Drop-Out - Inadequate Response of Seafareres to Stress.

BACKGROUND: Seafarers are usually exposed to many stressors that are related to different duties on board. Several notable researchers have argued that stress is a transactional phenomenon between the individual and the environment that is largely dependent on the meaning given to the stimulus by the perceiver. One of the many causes of stress are poor communication skills. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The aim of the study was to xplain why respondents drop out of research. The project was originally supposed to take place over a period of two years and involve a minimum of 30 respondents per group (30 skippers and 30 seafarers) who would take part in the research for at least four weeks while on board, or during the skipper season. Activity was to be measured with the Polar A370 fitness tracker, worn as a wrist-watch or bracelet and used for 24-hour heart rate, bodily activity and sleep pattern tracking for every respondent. The other device used is TANITA MC780MA, which is a segmental body composition analyser. RESULTS: We contacted overall 146 seafarers, of whom: 40 (27.4%) skippers, 43 (29.5%) deck officers and 63 (43.1%) engine officers. Participation was refused by 18 (12.3% of all contacted) individuals and 108 (74.0%) respondents dropped out during the research. Due to group dispersal and a low number of respondents who reached the end of the research, the project will have to be prolonged. CONCLUSION: We believe that the reasons behind respondent dispersal can be found in their inability to recognize the state they are in and in poor communication skills, while at the same time being exposed to extreme and possibly precarious work conditions. This forms a closed loop that only continues to generate even higher stress levels. Further research is needed to look into this phenomenon.

The impact of displacement on the expression of depressive disorder and social functioning among the war refugees.

Our research objective was to estimate the characteristics of major depressive disorder and social adaptation of women displaced during the war in Croatia in the early 1990s. We aimed to establish the relationship between major depressive disorder and displacement and study its impact on the outcome of depression in order to improve treatment and avoid possible complications. A group of 20 women, 35 to 55 years of age, displaced some time during the 199l.-1995. war in Croatia were compared to 27 women of the same age but with no experience of exile. All the patients suffered from major depressive disorder based upon DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Zung Self Rating Depression Scale and the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale were used. The objective intensity of depression of the displaced significantly decreased over time but not their personal experience of depression. All depressed patients manifested poor social adaptation. Many aspects of social functioning remained poor even after the improvement of depressive disorder. Displacement characteristics were: the length of time spent in exile, the place, and the circumstances of displacement regarding the members of the family accompanying the displaced women. These characteristics significantly influenced the expression of their major depressive disorder as well as social functioning. Displaced persons/refugees are at high risk of developing depressive disorder. Recognition of all risk factors and early diagnosis of depressive disorder followed by appropriate treatment could decrease the risk of chronic and complicated depression as well as the risk of poor social adaptation.

[Impact of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and their intensity on patients working ability]. / Utjecaj pojedinih simptoma posttraumatskoga stresnog poremecaja i intenziteta klinicke slike na radnu sposobnost oboljelih.

After the war in Croatia, many people are suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this research was to analyse the impact of symptoms of PTSD and their intensity on working ability of those patients. Two groups of patients with PTSD hospitalized at Psychiatric Department of osijek Clinical Hospital were interviewed. The first one consisted of 80 patients who were (by psychiatrist) estimated as able to work, and the second of 80 patients who were estimated as unable to work. In this research we used ICD-10 classification for diagnosis of PTSD, self-estimate scale for evaluation of intensity of simptoms of PTSD, Brief psychiatric ratin scale (BPRS) and medical files. Data were statistically arranged by SAS. Working status is correlated to values on Brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and self-estimate scale for evaluation of symptoms intensity of PTSD. Work disability was statistically significantly correlated to: earlier appearance of symptoms of PTSD, more frequent reminding of stressor by live memories, and symptoms intensity. The intensity of symptoms was statistically more significantly correlated to work ability than their form, and the number of stressors lived through the war (through more severe illness) had more influence on work ability than characteristics or durability of a stressor.

Depresion en pacientes con alteraciones del tiroides

Nuestro estudio fue realizado en un grupo de 53 mujeres con disfunción tiroidea y 28 mujeres con depresión mayor. Empleamos la Escala de la Depresión de Hamilton, la Escala de Autoevaluación de la Depresión de Zung y la Escala sobre la Impresión Clínica Global. Los resultados del estudio demuestran que la mayoría de los pacientes con disfunción tiroidea se mostraron clínicamente significativos en cuanto al trastorno depresivo. Los episodios depresivos son más frecuentes en pacientes con hipotiroidismo que en aquellos que presentan hipertiroidismo. Era menos grave en pacientes con disfunción tiroidea que en aquellos que habían sido diagnosticados de depresión mayor unipolar. Los pacientes con hipertiroidismo tenían menos síntomas graves en cuanto a la inhibición y los pacientes con hipotiroidismo tenían menos síntomas graves de agitación que los pacientes con depresión mayor unipolar. Podemos concluir diciendo que los pacientes con disfunción tiroidea presentan un riesgo potencial para los trastornos depresivos por lo que el diagnóstico y tratamiento se recomienda con el fin de evitar el riesgo de la cronicidad (AU)