Predictors of suicidality among Polish university students during COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The main purpose of the study was to assess university students' mental health and identify factors associated with the risk of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and distance learning. RECENT FINDINGS: The study was conducted in spring 2021 and comprised 10 760 Polish students. The survey employed modified versions of the C-SSRS, CIDI, WHO-5, GAD-7, the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 and CAGE-AID Questionnaire and included questions about panic attacks, COVID-19-related information and sociodemographic characteristics. The correlates of suicidality were examined using a series of logistic regression analyses. Almost 40% students experienced any suicidal thoughts and/or behaviours in the previous month: passive ideations only (15.8%), active ideations only (7.1%), plans without attempts (15%), and attempts (1.4%). Following variables were related to the increased risk for suicide attempts: severe anxiety [odds ratio (OR) = 11.39; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.44-90.26], panic attacks (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.75-5.91), and COVID-19 hospitalisation (OR = 11.04; 95% CI: 1.17-104.59). Major depression was associated with passive and active ideations, suicide plans, but not with attempts (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 0.45-4.13). SUMMARY: University students present a high level of adverse mental health and increased risk of STBs during COVID-19 pandemic. A suicide prevention program tailored to this population is needed during and after the pandemic.

Evaluation of Undergraduate Learning Experiences in Pediatric Dentistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The aim of the study was to analyze students' opinions on the learning outcomes they achieved during clinical classes in pediatric dentistry. The classes were run in various periods: before the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic (onsite classes), in the first months of the pandemic (online classes), and in the following months of the pandemic (onsite classes with additional infection control and administrative changes in patients' admission procedures). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted among fifth-year dentistry students at Poznan University of Medical Sciences. Students who completed the entire course and passed the diploma exam in pediatric dentistry were asked to complete the anonymous questionnaire providing their opinion. RESULTS: The research results showed that, in the students' opinion, clinical classes-regardless of their form-allowed them to achieve the knowledge necessary to perform pediatric dental procedures. However, the students appreciated onsite classes significantly more compared to information and communication technologies (ICT) classes in gaining practical skills and social competence. CONCLUSIONS: (1) The significant limitations introduced because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic impacted the development and implementation of modern online teaching techniques, which may very well be applied to convey theoretical knowledge after the pandemic has ended. (2) Skills and social competence, indispensable in the future dental practice of dental students, can only be obtained during onsite classes. (3) Medical universities should design standards of teaching to enable them to address a possible epidemiological threat in the future, which will enable rapid response and safe continuation of practical dental education during a pandemic.

Measurement of Unwanted Thought Suppression Strategies with the Thought Control Questionnaire in the General Polish Population: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Validation.

INTRODUCTION: Although psychological studies have suggested both the desired and paradoxical effects of unwanted thought suppression, we still know little about this mechanism. It has been proposed that individual differences in using specific strategies to suppress intrusions explain why contradictory effects of suppression are observed. The main aims of the study were to investigate the factor structure of the Polish version of Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ) and verify whether this structure corresponds to the original version of the TCQ measurement. METHODS: Using the TCQ, which is a 30-item self-report measure, this research investigated individual thought control strategies to suppress intrusive thoughts in the general population. We used parallel analysis and theoretical interpretability to investigate the most appropriate factor structure of the inventory. To examine the validity of the Polish version of TCQ the correlational analysis of TCQ factors with other psychometric scales: Beck Depression Inventory, The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and The Metacognitions Questionnaire. The internal consistency of the TCQ subscales was also assessed by calculating the Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients for each factor. RESULTS: The resulting five-factor solution explained 51.86% of the total variance. The Polish version of TCQ consisted of five subscales yielding satisfactory reliability values: 1) Punishment (α = 0.725); 2) Distraction (α = 0.688); 3) Social Control (α = 0.780); 4) Worry (α = 0.788; 5) Re-appraisal (α = 0.70). CONCLUSION: The five-factor solution was convergent with the dimensions that appeared in the original TCQ version and were observed in the most TCQ adaptations in various countries. Our findings support the psychological construct of thought-control strategies measured by TCQ and prove the satisfactory reliability of this self-report measure within a Polish population.

People with diabetes need a lower cut-off than others for depression screening with PHQ-9.

