Somatic comorbidity and the progression of cognitive impairment.

Background: There are usually multiple factors underlying dementia in old age. Somatic comorbidity is one important element that influences the progression of cognitive impairment. Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between the progression of cognitive impairment and the presence and severity of comorbidities based on a four-year observation. Material: Out of 128 patients from the Clinic for Outpatients in Gdansk, who were recruited into the study based on the criteria of the Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment, a total of 93 participants completed the four-year observation. Only the data from participants who completed the full period of observations were analysed. The mean age of the group was M = 75.93 (SD = 9.43). The level of progression of cognitive impairment was measured using the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale - Sum of Boxes, the severity of comorbidities was measured using the modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, and, additionally, at the time of inclusion in the study, participants were assessed using the MMSE scale and the Activity Scale, and sociodemographic data were collected. The Generalized Estimating Equations method was employed to fit a marginal model for analyzing the data collected in a repeated measures design. The tested model elucidated the role of the overall severity of comorbidities in explaining the progression of cognitive impairment, while controlling for everyday activity and basic demographic variables. Results: During the four-year observation, a significant decline in cognitive function (B = 1.86, p < 0.01) was observed in the examined sample. The statistical analysis revealed that individuals with higher overall severity of comorbidities exhibited significantly more pronounced progression of cognitive impairment over time. Regarding particular comorbidities, metabolic diseases were found to be associated with a poorer prognosis (rho = 0.41, p < 0.05). Furthermore, a time physical activity interaction was identified as predicting cognitive impairment, indicating that individuals who were more physically active at the beginning of the study exhibited significantly less pronounced progression of cognitive impairment over the course of the 4 years. Conclusion: This study suggests the important roles of comorbidities and physical activity for the prognosis of mild cognitive impairment.

Psychosocial well-being among individuals with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis treatment and their caregivers: a protocol of a mixed method study in Sri Lanka and Poland.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can be identified as one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which affect millions of people worldwide, including in Sri Lanka and Poland. The prevalence of CKD has been rising over the last three decades due to the identification of CKD with unknown etiology and the increment of NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus among the Sri Lankan population. Poland can be identified as a European country that has 4 million patients with CKD, which is the second most common chronic disease in the country. CKD is associated with the physical, economic, psychological, and social burden on patients and their caregivers. The current study is aimed to investigate the psychosocial well-being of CKD patients and their caregivers in Sri Lanka and Poland. The current study is a mixed-method study aimed to investigate the psychosocial well-being of individuals with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis and their caregivers in Sri Lanka and Poland. Participants in the quantitative part of the project will be individuals with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis from Sri Lanka (n = 63) and Poland (n = 63) who are currently undergoing hemodialysis treatment. Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Sort Form, Beck Depression Scale, Test of Self-Conscious Affect, The Courtauld Emotional Control Scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale, and a demographic and medical information sheet will be used in both Sri Lankan and Polish samples. Apart from that, the qualitative phase of the study will involve semi-structured interviews with individuals diagnosed with CKD, selected randomly from the initial part of the research, and their close relatives. Notably, the participant count will remain undetermined, as this approach addresses the inherent challenges of exploratory research.

Selected personality traits and emotional disorders of women diagnosed with gastrointestinal disease - a pilot study.

Introduction: There are many studies on the influence of psychological factors in the appearance of symptoms and their treatment among gastroenterological patients. It is increasingly indicated that these factors are of great importance also for the quality of life of people struggling with a chronic disease. Aim: To evaluate personality traits and emotional disorders in female patients with gastrointestinal conditions such as functional dyspepsia (FD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Material and methods: The sample of 28 patients was verified in terms of the disease using the GAST questionnaire and assessed by personality questionnaires and psychological tests: the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), EAS Temperament Survey, Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPQ-R), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS); Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire (BPCQ), General Self-efficacy Scale (GSES), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Results: The control group was recruited from female university students declaring full health. The conducted statistical analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between personality traits, psychological predispositions, and both the experience of illness and satisfaction with life among this specific group of patients. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated the need for a personalized approach to gastroenterological patients, also based on their personality characteristics. Such an approach may increase the effectiveness of therapy and bring benefits in long-term treatment.

