The aim of this research was to recognize the relationship between well-being and civic engagement under the difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic amongst students from Poland, Lithuania ...and Croatia. Overall, 1362 academic students (Poland, n = 596, Croatia, n = 386, and Lithuania, n = 379) participated in the study. Mean rank differences in civic engagement level (overall CE) were analysed by levels of psychological well-being (overall PWB and its subscales) using the Kruskal-Wallis test (one-way ANOVA on ranks). We conducted post hoc analysis with Bonferroni tests to measure the significance of differences in CE between the detailed levels of PWB. To avoid biases due to interaction effects between dependent variables, the analysis of mean ranks was followed by a binomial logistic regression analysis model and subgroups analysis (by gender and by country). Results obtained showed that students with higher levels of psychological well-being have higher levels of civic engagement. The differences in the CE level are most pronounced in relation to the dimension of a PWB, such as "positive relations with others", followed by "personal growth", "autonomy", and "self-acceptance". In a crisis, such as a pandemic, it is worth encouraging students to take targeted actions, as well as to create actions referring to personal development and relationships. There were no differences in the direction and shape of the associations between psychological well-being and civic engagement with respect to the country and the gender of the participants, which leads us to draw conclusions pointing to the globalised nature of student experience during the pandemic in this part of Europe.
Public health emergencies, including catastrophic events such as pandemics and natural disasters, as well as the rise of diseases caused by high-threat pathogens result in specific and often ...critically threatening situations (WHO, 2023). This study aimed to examine the perception of educators (e.g., teachers and trainers) in Croatia regarding the mental health issues, needs, and challenges faced by children and adolescents during public health emergencies, as well as the risk and protective factors associated with mental health issues. Data was collected using two focus groups that included a total of 12 educators (e.g., teachers, sports trainers, kindergarten teachers, and so on) who work with children and adolescents. The results were analysed using thematic analyses and showed that the symptoms observed most often in children were fear, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, sleep problems, behavioural problems, and concentration problems. Educators also provided insights into the broader context in which these symptoms were evident and highlighted their personal need for additional support and education. Furthermore, they listed various protective and risk factors that, in their opinion, could influence the coping abilities of children faced with a crisis. These findings are important for the creation of programmes that aim to protect the mental health of children during and after public emergencies, as well as to train those working with children in order to help them recognise the needs of children and adolescents and find ways of providing help.
Problematic use of the Internet (PUI) generally refers to use of different types of Internet content which is not under control and leads to difficulties in everyday functioning. It involves ...generalised PUI but also specific forms such as problematic use of videogames, social media, and pornography. The main aim of this paper is to offer a basic review of current trends in defining, measurement and research of PUI. The review of available papers points at methodological problems related to determining the prevalence of PUI, and insufficient direct investigation of postulates of existing models regarding the onset and maintenance of PUI. Moreover, this paper offers a critical review of existing instruments for measuring PUI and its specific forms, and recommends the most appropriate instruments. A short review of PUI research methodology and important findings is given. Finally, guidelines for future research in this area are provided, which enable us to investigate these phenomena of contemporary society in a comprehensive and sound way.
Tolerance is a controversial but still an omnipresent criterion in measuring problematic gaming and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Despite criticisms, a systematic review of its suitability has not ...been conducted until now. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence of psychometric validity and the appropriateness of tolerance as a criterion for IGD. A total of 61 articles were included in the review, 47 quantitative, 7 qualitative studies,plus 7 studies that introduce potential item wordings for operationalizing tolerance. Results showed that the tolerance item tends to have acceptable to high factor loadings on the single IGD factor. While tolerance sometimes did not adequately differentiate the engaged gamers from those with a probable disorder, it was endorsed at medium to high levels of IGD severity and had a good performance in the interviews. It, however, showed weak relations with distress and well-being. In qualitative studies, tolerance as currently defined by DSM-5 and measured by questionnaires (i.e., increasing amounts of time spent on gaming) was almost unequivocally rejected by gamers. The solid performance of tolerance in psychometric studies was probably due to deficiencies of the IGD construct, which also contains other disputed criteria. Tolerance lacks relevance in measuring IGD and care should be taken when using and interpreting IGD measures with this criterion.
•We analyzed 61 studies containing data about tolerance in Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD).•Tolerance item showed acceptable to high factor loadings on the single IGD factor.•Tolerance was rejected by gamers and had relatively low criterion validity.•Tolerance in the DSM IGD lacks validity, adding up to deficiencies in IGD construct.•Criteria need to fit into gaming culture and context and have clinical utility.
