Determinants of psychotherapists' attitudes to online psychotherapy.

Introduction: Online psychotherapy is a form of work that is becoming more and more popular. Public health problems, such as COVID-19, forced mental health professionals and patients to incorporate new methodologies such as the use of electronic media and internet to provide follow-up, treatment and also supervision. The aim of this study was to investigate which factors shape the therapists' attitudes toward online psychotherapy during a pandemic taking into account: (1) attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic (fear of contagion, pandemic fatigue, etc.), (2) personal characteristics of the psychotherapists (age, gender, feeling of efficacy, anxiety, depression, etc.), and (3) characteristics of the psychotherapeutic practice (guideline procedure, client age group, professional experience, etc). Materials and methods: Study participants were 177 psychotherapists from four European countries: Poland (n = 48), Germany (n = 44), Sweden (n = 49), and Portugal (n = 36). Data were collected by means of an individual online survey through the original questionnaire and the standardized scales: a modified version of the Attitudes toward Psychological Online Interventions Scale (APOI), Fear of Contagion by COVID-19 Scale (FCS COVID-19), Pandemic Fatigue Scale (PFS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Social Support Questionnaire (F-SozU K-14), and the Sense of Efficiency Test (SET). Results: Determinants that impacted psychotherapists' attitudes toward online therapy were: COVID-19 belief in prevention-keeping distance and hand disinfection, pandemic behavioral fatigue, previous online therapy experience (including voice call), working with youth and adults. Our study showed that belief in the sense of prevention in the form of taking care of hand disinfection before the session, pandemic behavioral fatigue and experience in working with adults were significant predictors of negative attitudes of therapists toward online psychological interventions. On the other hand, belief in the sense of prevention in the form of keeping distance during the session had a positive effect on general attitudes toward therapy conducted via the internet. Discussion: The online therapy boom during the COVID-19 pandemic has spawned a powerful tool for psychotherapists. More research in this area and training of psychotherapists are needed for online psychological interventions to become an effective therapy format that is accepted by patients and therapists alike.

Aberrations in carbohydrate metabolism in patients with diagnosed acromegaly, hospitalized in the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of Collegium Medicum University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Bydgoszcz in the years 2001-2009.

INTRODUCTION: The incidence rate of acromegaly is 50 to70 persons per one million people. It occurs twice as often in women than in men, especially in middle age. In the course of the disease, insulin resistance develops, which is connected with the hypersecretion of somatotropin. Type 2 diabetes mellitus occurs more frequently in patients with acromegaly than in the rest of the population. It is diagnosed in 13-56% of acromegaly sufferers; impaired glucose tolerance occurs in 16-46% of examined patients with acromegaly. The aim of this study is to estimate disturbances of glycaemia in patients with diagnosed acromegaly, hospitalized in the Endocrinology and Diabetology Department of Collegium Medicum University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Bydgoszcz in the years 2001-2009. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The participants were a group of 70 patients with acromegaly diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms, high levels of somatotropin, and MRI imaging of the pituitary gland. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed in 19 patients (27%); there were 11 cases (15%) of diagnosis of impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) and imapired glucose tolerance (IGT) combined. Normoglycaemia was recognized in 57% of participants (40 patients). The average age of participants with concomitant type 2 diabetes was 56.1 years, whereas the average age of those without carbohydrate metabolism disturbances was 47.1 years. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with acromegaly, the incidence rate of type 2 diabetes is 3-4-times higher than in the rest of the population and increases with age, especially after the age of 60.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis and carbohydrate metabolism disorders in patients hospitalised in the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology of Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz between 2001 and 2010.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's thyroiditis, is the most frequent type of thyroiditis. An average of 2% of the population have the disease. It occurs in all age groups, also in children. The main cause of the disease are autoimmune disorders, which results in incresed risk of suffering from type 1 diabetes. Fourthermore, during the course of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hypothyroidism may cause carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Aim of our study was estimate disturbances of glycaemia in patients with recognized Hashimoto's thyroiditis, hospitalized in Endokrinology and Diabetology Depatment of Collegium Medicum University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Bydgoszcz in years 2001-2010. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 54 patients with the diagnosis of Hashimoto thyroiditis based on clinical picture and examination(autoantibodies anti-TPO and anti-Tg). RESULTS: In the tested group with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, diabetes has been confirmed in 27.8% of the patients; impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) occurred in 16.6%, whereas a normoglycaemia has been confirmed in 55.6% of the pacients. An average age of the patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and diabetes at the same time, was 53 years. The patients in which we confirmed the impaired fasting glycaemia or impaired glucose tolerance were on average 49.9 years old. An average age of the patients without any carbohydrate methabolism disorders was on average 43.1 years. CONCLUSIONS: Carbohydrate metabolism disorders in the form of type 1 diabetes connected with an autoimmune process, as well as type 2 diabetes connected with the increase of the insulin resistance, occured in average of half of the patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.