Social participation and depressive symptoms among older adults during the Covid-19 pandemic in Serbia: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the predictors and level of social participation and depressive symptoms within the context of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate if the residence and type of housing had a moderating role in the relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional, comparative, and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 299 participants. Research instruments used in this study included: socio-demographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Maastricht Social Participation Profile, and Mini-Mental State Exam. RESULTS: Social participation was found to contribute negatively to symptoms of depression (ß = -0.245, p < .01), with a higher level of depression being found in older adults living in nursing homes (ß = -0.152, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed a strong relationship between social participation and depressive symptoms in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Behavioral aspects of executive functions in young adults with well-controlled epilepsy.

Executive function (EF) skills involve higher-level cognitive functions, such as planning, goal formation, goal-directed behavior, and effective performance. Previous research has shown that these aspects of EF are essential for successful functioning in everyday life. This study aimed to examine differences in the behavioral aspects of EF between young adults with epilepsy and healthy controls. The study involved 62 young adults, aged 18 to 30 years, divided into two groups: a study group of young adults with well-controlled epilepsy and a control group of healthy young adults. The groups were matched according to basic sociodemographic characteristics. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult version was used to assess the behavioral aspects of executive functions. A significant difference between groups was only observed on the Organization of Materials scale, where the group with epilepsy achieved better performance. Our findings suggest that self-assessed behavioral control of EF is almost the same in healthy young adults and young adults with epilepsy who have no comorbidities and have good control of the disease as well as preserved intellectual ability and functionality in everyday activities.

Serbian Twin Registry.

The first twin study in Serbia began in 2011 as a part of the research project, 'Psychological Foundations of Mental Health: Hereditary and Environmental Factors'. At the same time, the research team from the Faculty of Philosophy and Faculty of Medicine in Novi Sad established the first Serbian twin registry. The registry is intended primarily for the purpose of the research in behavioral genetics, as well as potential future studies in human genetics. It includes information on 1658 volunteers, including twin-pairs, their parent and siblings. The behavioral genetic study of adult twins has been focused on the hereditary and environmental sources of variance of different psychological characteristics, such as personality traits, cognitive abilities, executive functions and aggression, as well as some anthropometric measures and aspects of mental and physical health. Certain molecular genetic analyses have also been performed. The research team is currently starting the longitudinal twin study of children, which will be focused on different indicators of emotional, cognitive and physical development.

The Relationship Between Behavior Aspects of Executive Functions and Personality Traits in Healthy Young Adults.

Executive functions (ЕF) are complex cognitive processes that govern our behavior and thoughts. Associations between personality traits and executive functions clarify the mechanisms of a person's ability to function in everyday situations. The main goal of this study was to explore different personality dimensions relevant to the prediction of two different executive functions - Inhibition and Working Memory. The Big Five Inventory and the Adult Executive Functioning Inventory (ADEXI) were administered on a community sample comprising 549 young adults aged 18-35 years (mean age 22.10 years, SD 3.13). After controlling for age, gender and level of education, Conscientiousness and Extraversion were the most predictive personality traits, while Neuroticism and Agreeableness made specific contributions to the prediction of one of the two executive measures: Working Memory or Inhibition. Specifically, high Conscientiousness and Extraversion with low Neuroticism were significant predictors of Working Memory ability. On the other hand, high Conscientiousness and Agreeableness with low Extraversion predicted better Inhibition ability. These findings support the conclusion that these dimensions of individual differences seem to have numerous points of overlap at both psychological and neurobiological levels, but differences between these constructs are still significant.

Phonological Awareness as the Foundation of Reading Acquisition in Students Reading in Transparent Orthography.

Phonological skills have been found to be strongly related to early reading and writing development. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the extent to which the development of phonological awareness facilitates reading acquisition in students learning to read a transparent orthography. Our research included 689 primary school students in first through third grade (Mean age 101.59 months, SD = 12,690). The assessment tools used to conduct this research include the Phonological Awareness Test and the Gray Oral Reading Test. According to the results from the present study, 13.7% of students have reading difficulties. Students with reading difficulties obtained low scores in phonological awareness within each subscale compared to students who do not have reading difficulties (p < 0.01). Components of phonological awareness which did not singled out as strongly related to early reading success include Phoneme Segmentation, Initial Phoneme Identification, and Syllable Merging. Thus, understanding the nature of the relationship between phonological awareness and reading should help effective program design that will be aimed at eliminating delayed development in children's phonological awareness while they are still in preschool.

The role of basic psychological needs in the perception of job insecurity.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether satisfied basic psychological needs reduce the perception of threat generated by job insecurity, defined as self-assessment of the availability of the working role to its performers in the foreseeable future. The study included 310 participants employed in 24 companies, who completed the Perception of Job Insecurity Scale and Need Satisfaction Scale. The hypotheses were tested with multiple regression analyses. The results point to the importance of two basic needs - Autonomy and Competence - as factors that reduce the level of perceived job insecurity. This study broadens the understanding of personality resources as factors that moderate the perception of job insecurity and confirms the self-determination theory in the organisational context. Satisfying the needs for autonomy and competence can serve as a basis for interventions aimed at strengthening resilience to stress in employees.