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in Croatia. Although some peo-ple seem to use cannabis without adverse consequences, widespread cannabis use still poses a significant burden on public ...health. The aims of this study ware to determine if prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis attitudes changed between the two study waves, and to determine wich groups regarding cannabis user and attitudes exist in the Croatian general population and did they change between the two study waves. The re-search was conducted on two representative samples of Croatian citizens aged betwe-en 15 and 64 years, first collected in 2011 (N=4756), and second in 2015 (N=4992). Cross-sectional design was employed, and face-to-face survey was used in data collec-tion. In the current study, data on the prevalence and extent of cannabis use, attitudes on cannabis use and policies regarding cannabis use, risk perception of cannabis use, as well as relevant characteristics of respondents were used. Data were analyzed using confidence intervals and latent class analysis (LCA). Cannabis use increased between the two study waves and the attitudes became more favorable. Three classes were obta-ined in the LCA in both waves: “non-users – cannabis conservative” (the biggest cla-ss), “rare to occasional users – cannabis liberal” (medium sized class) and “moderate to heavy users – very cannabis liberal” (the smallest class). The size of classes changed between the waves, with the latter two classes increasing in size in 2015. Results are discussed in the context of recent legal and societal events in Croatian society which might have driven the discovered changes in cannabis use and attitudes. Key words: attitudes about cannabis, cannabis use, prevalence of cannabis use, ge-neral population, Croatia
When offenders serve a suspended sentence with protective supervision, their probation officers play a dual professional role with the sole purpose of deterring the offenders from further criminal ...behaviour and thereby reducing the likelihood of recidivism. Probation officers supervise offenders and monitor their compliance with different requirements, while at the same time establishing a high-quality professional relationship and conducting psychosocial procedures to assist offenders in re-socialisation and reintegration within the community. The aims of this research were to explore the perspectives of offenders and probation officers on the role of motivation when serving a suspended sentence with protective supervision, and to gain insights into possible changes in motivation during the serving of such a sentence. Focus groups were conducted with convenience samples of offenders (N=12) and probation officers (N=8). The results revealed that offenders, especially at the beginning of their sentence, showed predominantly extrinsic motivation when fulfilling the formal obligations of the sentence, without recognising their purpose. While serving the sentence, offenders’ motivation changed in intensity and partly in type, primarily because of increasing insight into the usefulness of the sentence, which was promoted by the quality of the relationship with the probation officer and some significant life events. In order to encourage offenders to comply with their sentence and refrain from future criminal behaviour, probation officers used problem-solving skills, combined with skills focused on empowering social capital and personal responsibility for decision-making and personal behaviour.
The aim of this study was to provide deeper insight into the relationship between pet-related life events and the subjective wellbeing of pet owners, as well as to analyze definitions of happiness ...that included reference to pets. This research was conducted online as a part of the Croatian Longitudinal Study on Wellbeing (CRO-WELL). For the purposes of this study, the following variables were selected: overall happiness, life satisfaction, subjective ratings of health, and the occurrence and parameters (positivity, negativity, importance, anticipation) of two pet-related life events: acquiring a pet and the death of a pet during the previous year. Additionally, of a pool of lay people's definitions of happiness (n = 4,059), those containing a reference to pets (n = 89) were analyzed. The total sample consisted of 5,034 participants, of whom 658 acquired a pet in the past year, 272 experienced the death of a pet, and an additional 221 experienced both events. Participants who experienced the death of a pet during the previous year were significantly less happy and satisfied compared with those who did not obtain a pet and did not experience the death of a pet in the previous year. Overall happiness was weakly positively correlated with positive evaluations of obtaining a pet and the importance of obtaining a pet. The anticipation of the death of a pet was positively related to positive evaluations of the death of the animal, suggesting an adaptation process took place before the death. Participants who attributed less importance to an event were more likely to experience positive events (obtaining a pet) as less positive and negative events (death of a pet) as less negative. Participants who anticipated an event evaluated it as more positive and less negative. Out of 4,059 participants who provided definitions of happiness, 89 (2.2%) of them included pets in these definitions. Over half of them referred to the pet as the most important member of the family or was equal to other family members, while in the remaining definitions pets were only a part/fragment of a broader definition of happiness. Participants referred mostly to dogs or used the generic word "pet," while cats, the only animal named beside dogs, were mentioned in only a few cases. Greeting the owner was the most frequently mentioned activity, while the joy of a pet and unconditional love were the most frequently mentioned emotions.
The research aimed to explore the salience of different motives for substance use among alcohol, tobacco and marijuana users, and to investigate the difference in motives' salience with regard to ...frequency of substance use and respondents' socio-demographic characteristics. Data were collected among subsamples of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana users drawn from the representative sample of Croatian citizens (N = 4756). Respondents assessed four types, and for marijuana use five types of motives for each substance use (enhancement, social, conformity, coping, and expansion). The enhancement motives were assessed as the most, and conformity motives as the least salient motives among all groups of substance users. Generally, enhanced salience of motives was related to the frequency of all types of substance use. While age had significant effect on the salience of social motives for tobacco use, gender and marital status had significant effect on the salience of all motives for alcohol use, and age had significant effect only on the salience of enhancement and social motives for alcohol use. Among marijuana users, only marital status had significant effect on the salience of expansion motives for marijuana use. Results are discussed within the framework of motivational models for substance use.
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between online gaming motivation, self-concept clarity and problematic online gaming. More specifically, the study investigated the mediating ...role of gaming motives between self-concept clarity and problematic online gaming. Data from 509 young adult (M = 23.14, SD = 4.66) video game players from Croatia were analyzed. Problematic online gaming was positively correlated with social, competition, coping, fantasy and escape motives for playing online video games, and negatively with self-concept clarity. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that escape motives and self-concept clarity were significant predictors of problematic online gaming after controlling for age and weekly gaming time. The results of the mediation model showed that self-concept clarity was both directly and indirectly (via escape motive) associated with problematic online gaming. The discussion addresses the issue of escapism in relation to self-concept clarity and as a factor in predicting problematic online gaming.
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