Development and validation of the attitude towards Surrogacy Scale in a polish sample.

BACKGROUND: Surrogacy is one of the options in reproductive medicine that raises a lot of ethical, legal and psychological controversy. Surveying attitudes toward surrogacy plays an important role in building awareness of this phenomenon in the society, which may help eliminate its stigma. In this study authors aimed to develop and validate a scale to assess the attitudes towards surrogacy. METHODS: In this study cross-sectional design was implemented. Development process of the Attitude towards Surrogacy Scale (ATSS) included items development based on literature reviews, other existing questionnaires, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability analysis using internal consistence coefficients. A pilot study using adult members of the public was conducted after consultation with the Expert Advisory Panel Board. The final survey, which was used in this study, consisted of 24 items, which were organized into the four subscales: general opinion on surrogacy and its social context (7 items), financing and legalizing surrogacy (8 items), the acceptance of surrogacy (4 items), and attitudes towards the intended parents and children born through surrogacy (5 items). 442 individuals participated in this study. RESULTS: The final version of Attitude towards Surrogacy Scale (ATSS) consists of 15 items, grouped in three subscales. Final version of the ATSS showed that the three-factor model indicated an acceptable model fit: Chi-square = 320.46, p < 0.01, df = 87, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.078 (90% C.I.: 0.070-0.086), SRMR = 0.040 Reliability was assessed by calculating the McDonald's omega that ranged from 0.74 for the Surrogacy ethical context subscale to 0.94 for the overall ATSS score. CONCLUSION: ATSS was developed to measure general attitude toward surrogacy with satisfying psychometric properties. The analysis of socio-demographic variables with ATSS showed that the most significant predictor of the general attitude towards surrogacy, and three aspects of surrogacy was being a religious person (profess a Catholic religion or profess another religion).

Surrogacy­is one of the most controversial methods of infertility treatment. This concept is associated with difficult ethical, psychological and social issues, in which each aspect may lead to different trends in attitudes. The study of attitudes in society plays an important role in the analysis of various aspects of a given phenomenon, helps to fill legal gaps and ambiguities, and to transform controversial dimensions into normative concepts. Thus, this study aimed to develop and validate a scale to assess the attitudes towards surrogacy.The survey used in this study, consisted of 24 questions, which were organized into the four subscales: general opinion on surrogacy and its social context (7 items), financing and legalizing surrogacy (8 items), the acceptance of surrogacy (4 items), and attitudes towards the intended parents and children born through surrogacy (5 items). 442 individuals participated in this study. The final version of Attitude towards Surrogacy Scale consists of 15 questions, grouped in three subscales: opinion on surrogacy ethical context, financing and legalizing surrogacy, and an acceptance of surrogacy.This is the first scale in Poland for the assessment of general attitudes towards surrogacy. This measure allows to capture the opinions towards three aspects of surrogacy: surrogacy's ethical context, the financing and legalizing surrogacy, and acceptance of surrogacy. The scale can be addressed to various groups in the society, not only for studies related to reproductive medicine.

Maternal adult attachment and maternal-fetal attachment in the context of romantic relationship quality after premature birth-A cross sectional study.

Objective: The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate the maternal adult attachment and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) in the context of romantic relationship quality among mothers of preterm born children. Associations between MFA, maternal adult attachment, maternal perceived stress, depressive symptoms, social support in the neonatal period were also examined as secondary outcomes. Materials and methods: The study had a cross-sectional design and involved 260 of women after premature birth, who participated in the study in the early neonatal period. The following self-reported methods were used: Socio-demographic questionnaire, Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ), Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), The Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), The Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ). Results: The results showed that a secure attachment style is associated with a higher intensity of the MFA and consequently, a higher quality of the romantic relationship. Regression analysis presented that the higher the secure attachment score, the lower the perceived level of stress and depressive symptoms, which in turn lead to a higher quality of the partner relationship. Conclusion: Maternal secure attachment positively impacts the romantic relationship quality and the maternal-fetal attachment. The findings also draw attention to the role of the secure attachment style as a protective factor while coping with stress and depressive symptoms.

Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer-A Pilot Study.

This study's aim was assessing of the relationship between mentalization and life satisfaction and the level of adaptation to oncological disease in patients with breast cancer. The study involved 41 women (M = 59.88; SD = 8.81) with breast cancer who completed their treatments and participated in a cancer rehabilitation program. In the study, we used the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), the Satisfaction Life Scale (SWLS), and the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC). The mean of declared level of mentalization was 45.54 (SD = 11.65). The significant correlation between mentalization (its general value and individual dimensions) and satisfaction with life/mental adjustment to cancer was observed. The strongest positive correlations were noted between refusing self-reflection, helplessness-hopelessness, and anxious preoccupation and the negative correlation between mentalization and satisfaction with life. Mentalization was a predictor of satisfaction with life and mental adjustment to illness. Mentalization was related with life satisfaction and adjustment to cancer in patients with breast cancer, which is in line with previous studies suggesting the crucial role of subjective psychological factors in maintaining mental health.

The impact of cognitive impairment of individuals with Parkinson's disease on their caregivers' mental health: A systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Parkinson's disease is a motor disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder with cardinal symptoms including bradykinesia, rigidity, and rest tremor accompanied by cognitive difficulties. The caregivers play a crucial role for individuals with Parkinson's disease; however, many of them may suffer from high caregiver burden and mental health deterioration. This protocol of a systematic review presents a methodology of the review about the impact of cognitive impairment of individuals with Parkinson's disease on their caregivers' mental health. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Research will be identified by combining electronic databases searching and hand searching. The following databases will be included: Medline, PsycInfo, Web of Sciences, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus. The inclusion and exclusion criteria followed to PECOS model. The population of informal caregivers is defined as family members providing care on a patient with Parkinson's disease. Exposure is linked with the evaluation of a cognitive functioning and outcome is defined as mental health among caregivers of individuals with Parkinson's disease. We will include two types of studies: observational and intervention. Both, screening and eligibility will be done by two independent reviewers. Study quality will be assessed by two authors independently. Data will be extracted by two reviewers independently and will follow a pre-pilot extraction form. Any discrepancies will be resolved by discussion or/and consultation with another reviewer. The synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) guidelines will be used to report on included studies data. The metanalysis with usage the statistical software R version 4.1.2 (2021-11-01) "Bird Hippie" and R metaphor package 3.0-2 of will be conducted if possible. DISCUSSION: The goal of this systematic review is to present the association between caregivers' mental health problems and their proteges' cognitive impairment. It will enable to identify the gaps in literature and its methodology giving the suggestions for further research. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: Protocol registration number in PROSPERO: CRD42022296670.

Bio-psycho-social health assessment in prehospital emergency technicians: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Health is a complex structure and has physical, psychological, and social approaches. The importance and impact of health assessment have caused considerable attention to be paid to the employees of the health system and the determining factors of this relationship. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to find out the bio-psycho-social health situation in prehospital emergency technicians as the research question staff. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a systematic review and data have retrieved through extensive search in Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed (including Medline), Cochrane Library, Irandoc, Magiran, MedLib, and SID databases with a combination of keywords of "Health, " "Assessment, " "Social," "Psychological," "Biological," "Emergency," and "prehospital," according to the search strategy, between 2000 and 202111 studies were reviewed; then, they were entered based on the objectives of the study and narrative analysis was performed by the researcher. RESULTS: After analyzing the articles, a total of 4 factors affecting bio-psycho-social health in prehospital emergency technicians have been extracted and identified, which included health management, bio-psycho-social factors, occupational factors, and behavioral factors. CONCLUSION: This research showed four factors, namely health management, bio-psycho-social factors, occupational factors, and behavioral factors which could be effective in Bio-Psycho-Social health. Since prehospital emergency services have an important role in maintaining the health of the community, which requires attention to the bio-psycho-social health of emergency personnel, more studies have focused on health management among the four mentioned factors, but the need to examine the other three factors for a more accurate assessment of the health of emergency personnel seems necessary. Therefore, prevention and response strategies based on bio-psycho-social health assessment models are proposed to promote the health of prehospital emergency technician staff.

