Combined cold-water immersion and breathwork may be associated with improved mental health and reduction in the duration of upper respiratory tract infection - a case-control study.

A polar plunge is a term referring to an ice-cold water immersion (CWI), usually in the winter period. It is also a part of a specific training program (STP) which currently gains popularity worldwide and was proven to display paradigm-shifting characteristics. The aim of this study was to compare the indices of mental functioning (including depression, anxiety, mindfulness) and duration of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) measured among the study participants. A set of questionnaires was distributed via the Internet. Participants declaring regular STP practice were selected (N = 77). Two groups were matched based on a case-control principle: the first one (the control group) comprised participants who did not declare nor CWI practice, nor STP practice. The second one comprised participants declaring regular CWI practice only. The CWI only group displayed better mental health indices and shorter URTIs compared to the control group. Moreover, the STP group also displayed better general mental health, less somatic complaints, and shorter URTIs compared to the CWI only group. This study suggests the existence of CWI's potential in boosting mental health and immune system functioning, however when complemented by a specific breathwork, this potential can be increased. However, further research is required.

Can morning affect protect us from suicide? The mediating role of general mental health in the relationship between chronotype and suicidal behavior among students.

Although chronotype has been associated with suicidal behavior, current research suggest that this relationship may be mediated by other factors. The aim of this study was to assess whether chronotype, specifically morningness, may predict suicidal behavior and whether this relationship may be mediated by general mental health, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and/or social functioning among young adults. The study group comprised 306 students: 204 (65.8%) women, 101 (32.6%) men and one who chose not to identify with either option (0.3%). The participants completed The Composite Scale of Morningness, The General Health Questionnaire, 30-item version, Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire and The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. Correlations between the continuous variables of interest revealed a weak, but significant, negative association between morning affect (CSM) and suicidal behavior (SBQ-R); a moderate positive association was found between suicidal behavior (SBQ-R) and depression/anxiety, and a weak one between suicidal behavior (SBQ-R) and interpersonal relations (GHQ-30). The models predicting suicidal behavior, and chronotype-related variables as predictors of suicidal behavior, were then tested. Although the morning affect predicted suicidal behavior, this effect became irrelevant when combined with mental health characteristics: psychopathological symptoms of depression and anxiety and the quality of interpersonal relations. Our findings imply that the role of chronotype is secondary to general mental health: mental disorder symptoms should be considered as the core risk factors for suicide and serve as the focus for suicide risk assessments.

The Relationship between Selected Factors (Temperament, Bipolar Traits, Sleep Quality, Severity of Addiction) and Depressive Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Men.

Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated a relationship between alcohol addiction and mood disorders. Alcohol-dependent patients with depression tend to demonstrate clinically more severe manic symptoms, which complicates the process of diagnosis and therapy. However, the predictors indicating the risk of mood disorders in addicted patients remain unclear. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between personal dispositions, bipolar traits, depth of addiction, quality of sleep, and depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent men. The study group comprised 70 men (age M = 46.06, SD = 11.29) diagnosed with alcohol addiction. The participants completed a battery of questionnaires: BDI, HCL-32, PSQI, EPQ-R and MAST. The results were tested using Pearson's correlation quotient and general linear model. The findings indicate that some of the studied patients are likely to have mood disorders of clinically significant severity. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in alcohol-dependent patients. Among the components of sleep quality, problems with falling asleep and waking up at night appear to be most strongly associated with depressive symptoms. The intensity of depressive symptoms may relate to the intensity of certain bipolar features, such as risk-taking activity and irritability. High neuroticism and poor sleep quality are independent predictors of depressive symptoms in the studied group.

The Structure of Temperament in Caregivers of Patients with Schizophrenia.

