Medical education is challenging, but for some students it can be very stressful. Studies suggest that stress during medical education can have a negative impact on students' mental health and that ...burnout is frequent among medical school students. The aim of this study was to measure burnout among students of medicine/dentistry (M/D) at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in relation to their perception of stress, so as to enable planning preventative activities for students at risk. The data were collected in a cross-sectional study, carried out in spring 2008 among the total population of MID students of 1St, 3rd, 4th and 6th year, using a self-administered online questionnaire. Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) instrument was used. Separate burnout scores were calculated for the exhaustion and disengagement dimensions of burnout, and related to students'perception of stress. Multiple linear regression method was carried out to adjust the association estimates for several potential confounders (gender, study program, relationship status, and grade). The overall response rate was 47.2%, and a total of 476 students participated. Students scored higher on exhaustion than on disengagement dimension--the mean value of burnout scores on the exhaustion dimension scale was -1.68, while it was -4.58 on the disengagement dimension scale. The results showed a statistically significant difference between high and low risk-for-stress groups of students in both burnout dimensions (average value of burnout scores on the exhaustion scale: high risk-for-stress group -3.69, low risk-for-stress group 0.19, p<0.001; average value of burnout scores on the disengagement scale: high risk-for-stress group -5.57, low risk-for-stress group -3.65, p<0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders differences on both burnout subscales remained almost unchanged. Results confirmed our hypothesis that M/D students of Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine who frequently experience stress (especially those with poor coping mechanisms), exhibit higher degree of burnout.
To identify whether intensive treatment and aftercare telephone contacts influence long-term abstinence and well-being of patients with alcohol dependency.
Six hundred and twenty two patients were ...evaluated at the beginning and end of intensive in-patient treatment. At the end of the treatment, the patients were divided into two recruitment cohorts--telephone contact group (n=347), in whom basic outcome criteria (abstinence, marital and employment status, self-evaluation of well-being) were evaluated 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after intensive treatment, and no contact group (n=275) in whom the basic outcome criteria were checked only at 24 months after the intensive treatment. At 24 months, response rate was 33.4% in telephone contact group (n=116) and 30.5% (n=84) in no contact group.
Positive indicators of therapy success (abstinence or decrease in drinking, stabile social relations, and more positive self-evaluation of well-being) were found in 53.0% of patients at 3 months, 44.3% at 6 months, and 30.6% at 12 months in telephone contact group. Overall abstinence 24 months after the end of intensive treatment was reported in 25.7% of all patients, including non-respondents. Both groups achieved significant improvement in subjective well-being during intensive treatment. At 24 months, 3 attributes of subjective well-being (subjective psychological health, evaluation of financial status, general quality of life) were significantly higher in telephone contact group. However, groups did not significantly differ in the abstinence level (telephone contact group=27.7%, no contact group=24.4%).
Significant differences in well-being variables between telephone contact group and no contact group at 24 months after the end of intensive treatment are at least partially due to phone contact/informative checking 3, 6, and 12 months after the end of intensive therapy. Telephone or any short and easy accessible communication checking is a promising as supportive and research tool in aftercare alcohol addiction treatment, especially because of its cost-benefit advantages.
Adolescent substance dependency in relation to parental substance (ab)use Problem: Relations between adolescents' substance dependency status (yes-no) as independent and adolescent self and family ...evaluations and parental indicators of substance dependency as dependent variables were studied. Methods: All together 197 families were included (father, mother, adolescent - mean age of adolescent was 17.2 years). Rosenberg self - esteem scale, originally constructed semantic differential perceived family climate, Zung depression scale and SASSI-3 (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) instrument were applied. Multivariate and univariate approach were applied to verify hypotheses about differences in dependent variables regarding the independent one also with estimated mothers' and fathers' dependency as two covariates. Results: Level of depression was significantly higher, but level of self-esteem and family climate evaluation were significantly lower in dependent adolescents. Fathers of non-dependent adolescents and mothers of dependent adolescents were found more substance dependency vulnerable. Adolescent dependence status differed more frequently in fathers' than in mothers' SASSI-3 sub scores. Conclusions: Results indicate that in group of substance dependent adolescent families with healthier and more engaged fathers participated in the study. Support for mothers' vulnerability and need for fathers' involvement in treatment of dependent adolescent is underlined.