AIMS: This study evaluated the psychometric characteristics of the Polish version of the PHQ-9 in detecting major depression (MDD) and 'MDD and/or dysthymia' in people with and without type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Participants were randomly selected from a diabetes outpatient facility (N = 216) and from among patients admitted to a medical center and psychiatric hospital (N = 99). The participants completed the PHQ-9. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were used to identify the presence of psychiatric symptoms. The optimal cut-offs for PHQ-9 in people with and without type 2 diabetes were investigated based on two methods: 1) Youden's index which identifies cut-off points useful in scientific research; 2) a second method of two-stage screening for depressive disorders to provide guidance for clinical practice. RESULTS: The Polish version of the PHQ-9 is a reliable and valid screening tool for depression in people with and without type 2 diabetes. An optimal cut-off of ≥ 7 was indicated by Youden's index and ≥ 5 by the two-stage method for screening for MDD and 'MDD and/or dysthymia' in the group with type 2 diabetes. A cut-off of ≥ 11 was optimal for screening for both MDD and 'MDD and/or dysthymia' among people without diabetes (Youden's index). The two-stage approach suggested a ≥ 10 score for screening for MDD and ≥ 9 for screening for 'MDD and/or dysthymia' in people without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: A lower cut-off score of the PHQ-9 is recommended for people with type 2 diabetes as compared to the general population.

Psychometric validation of Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale in the Polish population.

BACKGROUND: Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) is one of the most popular psychological scales used for diagnosing odontophobia worldwide. Despite being used by Polish researchers, it has never been validated in the Polish population. Also, there are no similar tools that could be used by dentists for screening. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to validate and present the psychometric properties of the Dental Anxiety Scale adapted to Polish. The scale is a self-assessment tool designed to measure odontophobia and dental anxiety. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 162 adults. The adaptation to Polish of the DAS scale included a back-translation and a think-aloud study. The validation procedure incorporated 3 basic methods to be applied in the reliability analysis - the test-retest method, the statistical properties analysis of test items as well as a factor analysis. The general result of the responders was also compared to the anxiety-trait STAI scale and the neuroticism scale form IPIP-BMF-20. RESULTS: The Cronbach's α was 0.9. The solution obtained in the exploratory factor analysis was a one-factor model, explaining 76.24% of the variance of responses. The test-retest gave a strong correlation (rho = 0.69, p < 0.001). The correlations between the DAS score, the anxiety-trait STAI score and the neuroticism scale form IPIP-BMF-20 were moderate, as expected. The percent of responders with odontophobia and intense dental anxiety was almost similar to the results of other studies. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric characteristics of the Polish adaptation of the DAS scale are similar to those reported in the original version. The results allow us to recommend the method for scientific research and patient screening. However, further analyses are necessary to assess if the scores indicating odontophobia and dental anxiety are similar in Poland and in the USA.

The awareness of caregivers about their children's exposure to ionizing radiation accompanying medical procedures: the assessment study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was a survey-based assessment concerning parents of children undergoing CT examinations and their knowledge of detailed information about procedures involved in imaging diagnostics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A statistical analysis of 108 surveys of parents of children undergoing CT studies in the Department of Pediatric Radiology in Poznan, Poland was done, with the use of Statistica software. RESULTS: In result of the evaluation of all subsections of the substantive question number, the majority of answers were incorrect (68-98%). No correlation between the number of CT examinations conducted for a child and the number of correct answers to substantive questions was observed. No correlation between the number of CT examinations conducted for a child and the fact of noting the examination with the use of ionizing radiation down in a child's health certificate was stated. The statistical analysis showed that children of parents who declared that the aim of the CT examination had been explained to them better underwent more of them. CONCLUSIONS: Parents are poorly informed about a radiation dose and risk related to a CT examination procedure. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2019;32(1):65-73.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in upper respiratory tract mucosa in a group of pre-school children.