The onset of schizophrenia symptoms usually occurs in early youth. As a result, the parents of these patients usually become their caregivers. The role of a caregiver for a person with schizophrenia is a considerable mental and physical burden. Therefore, an interesting issue is what motivates these people to take up this challenge. It is probable that, apart from the moral imperative or kinship, the factor determining this decision is the personality structure of the caregiver. The aim of our study was to compare the structure of temperament (according to the model of temperament as formal characteristics of behavior developed by Jan Strelau) in caregivers of young adults (age 18-25 years) with schizophrenia with the structure of temperament of parents of healthy young adults still living in the family home under their care. The study group consisted of 64 people (51 women), who were taking care of young adults (aged 18-25 years) with schizophrenia, while the control group (53 people, 42 women) consisted of parents of healthy adults still living in the family home. Both groups were asked to complete a questionnaire of the authors' own design on their demographic data as well as The Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory to assess the temperament traits. The results were given in the number of points obtained on average in each dimension. Both groups did not differ in terms of size and age, with women predominating. Caregivers of young adults with schizophrenia had higher values of briskness (43.22 ± 4.45 vs. 42.90 ± 3.98, p = 0.032), emotional reactivity (46.02 ± 4.39 vs. 41.01 ± 3.12, p = 0.012) and activity level (44.01.89 ± 4.15 vs. 37.59 ± 4.77, p = 0.022) compared to the control group. The remaining dimensions of temperament: perseverance, sensory sensitivity, rhythmicity, and endurance did not differentiate between the two groups. The temperament structure of caregivers of young people with schizophrenia differs from the temperament structure of caregivers of healthy adults. Caregivers of sick people have higher values of briskness, emotional reactivity, and activity level compared to the control group.

The relationship between chronotype, dispositional mindfulness and suicidal ideation among medical students: mediating role of anxiety, insomnia and social dysfunction.

The aim of the study was to assess whether chronotype and subjective amplitude may predict suicidal ideation independently of mindfulness, and whether anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction may be mediators of the relationship between chronotype and suicidal thoughts among medical students. The study group comprised 600 students of the medical faculties (191 men and 409 women), with a mean (SD, range) age of 21.94 (1.81, 18-31) years. The participants completed the Chronotype Questionnaire, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Two items from GHQ-28 depression scale were extracted to measure suicidal ideation. The FFMQ score correlated negatively with the suicidal ideation score. The total effect of chronotype was insignificant when controlled for FFMQ. In the case of indirect effects, subjective amplitude score predicted suicidal ideation via both anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction scores. The FFMQ score predicted suicidal ideation only via the social dysfunction scale. The direct effect of subjective amplitude was insignificant. Our findings indicate that the flexibility (or rigidity) of circadian rhythm may be linked to the intensity of experienced suicidal ideation, but only via anxiety/insomnia and social dysfunction, independently of mindfulness and morningness-eveningness.

Chronotype and poor sleep quality in young adults - a pilot study on the role of rumination.

BACKGROUND: Eveningness has been associated with poor sleep quality and depression. However, chronotype has also been shown to be a multidimensional construct, not limited to a merely morningness-eveningness orientation. It has also been proposed that other factors may also mediate the relationship between chronotype and its mental health sequelae. This pilot study explores the role of rumination as a mediator between chronotype and sleep quality, chronotype and depressive symptoms. METHODS: A sample of 144 participants completed The Morningness-Eveningness-Stability-Scale Improved (MESSi), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)). The results were tested using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, multiple linear regression and the Sobel test. RESULTS: Rumination was linked to poor sleep quality and increased depression. Morning affect and Distinctness (i.e. rigidity, or the subjective amplitude of the circadian rhythm) correlated with rumination. Rumination was a partial mediator of the associations between Morning Affect and sleep quality, Morning Affect and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Rumination may play a role in the association between chronotype (particularly Morning Affect and Distinction) and sleep quality and depression. The recognition of this association might serve as a basis for clinical psychoeducational and therapeutic programs targeting both adjustment of the circadian rhythm and rumination as a psychopathological sign.