Sense of Coherence and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: The Role of Physical and Neurological Disability.

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that can lead to permanent disability and significantly impact the quality of life. The present study explores the relationship between neurological disability and disease symptoms, quality of life, and the level of sense of coherence, which is an important resource for coping with the disease. EDSS, GNDS, SOC-29, and MSIS-29 were used in the presented study. The study group consisted of 137 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The study showed the correlation between most of the analyzed variables. Mood disability and fatigue were significant predictors of the sense of coherence and explained 34% of its variance. Physical disability and fatigue served as significant predictors of the physical aspect of quality of life, explaining 49% of its variance. Fatigue and sense of coherence were significant predictors of the psychological aspect of quality of life, explaining 47% of the variance. In studies on a group of people with multiple sclerosis, it is worth considering, in addition to the level of disability, also invisible symptoms, such as fatigue or mood disability, which are important for the quality of life and the level of resources. As this study suggests, a sense of coherence is a resource essential for the quality of life of people with disabilities.

The Moderating Effects of Personal Resources on Caregiver Burden in Carers of Alzheimer's Patients.

Caring for persons with Alzheimer's disease can be an extremely difficult experience. To date, there has been a lack of research into the role of intermediary variables in the relationship between caregiver personality and psychosocial functioning. The growing numbers of dementia patients worldwide mean that more people are involved in their care, making research into this area a pressing concern. Both a caregiver's personality and personal resources play a key role in their capacity to cope with stressful situations. In order to determine how personal resources moderate the relationship between personality and burden of care, a total of 100 caregivers of Alzheimer's patients (78 women and 22 men) were asked to complete a set of questionnaires to assess personality, personal resources (sense of coherence, generalized self-efficacy, and perceived social support), as well as their levels of stress, depression, and commitment to care. Structural equation modeling and latent growth analysis suggest that personal resources explain the mechanisms underlying burden of care and moderate its relationship with personality. Our findings indicate that personal resources are a critical predictor of burden of care. Therefore, caregivers must be provided with appropriate support, taking into account their resources and personality profiles.

Fear of Coronavirus, Stress and Fear of Childbirth in Polish Pregnant Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the largest pandemic of an aggressive coronavirus in the human population in the 21st century. The pandemic may have a negative emotional impact on pregnant women, causing fear and stress. Negative feelings during pregnancy later affect fear of childbirth. Our study aimed to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19, stress and fear of childbirth. We assume that fear of COVID-19 will be a mediator of the relationship between perceived stress and fear of childbirth. A total of 262 Polish pregnant women participated in this study. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FOC-6) and Labour Anxiety Questionnaire (KLP II) were used in the study. There was a statistically significant, moderate, and positive relationship between perceived stress, fear of COVID-19, and fear of childbirth. Fear of COVID-19 was a statistically significant mediator in the relationship between perceived stress and fear of childbirth. The COVID-19 epidemic may have a negative emotional impact on pregnant women, causing fear, stress and increased fear of childbirth. Childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic is perceived by women as a threat to their well-being and health. Therefore, it is especially important to support a woman in the perinatal period and to enable her to give birth to a child.

Fatigue, Physical Disability and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of the Acceptance of Illness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic progressive demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that leads to permanent disability and many neurological symptoms, making everyday functioning difficult. The predictors of the acceptance of illness and the health-related quality of life in people with MS include the degree of disability, neurological symptoms and psychosocial factors, such as personal resources. The aim of our study is to determine the relationships among disability, fatigue, self-efficacy, acceptance of illness and quality of life. The study group consisted of 137 people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis-73 women and 64 men. EDSS, GNDS, LSES, AIS and MSIS-29 were used in the present study. The results show that all tested variables were significantly correlated with each other. Disability and fatigue were significant predictors of both the physical and psychological aspects of patients' quality of life. Self-efficacy was a significant predictor of both the acceptance of illness and the psychological aspect of patients' quality of life. Based on the current research study, it can be concluded that factors of a biomedical nature explain other aspects of struggling with the disease, rather than psychological resources.