INTRODUCTION: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of DNA viruses which is an etiological factor of many benign and malignant diseases of the upper respiratory tract mucosa, female genital tract and the skin. HPV infection is considered a sexually-transmitted infection, but can also be transmitted by non-sexual routes, including perinatal vertical transmission, physical contact, iatrogenic infection and autoinoculation. Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP) in children is connected with HPV infection transmitted vertically from mother to child during the passage of the foetus through an infected birth canal. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the level of Human Papillomaviruses carrier state in upper respiratory tract mucosa in healthy pre-school children, and to identify potential risk factors for HPV infection. MATERIALS AND METHOD: After obtaining consent from their parents, 97 pre-school children were examined--51 girls and 46 boys between the ages of 3-5 years; average age--4 years and 5 months. 68 children were urban dwellers and 29 came from a rural environment. A questionnaire with detailed history was taken including parents' and child`s personal data, as well as perinatal risk factors in pregnancy. Socio-demographic information was also obtained, including the standard of living, and chosen environmental factors. Routine ENT examination was performed. Exfoliated oral squamous cells were collected from swabs and analysed for the presence of DNA papillomaviruses by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The presence of HPV in the respiratory tract in children was detected in 19.6% cases. 'High oncogenic potential' HPVs, such as HPV-16 and HPV-18, were not observed in squamous cell mucosa of the respiratory tract in the children. No significant differences were observed between the HPV carrier state in urban and rural inhabitants.

Environmental pollution and parental smoking influence on the appearance of pseudocroup in children.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of environmental pollution and parental tobacco smoking on the occurrence of pseudocroup in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A questionnaire-study was performed in 345 children with pseudocroup admitted to the ENT Dept between 1997-2007. 116 children had smoking and 229 had non-smoking parents. Both groups were compared with respect to environmental pollution (urban, rural), parents' level of education, household crowding and breast feeding period. The prevalence of upper and lower respiratory tract infections and the presence of allergy were also anlaysed. The results were compared to those performed in the ENT Dept in 1977-1986. RESULTS: In the group of rural children, 21 were children with pseudocroup from smoking parents and 36 children of non-smoking parents. Among children living in the urban areas there were 95 from smoking parents and 193 from non-smoking parents. Both non-smoking parents presented a large group of people with a higher level of education, and in the smoking families both parents presented a lower level of education. Analysis of the breast feeding period revealed that it was the longest (up to 9 months) in non-smoking mothers--21% of the group, and only in 4.3% of smoking mothers.

Sexual initiation of youths in selected European countries compared with their sexual and contraceptive knowledge.

The problem of educating youths entering adult life is as old as the history of mankind. The data shown in the introduction indicate that the methods of education depend on culture, religion, climatic zone, and a whole chain of events characteristic for the place where the young man grows up. Research data, however, show that adolescents of the former Eastern Bloc use contraceptives significantly less often and have a more traditional approach to the relationships between a man and a woman. They are, however, more likely to engage in random sexual contacts and accompanied dangerous sexual behaviours. Polish youths have a more liberal approach to the norms concerning sexual activity. The age of sexual initiation lowers gradually, but not as radically as over the western border. These changes occur at a slower rate than in other European countries. Sexual education, which is supposed to prepare the young man, responsible and fully aware of his actions, for adult life, also develops at a slower rate.

Occurrence of neurotic and anxiety disorders in rural schoolchildren and the role of physical exercise as a method to support their treatment.

INTRODUCTION: School anxiety has become a common problem in children and adolescents. Despite numerous studies, it is difficult to definitely identify the cause of neurotic disorders in school-age children. The objective of the presented study was to assess the prevalence of neurotic disorders in rural schoolchildren and the role of physical activity as a method to support their treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study consisted of 123 girls and 117 boys living in rural areas of Wielkopolska. A questionnaire was provided evaluating family status, family relationships, school situation, somatic symptoms related to being at school, and the frequency of physical activity. RESULTS: It was found that over the 50% of children considered the relations with siblings as correct, but also acknowledged that there were a conflict situations in their relationship. Nearly 25% of children indicated an emotional irrelevance with their parents. About 20% of the young people did not like going to school or were afraid to stay there. Over the 50% of children declared somato-emotional problems associated with the being at school. The symptoms of neurotic disorders were more strongly expressed and more common in girls. Analysis of physical activity indicated that only a small group of young people practiced sport regularly, and an even smaller percentage of children exercised with their parents and/or peers. CONCLUSIONS: The development of somatic and emotional disturbances in children may be associated with irregular family and school relationships and low physical activity. It was found that gender had a significant influence on most of the studied parameters.