Stress and resolution in mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

Parental resolution of diagnosis represents coming to terms with and accepting the diagnosis of a serious condition in their child. As risk factors for achieving resolution, we investigated: a child's functional status, cumulative stress, and maternal depression. The current study tested the hypothesis that mothers who are unresolved to their child's diagnosis would have considerably higher levels of risk factors, compared to resolved mothers. We also examined whether the observed risk factors could predict the resolution status. Maternal resolution was assessed by means of the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview. The sample consisted of 100 mothers of children aged 2-7, diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The results showed that unresolved mothers had children with poorer functional status, experienced more stressful life events, and were more depressed compared to resolved ones. The functional status of a child and maternal depression were shown to be significant resolution predictors. Importantly, they were more successful in predicting the resolved than the unresolved status. Further research is needed in order to investigate more extensively the unresolved parental status.

[Mothers' resolution of their children's diagnosis of cerebral palsy].

INTRODUCTION: The process of adaptation and acceptance of a child's diagnosis of cerebral palsy requires from parents to process the trauma caused by this knowledge cognitively and emotionally. Parents who manage to come to terms with their children's condition are labeled as resolved. As opposed to them, unresolved parents do not accept the reality of their children's condition and fail to overcome the crisis caused by knowledge of the child's diagnosis. Unresolved status has negative implications for the child, the parents and their relationship. CASE REPORTS: Two case reports of mothers whose children have been diagnosed to have cerebral palsy are given. The first case shows a resolved mother who managed to overcome the initial shock and started to feel a sense of relief from the period when she found out the child's diagnosis. In contrast, another case shows an unresolved mother with no significant changes in thoughts and feelings from the time since she learned the child's diagnosis. She was preoccupied with anger and attempted to minimize the child's problem. DISCUSSION: Interviews on reaction to diagnosis and reaction to diagnosis classification system allow identification of mothers' resolution of their children's diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The characteristics of resolved and unresolved maternal status are discussed. CONCLUSION: Parental resolution of diagnosis is essential for the successful adaptation to raising children with disabilities, as well as meeting the requirements of the parental role. It is important to recognize parental cognitions and feelings regarding the child's condition in order to direct psychotherapeutic interventions towards vulnerable population of parents.

Coping with stress and adaptation in mothers of children with cerebral palsy.

INTRODUCTION: Raising a child with cerebral palsy is stressful for the parent because it requires an intensive physical engagement as well as coping with emotional reactions to the child's condition. Parents have different modes of adapting to stress and demands caused by the disorder. The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation postulates that the use of certain coping strategies facilitates successful family adaptation to the child's condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study included 60 mothers of two- to seven-year-old children with diagnosed cerebral palsy. The modified Family Crisis-oriented Personal Evaluation Scales, with its five sub-scales, was applied to assess the strategies used by families to cope with stress. RESULTS: The most frequently used strategy is reframing, whereas other strategies were used less frequently. The study has revealed some differences in adoption of certain strategies by mothers from urban and rural areas as well as of those strategies which depend on the severity of the child's condition. DISCUSSION: The fact that reframing is the most frequently used strategy is encouraging because it helps parents to make their grave situation more acceptable. Institutional support is also often used by mothers of children with severe form of disease because of their need for medical care. CONCLUSION: Recognition of coping strategies of the parents is important and useful for the development of therapeutic interventions aimed at facilitating family adaptation in families with a child with developmental disabilities.

[Importance of early rehabilitation of a child with severe multiple injuries: case report]. / Znacaj rane rehablitacije tesko politraumatizovanog deteta: prikaz slucaja.

CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case presentation of an eight-year-old boy, a traffic accident victim with severe polytrauma. The boy was admitted to hospital with lacerations and contusion injuries of the left basal frontal and left temporal brain region, moderate brain tissue edema and fracture of the left clavicle which were diagnosed by CT (computer tomography). The boy was in coma (Glasgow Coma Scale--5). Oral feeding and catheter removal were established after one month. Three months later his state of consciousness improved, he could carry out simple orders, started vocalization and visited ambulance by wheel chair. Speech and independent walking were achieved 4 months after the accident. PHYSICAL THERAPY: Physical therapy included: neural-stimulation by Vojta and sclerodermal message from seventh day. Later on, speech and work therapy were applied. DRUG THERAPY: Drug therapy included: muscle relaxants and tranquilizers while orthopedic treatment meant plastic immobilization. Control CT revealed chronic subdural hemathoma in the right frontal-parietal region. The boy could walk, talk, have normal diet, and controlled sphincters four months after severe trauma. Now, he is functional and on the level of moderate mental retardation. Early rehabilitation was extremely important in his recovery.