Fear of COVID-19 and Life Satisfaction: The Role of the Health-Related Hardiness and Sense of Coherence.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to increased fear and anxiety throughout society, which may affect life satisfaction. Health-related hardiness and sense of coherence (SOC) are personal resources that help people adapt to difficult circumstances. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between fear of COVID-19, SOC, health-related hardiness, and life satisfaction. Methods: A total of 907 Polish people (522 women and 385 men) participated in this study. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FOC-6), the Health-Related Hardiness Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used. Results: Correlation showed that fear of COVID-19 was negatively related to health-related hardiness, SOC, and life satisfaction. Health-related hardiness and SOC were positively related to life satisfaction. Both SOC and hardiness were mediators between fear of COVID-19 and life satisfaction during the current pandemic. Conclusion: SOC and health-related hardiness are personal resources that are important for dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to our study, SOC and hardiness can mediate between fear of COVID-19 and life satisfaction. Presented cross-sectional results have to be verified in future longitudinal studies in order to strengthen the conclusions presented in this manuscript. This study verified the role of only two personal resources, so more research is needed on the role of other personal resources during COVID-19 pandemic.

Offering Psychological Support to University Students in Poland During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons Learned From an Initial Evaluation.

This perspective article aims to present insights into an initiative to provide free psychological support to students at the University of Gdansk (UG) - one of the first universities in Poland to offer such help - during the first major COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in March 2020. We begin by introducing key psychological consequences of the pandemic, with particular emphasis on university students, according to Pandemic Management Theory (PMT). Next, we highlight the most significant challenges reported to us by the students in response to the support initiative and applied psychological interventions (including psychoeducation, relaxation, arranging day plans, taking care of relationships, and "just" talking). We conclude by reflecting on the challenges for mental health posed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the outcome of our initiative - the creation of the Academic Psychological Support Centre at the University of Gdansk. These insights and lessons learned from developing our practice can help enhance the effectiveness of future psychological support programs through the pandemic and beyond.

The Anterior Attentional-Intentional System in Patients with Parkinson's Disease-A Pilot and Feasibility Study.

(1) Background: This study compared anterior attentional-intentional system performance between three groups: Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with normal cognition (PD-NC), with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI), and a comparison group (CG). It also evaluated the feasibility of the recruitment and study procedures; (2) Methods: From 45 participants recruited, 39 were allocated (mean age 65.31; 43.59% men) to PD-NC, PD-MCI and CG (13 per group). To assess attention, we used three tasks from the ROtman-Baycrest Battery for Investigating Attention: Simple Reaction time (RT), Choice RT, and Prepare RT. We conducted a mixed-model analysis of variance with a 3 (groups) × 4 (tasks) design to compare reaction times; (3) Results: PD-MCI had slower reaction times than PD-NC (p = 0.028) and the CG (p = 0.052); there was no difference between PD-NC and CG. PD-MCI might perform worse on monitoring tasks than PD-NC, Z = -1.68, p = 0.092. Nearly half the volunteers from the CG and 87% of all eligible patients were enrolled in the study and completed all neuropsychological procedures; (4) Conclusions: General cognitive decline appears related to partial deficits in energization and tends to impair attentional monitoring. Furthermore, PD-NC exhibited similar reaction times to the CG. Results from the feasibility study contributed to the definitive study.