Evening chronotype as a bipolar feature among patients with major depressive disorder: the results of a pilot factor analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The bipolar spectrum concept has resulted in a paradigm shift that has affected both the diagnosis and therapy of mood disorders, with bipolarity becoming an indicator of treatment resistance in depression. Evening circadian preference has also been linked to affective disorders. The aim of our study was to confirm the relationship between the severity of depressive symptoms, bipolar features, chronotype, and sleep quality among patients with major depressive disorder. METHODS: A group of 55 individuals who were recruited from a mental health outpatient clinic completed the following psychometric tools: a Chronotype Questionnaire comprising morningness-eveningness (ME) and subjective amplitude of the rhythm (AM) scales, the Hypomania Checklist 32 (HCL-32), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: Factor analysis identified two latent components, accounting cumulatively for 58% of variables: depressive symptoms (BDI and PSQI) and bipolarity (ME, AM, and HCL-32). After rotation, ME loading in the first factor increased the result to a significant level. The correlation between the two components was very low. CONCLUSIONS: Evening chronotype appears to be a bipolarity-related marker, with this relationship being independent of its link to depressive symptoms and sleep quality. Eveningness and high circadian rhythm amplitude may offer promise as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic predictors.

The association between chronotype and suicidality among students of the medicine and psychology faculties - the mediating role of general mental health indices.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether anxiety and insomnia symptoms, somatic symptoms, and social dysfunction mediate the link between chronotype and suicidality, as depressive symptoms are known to do, among students of the faculties of Medicine and Psychology. Data from a total of 289 students were eligible for the analysis. The students completed the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire - Revised, Composite Scale of Morningness, General Health Questionnaire. Single-predictor linear regression models were created to predict suicidality, with a subsequent mediation analysis. A preference toward eveningness was associated with an increase in suicidality Somatic symptoms, anxiety/insomnia, and depressive symptoms fully mediated the relationship between chronotype and suicidality. Depressive symptoms were found to present the strongest effect size of mediation. Social dysfunction was associated with both eveningness and suicidality, but did not play a mediating role. There might be a need to evaluate nonpsychotic mental health indices other than depressive symptoms when assessing the link between suicidality and chronotype among students of the faculties of Medicine and Psychology.

The Predictive Role of Positive Mental Health for Attitudes Towards Suicide and Suicide Prevention: Is the Well-Being of Students of the Helping Professions a Worthwhile Goal for Suicide Prevention?

This study evaluates the potential value of eudaimonic well-being in assessing pro-preventive orientation towards suicide and recognizing suicide as a solution. The aim was to integrate positive and negative conceptualizations of mental health for predicting attitudes towards suicide, and towards suicide prevention, among students of the helping professions. The study participants (166 women and 73 men, mean age 22.84 ± 5.15) answered a set of questionnaires, including a Questionnaire on Attitudes Towards Suicide, Goldberg Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB-42) and Centrality of Religiosity Scale. Multiple regression analysis showed that environmental mastery, purpose in life and positive relationships, controlled for religiousness and psychological problems related to general mental health, predicted the variability of attitudes towards suicide and pro-preventive orientation. Sociodemographic variables were not related to attitudes towards suicide. Our findings suggest that positive mental health, represented jointly by low mental health problems and eudaimonic components of happiness, plays a role in predicting pro-preventive attitudes. Therefore, improving positive mental health among students in the helping professions, these being the future gatekeepers, could be considered an auxiliary strategy for suicide prevention.

Psychometric Properties of the Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire.

Only a few questionnaires are available for measuring attitude towards suicide as a unidimensional construct, i.e. emphasizing acceptance or disapproval of the suicidal act under a set of difficult life circumstances. The aim of this study was to develop the Suicide Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ) and examine its psychometric properties. A group of 177 Psychology, Medicine and Law students completed the SAQ, Attitudes Towards Suicide questionnaire and a demographic survey. Exploratory factor analysis found the SAQ to have a single factor structure, explaining 55.49% of variance, with high goodness of fit. Owing to the nature of explicit attitudes, the SAQ may have limited power in predicting behavior. The findings indicate that the SAQ demonstrates appropriate reliability and concurrent validity for measuring the acceptance of suicide act. Future research with use of confirmatory factor analysis is needed for determining whether the proposed construct fits data.

