‐esteem, ...sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation) and sexual satisfaction. The results indicated lower sexual self‐esteem and sexual satisfaction and higher sexual depression and avoidant attachment among singles, as compared to coupled participants. Furthermore, in coupled participants (securely, anxiously, and avoidantly attached), sexual self‐esteem and sexual depression were predictors of sexual satisfaction. Among securely, fearfully, and avoidantly attached singles, sexual self‐esteem was a predictor of sexual satisfaction. Sexual satisfaction was also predicted by sexual preoccupation among avoidantly attached singles. Finally, the only predictor of sexual satisfaction among anxiously attached singles was sexual depression.
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