Associations of Maternal-Infant Bonding with Maternal Mental Health, Infant's Characteristics and Socio-Demographical Variables in the Early Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Background: There is a continuing discussion concerning the impact of preterm birth on Maternal-Infant bonding with inconsistent results. The large burden of preterm births calls for research to evaluate the impact of it on material psychological outcome in the early postpartum period. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal postpartum bonding with maternal mental health, socio-demographical factors, and child's characteristics. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used. In total, 72 women (a mean age of 31.44 years old) of preterm infants (mean gestational age = 33.54; range 24-36) filled out socio-demographic questionnaires, Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), and Parental Stress Scale (PSS) 1-3 days post-delivery; (3) Results: The results analyses have shown positive correlations between the overall result of maternal postpartum bonding with stress (p < 0.01), maternal educational level (p < 0.01), maternal age (p < 0.05) and the number of children (p < 0.01). However, there were no significant relationships between other investigated variables. The results of linear regression have revelated the important role of the overall scores in experience of stress among mothers (explaining 49% of the variability). The mediating role of maternal stress on maternal postpartum bonding was not found. That relationship of maternal postpartum bonding and maternal stress was not moderated through socio-demographic variables. (4) Conclusions: In this study mothers of prematurely born children had a good level of Maternal-Infant bonding. Maternal stress was found to be a predictor of maternal postpartum bonding among the tested variables. Surprisingly, the study results did not show significant relationships between maternal postpartum bonding and maternal mental health (depression and anxiety).

Mental Health and the Symptoms of PTSD in People with Depression and Anxiety Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The purpose of this study was to examine the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic in people with no diagnosis of mental illness, as well as in people who were diagnosed with depression or anxiety. Moreover, this study aimed to investigate the interplay between PTSD symptoms and self-assessed mental health associated with well-being. The 210 participants were divided into 3 groups: mentally healthy, participants with diagnosed depression, and participants with anxiety disorders. To evaluate the subjective well-being of the participants, the Polish adaptation of the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) was applied. The Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to measure the severity of PTSD symptoms. At least a moderate worsening of PTSD symptoms was observed in participants of all groups. The results were as follows: healthy participants M = 37.35 (SD = 18.46); participants with depression M = 36.05 (SD = 18.02); participants with anxiety M = 44.52 (SD = 18.08). The participants diagnosed with depression showed the lowest level of mental well-being M = 41.58 (SD = 15.02). Conclusion: People diagnosed with depression had both the lowest level of well-being and the lowest severity of symptoms specific to PTSD. In all three groups, lower emotional well-being was linked to greater PTSD symptoms.

The Role of Social Media Use in Peer Bullying Victimization and Onset of Anxiety Among Indonesian Elementary School Children.

Objectives: This study explored a multidimensional model of the relationships between social media use, gender, peer bullying victimization experiences, and the onset of anxiety symptoms among children. We hypothesized that greater experience of bullying would be associated with greater onset of anxiety. We also expected that gender and social media use (specifically Instagram and YouTube) would be linked with anxiety among elementary school children. To test this hypothesis, a structural equation modeling approach was used. Methods: A total of 456 elementary children aged 11-13 years from nine schools were recruited for this research. We used two psychological measures: The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and the Personal Experience Checklist (PECK) as well as a sociodemographic questionnaire (general demographic information and social media-related information). Results: The social media usage survey found that all participants (100%) used social media. Instagram (52.42%) and YouTube (47.58%) were the platforms most used by the participants. The Structural Equation Model results suggest that bullying victimization and gender predicted the onset of anxiety in elementary school children. The model explained 32.1% of the variance of the outcome with very adequate fit indicators based on most indices, χ2 = 173.56, df = 52, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.92; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.07 (90% CI: 0.06-0.08). Instagram use was correlated positively with generalized anxiety disorder. Gender was negatively correlated with Instagram use and positively correlated with YouTube use. Girls were found to use Instagram more and boys were found to use YouTube more. It was also found that girls had higher scores onSCARED dimensions, except for school avoidance. Girls were more prone to onset of anxiety than boys, except for school avoidance, which was not related to gender. Boys were found to experience significantly more physical bullying than girls. On the other hand, girls were found to experience more panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and social anxiety than boys. Conclusion: This study found that bullying victimization significantly influences the onset of anxiety in children. Particular attention should be paid to cyberbullying in this context. This study also found a link between gender and anxiety-girls had a greater tendency to experience the onset of various types of anxiety, including panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and social anxiety. Gender was also correlated with the form of bullying victimization. The findings of this study suggest that boys were more likely to experience physical bullying than girls. Interestingly, we found that Instagram use was significantly correlated with developing separation anxiety. In particular, children demonstrated school avoidance when experiencing cyberbullying. Limitations and future directions are discussed.