Type D personality and the degree of control of bronchial asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Poor asthma control is probably associated with both biological and psychological factors. Type D pattern of behavior is characterized by negative emotionality and inhibition in social relationships. It was previously found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. AIM: To evaluate the correlation between the degree of asthma control and the severity of the components of type D behavior pattern. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted on a group of 117 subjects with bronchial asthma. The control group consisted of 32 healthy subjects. The degree of bronchial asthma control was determined using the Asthma Control Test. The D pattern of behavior was measured using the DS-14 questionnaire. RESULTS: The risk of type D behavior pattern, defined as scoring at least 10 points in both scales (Negative Emotionality and Social Inhibition), was higher in subjects with uncontrolled asthma than in healthy individuals (OR = 5.19; 95% CI: 1.74-15.44), those with partial control of asthma (OR = 6.04; 95% CI: 1.87-19.52) and subjects with good control of asthma (OR = 8.46; 95% CI: 3.09-23.16). The severity of depressiveness correlated positively with the number of infections in the past year. Negative emotionality correlated positively with the number of infections and social inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Type D pattern of behavior may be associated with diagnosis and severity of asthma. Due to its link to poor control of asthma symptoms, a high level of negative emotionality among patients with asthma might be of particular interest to the clinicians.

Validation of the Polish version of the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS). / Walidacja polskiej wersji Skali Glodu Alkoholu Penn (Penn Alcohol Craving Scale ­ PACS).

OBJECTIVES: The conducted studies were aimed at making a Polish adaptation of the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) by B. Flannery and co-workers. The Scale is a self-assessment method, it comprises 5 statements, and is designed to assess alcohol craving experienced by a patient in a week prior to the examination. METHODS: 550 patients with diagnosed alcohol dependence syndrome were examined, and the final analysis included results of 510 persons. The examined group consisted of 396 men and 114 women. The study was made in the 3rd week of their alcohol treatment. There were used: the PENN Craving Scale, the Alcohol Dependence Development Scale (SRUA) (the part in which craving is dealt with), a clinical interview with specially prepared questions about alcohol craving experienced last month and last week, and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Intense Drinking Scale. RESULTS: The Polish version of the Penn Scale is characterised by very good psychometric properties - it is a reliable and valid tool. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have proved the existence of one factor. The internal consistency, assessed on the basis of Cronbach's alpha, equalled 0.89. The method displays statistically significant (majority p < 0.0010) relationships with levels of craving experienced last year, last month, and last week before the examination, and also with total score on the Yale-Brown Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of the conducted adaptation works on the Penn Scale speak for recommending the method for scientific research and use in therapeutic practice.

Type A Behavior Pattern, Impulsiveness, Risk Propensity, and Empathy as Predictors of Dyspnea and Number of Infections in Men with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND Stress and psychological factors can induce dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to assess selected elements of the clinical presentation of COPD in the context of the severity of type A pattern of behavior, impulsiveness, and tendency for empathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a cross-sectional study. The study group consisted of 179 men with COPD and the control group consisted of 31 healthy male smokers. In all patients, the number of infectious exacerbations over the past year, the result on the dyspnea scale (MRC), and the FEV1-to- predicted FEV1 ratio was assessed. The A pattern of behavior was measured using the Type A scale. To measure impulsivity, risk propensity, and empathy, the IVE impulsivity questionnaire was used. RESULTS An increase in the number of infectious exacerbations was associated with an increased score on the Type A scale, an increase in risk propensity, and a decrease in impulsivity score. Increased severity of dyspnea was associated with an increase in Type A behavior pattern score and an increase in the risk propensity score. CONCLUSIONS Type A behavior pattern and risk propensity are independent predictors of the number of infections in the last year and of the subjective severity of dyspnea among men with COPD and healthy male smokers.

Suicidal thoughts in persons treated for alcohol dependence: The role of selected demographic and clinical factors.