Odvisnost Od Drog Pri Mladostnikih V Povezavi Z Zlorabo Psihotropnih Snovi Staršev Problem: Stanje odvisnosti pri mladostnikih, ki smo ga določili na nominalni ravni ter opredelili kot neodvisno spremenljivko, smo ugotavljali v zvezi z naslednjimi odvisnimi spremenljivkami: mladostnikova raven samospoštovanja, depresivnosti in ocena družinskega vzdušja ter starševska izraženost kazalcev zlorabe psihotropnih snovi. Metoda: Vključeno je bilo 197 družin (oče, mati, mladostnik - povprečna starost 17,2 let). Uporabljeni so bili naslednji kazalci: Rosenbergova lestvica samospoštovanja, semantični diferencial za oceno družinskega vzdušja, Zungova lestvica depresivnosti in (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) vprašalnik za ugotavljanje izraženosti odvisnosti od psihotropnih snovi SASSI-3. Hipoteze smo preverjali z univariatnimi in multivariatnimi pristopi ob upoštevanju dveh kovariat (ocene izraženosti odvisnosti mater in očetov). Rezultati: Pri odvisnih mladostnikih je bila ugotovljena pomembno višja raven depresivnosti, raven samospoštovanja in ocena družinske klime pa sta bili pomembno nižji. Očetje ne-odvisnih mladostnikov in matere odvisnih mladostnikov so se izkazali kot bolj ranljivi na področju kazalcev odvisnosti. Stanje odvisnosti pri mladostnikih je pogosteje razločevalo subskore SASSI-3 pri očetih kot pri materah. Zaključek: Rezultati kažejo, da so v skupini z odvisnimi mladostniki na vprašalnik odgovarjali bolj angažirani očetje. Poudarjena je potreba po večji podpori materam in večji vključenosti očetov v zdravljenje odvisnih mladostnikov.
Hitler's eugenics program for the extermination of inferior and feeble persons involved Slovenia in the worst possible way. In May 1941, German psychiatrists examined all 380 patients of the ...psychiatric hospital in Novo Celje, which was one of two psychiatric hospitals in the then-Slovenia. They ordered the execution of the majority and, in June of the same year, transported them to the Hartheim "euthanasia institute" near Linz, transferring only around 30 younger employable patients to the psychiatric hospital in Feldhof in Austria. We examined all the available documentation, which was modest and includes no original lists of the illnesses of these patients. We describe the time, place, and occurrence of this terrible crime against psychiatric patients.
There are many evidences of co-morbidity influence on alcohol dependency treatment outcome. We were interested in the question 'Do alcohol dependent patients with different co-occurring mental and ...medical conditions significantly differ in subjective attributes of well-being and in abstinence rate two years after the end of intensive alcohol dependency treatment'.
222 ex - patients participated in the research 24 months after the end of intensive alcohol dependency treatment, 74% of them males (mean age = 46.17, SD = 8.79) and 26% females (mean age = 46.35, SD = 8.10).
No significant differences were found in any dependent variable regarding any independent variable in "presence of any somatic diagnose" (yes/no) and "personality disorders". "Depressive vs. non depressive" differed significantly only in the evaluation of important interpersonal relations, while "anxious vs. non - anxious" and "benzodiazepine dependent vs. nondependent" significantly differed in all self - evaluations, except in evaluation of important interpersonal relations. No significant differences were found between (non)abstinents regarding any of six categories of mental disorder and medical conditions (yes/no) and no significant differences were found in any self - evaluation regarding the participation in different kinds of after-care. A greater number of patients continued to abstain from alcohol if they continued in aftercare 24 months after the end of intensive treatment.
Patients with different somatic and mental co-occurring disorders did not differ in abstinence rate. However, membership in after-care 24 months after the end of intensive therapy significantly contributed to the abstinence rate. Abstinence was found to be connected with more positive self-evaluation. Patients with somatic co-occurring diagnoses tended to have more positive self-perceptions than patients with co-occurring mental disorders.
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