Greater knowledge is needed of potential predictive factors for suicide in cases of alcohol addiction. Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify the socio-demographic variables and clinical factors associated with alcohol dependence which may have an influence on the occurrence of suicidal thoughts in alcohol-dependent patients. A group of 510 patients (396 male and 114 female) diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome were interviewed during the third week of therapy according to the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) and the Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire (SADD). Socio-demographic data was also collected. The results of a binary logistic regression with suicidal thoughts as a dependent variable show that 63 out of the 510 participants (12% of the sample) reported the presence of suicidal thoughts. Alcohol dependence and alcohol craving appear to increase the likelihood of suicidal thoughts, and participants presenting psychiatric disorders were twice as likely to demonstrate suicidal ideation as those who did not. Alcohol dependence, alcohol craving and psychiatric comorbidity may be regarded as risk factors for suicidal ideation in the studied sample, with the only protective factor being living in a relationship.

Visual impairment and traits of autism in children. / Niepelnosprawnosc wzrokowa a obecnosc cech autystycznych u dzieci.

Visual impairment present from birth or from an early childhood may lead to psychosocial and emotional disorders. 11-40% of children in the group with visual impairment show traits of autism. The aim of this paper was to present the selected examples of how visual impairment in children is related to the occurrence of autism and to describe the available tools for diagnosing autism in children with visual impairment. So far the relation between visual impairment in children and autism has not been sufficiently confirmed. Psychiatric and psychological diagnosis of children with visual impairment has some difficulties in differentiating between "blindism" and traits typical for autism resulting from a lack of standardized diagnostic tools used to diagnosing children with visual impairment. Another difficulty in diagnosing autism in children with visual impairment is the coexistence of other disabilities in case of most children with vision impairment. Additionally, apart from difficulties in diagnosing autistic disorders in children with eye dysfunctions there is also a question of what tools should be used in therapy and rehabilitation of patients.

Sleep quality, chronotype, temperament and bipolar features as predictors of depressive symptoms among medical students.

The assessment of risk factors is a crucial step in the prevention and treatment of affective disorders and should encompass personal dispositions. The aim of this study was to assess the value of chronotype and temperament as independent predictors of depressive symptoms among medical students. The study surveyed 140 students of the Faculty of Medicine with a battery of questionnaires: the Beck Depression Index (BDI), Hypomania Checklist 32 (HCL-32), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Chronotype Questionnaire and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised. The results were tested using Pearson's correlation quotient and general linear model. Ten percent of the participants demonstrated a BDI score suggestive of clinically significant depressive symptoms. BDI score correlated positively with HCL-32 score. A rise in BDI was independently predicted by elevated Neuroticism and PSQI scores and morningness. Those effects were independent from each other and from other parameters of the model. The presence of depressive symptoms might be associated with bipolar features among medical students. Poor sleep quality predicted depressive symptoms, similarly to Neuroticism and independently of temperament and chronotype. Future studies on the associations between personal dispositions and mood disorders among medical students are required to help identify those at greater risk of developing affective illness. Effective prophylaxis and early intervention are warranted to ensure better treatment results.

Differences in the verbal fluency, working memory and executive functions in alcoholics: Short-term vs. long-term abstainers.

The aim of the study was to assess differences in verbal fluency, working memory and executive functions in two subgroups of alcohol-dependent patients, those undergoing short-term abstinence (STA) and those undergoing long-term abstinence (LTA), and to compare the level of cognitive functions in patients after long-term abstinence with healthy subjects. The study group consisted of 106 alcohol-dependent patients (53 immediately after drinking at least 3 days and 53 after at least one-year abstinence). The control group comprised 53 subjects, whose age, sex and education levels matched those of the patients in the experimental group. The dependence intensity was assessed using SADD and MAST scales. The neuropsychological assessment was based on the FAS Test, Stroop Test and TMT A&B Test. The results obtained for alcohol-dependent patients revealed significant disturbances of cognitive functions. Such results indicate the presence of severe frontal cerebral cortex dysfunctions. Frontal cortex dysfunctions affecting the verbal fluency and working memory subsystems and the executive functions also persisted during long-term abstinence periods. No significant correlations between the duration of dependence, quantity of alcohol consumed and efficiency of the working memory and executive functions were observed in alcohol-dependent subjects after short-term or long-term abstinence.

The relationship between chronotype and personality among patients with alcohol dependence syndrome: Pilot study.

The study investigates the distribution of chronotypes among alcohol-dependent subjects and the relationship between personality and chronotype. Fifty-eight alcohol-dependent patients and 29 age-matched healthy controls were studied using Oginska's Chronotype Questionnaire (ChQ), Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire - Revised (EPQ-R), Selzer's Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) and a sociodemographic status questionnaire designed by the authors. The alcohol-dependent patients tended to be morning type, based on the morningness-eveningness ChQ scale, with a weakly marked rhythm, based on the distinctness ChQ scale. Preference towards morningness was associated with older age, but no relation between chronotype and severity of alcohol dependence was found. A high amplitude of the rhythm was associated with higher neuroticism. Therefore, despite being in the minority, patients with a distinct circadian rhythm (i.e. with a high amplitude) are at greater risk of mood and anxiety disorders and hence should be given special consideration.

Haloperidol, but not olanzapine, may affect expression of PER1 and CRY1 genes in human glioblastoma cell line.

Background: There is barely any evidence of antipsychotic drugs affecting the molecular clockwork in human, yet it is suggested that clock genes are associated with dopaminergic transmission, i.e. the main target of this therapeutics. We decided to verify if haloperidol and olanzapine affect expression of CLOCK, BMAL1, PER1 and CRY1 in a human central nervous system cell line model. Methods: U-87MG human glioblastoma cell line was used as an experimental model. The cells were incubated with or without haloperidol and olanzapine in the concentration of 5 and 20 µM for 24 h. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction with the ΔCT analysis was used to examine the effect of haloperidol and olanzapine on the mRNA expression of the genes. Results: At 5 µM, haloperidol decreased expression of CRY1 almost 20-fold. There was nearly a 1.5-fold increase in expression of PER1. Considering the 20 µM haloperidol concentration and both olanzapine concentrations, no other statistically significant effect was observed. Conclusions: At certain concentration, haloperidol seems to affect expression of particular clock genes in a human central nervous system cell line model, yet mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains elusive.

The Polish Version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Modified to Reflect Obsessions and Compulsions Related to Heavy Drinking (YBOCS-hd-PL).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the research work was to present the process of adapting the Polish version of the YBOCS-hd by Modell and colleagues (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1992;16:266) to Polish conditions and to characterize the psychometric validation of the measure (e.g., validity, internal structure, and reliability). The scale is a self-assessment method consisting of 10 statements designed for measuring the severity of obsessive and compulsive craving-related thoughts and behaviors in alcohol-dependent or alcohol-abusing patients. METHODS: The study was carried out in a group of 550 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome, 510 of whom (396 males and 114 females) were included in the final analysis. The patients were interviewed during the third week of therapy by the Polish version of the Yale-Brown Compulsive Scale Modified to Reflect Obsessions and Compulsions Related to Heavy Drinking (YBOCS-hd-PL), the Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), Short Alcohol Dependence Data Questionnaire (SADD), and the "compulsive" subscale of SCL-90. RESULTS: The YBOCS-hd-PL is characterized by good psychometric properties. Factor analysis identified 2 factors corresponding to the structure of the original version. Its internal consistency, assessed on the basis of Cronbach's alpha, is satisfactory: 0.84 for YBOCS-hd-PL (overall), 0.75 for factor 1 (obsessive thoughts), and 0.79 for factor 2 (compulsive behaviors). The discriminant power of the questions ranged from 0.46 to 0.68 (p < 0.001). For the adapted YBOCS-hd-PL, significant correlations were found between its scores and the PACS and the "compulsive" subscale of the SCL-90 scale. The obtained results indicate the Polish version of the YBOCS-hd (YBOCS-hd-PL) proved to be a reliable and valid instrument. CONCLUSIONS: In view of its very good psychometric properties, the Polish version of the YBOCS-hd can be recommended as an instrument for assessment of alcohol craving and its obsessive and compulsive aspects in individuals with alcohol use disorders.