Metacognitive beliefs of Polish adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychometric properties of the MCQ-A. / Przekonania metapoznawcze polskiej mlodziezy w trakcie pandemii COVID ­ 19. Wlasciwosci psychometryczne narzedzia MCQ-A.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to provide information on the psychometric properties of the MCQ-A for Polish adolescents; confirm the factor structure of the instrument relative to the original scale; and present the intensity of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs of adolescents during the pandemic. METHODS: A total of 375 adolescents aged 1218 (M = 15.38; SD = 1.63) completed a questionnaire on their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDI-2 questionnaire for the diagnosis of depression in children and adolescents; the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Polish version of the MCQ-A. RESULTS: Structural validity was tested using confirmatory factor analyzes. The best results were obtained using a model that had a five-factor scale structure without a higher-order factor. The obtained psychometric properties are comparable to the results presented by the authors of the English version of MCQ-A30. CONCLUSIONS: This research has shown that the Polish adaptation of MCQ-A is a reliable tool for studying metacognitive beliefs in adolescents.

The efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in the treatment of anorexia nervosa: a randomized double-blind clinical trial.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a life-threatening disease with a low effectiveness of treatment. The high relapse and mortality rate indicate new treatment approaches are needed. Here, we represent the protocol for randomized clinical trial (RCT) of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) efficiency in the AN treatment. The main purpose of the 3-week RCT is to determine the effect of tDCS on the mental state and advances in nutritional rehabilitation in patients with AN. Methods: 50 female inpatients (13-25 years old, body mass index (BMI) 17.5 kg/m2 or less) will be randomly allocated into groups: active (n=25) and sham (n=25) tDCS. Thirty 25-minute tDCS sessions (applied current at 2mA) will be given to DLPFC (F3 anode/F4 cathode) twice a day for 3 weeks on working days parallel to treatment as usual. The primary outcome measures include changes in symptoms related to eating disorders, as assessed by the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), following tDCS sessions over a 3-week trial period. The secondary outcome measures include changes in: brain bioelectric activity, anthropometric measurements, mood, nutritional status, neurocognition, psychological symptoms, selected biological markers related to stress, food intake, inflammation and neurotrophins. Discussion: This paper describes the evaluation of a 3-week tDCS-based intervention for AN patients. The study design was developed by a multidisciplinary research team to assess the treatment effect, taking into account various types of variables. This approach could help in better understanding the potential therapeutic tDCS strategy in AN. Clinical trial registration: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05814458.

Turn on the screen, turn off the loneliness - analysis of risk factors for binge-watching among Polish medical and non-medical students. A web-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the risk factors for binge-watching (BW) among Polish medical and non-medical students. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A STROBE-compliant cross-sectional observational study, was carried out in Poland from July 2022 - March 2023. The web-based survey consisted of a personal questionnaire, a Binge-Watching Behaviour Questionnaire, a Scale of Motivation for Watching TV Series, a shortened version of the Ryff Well-Being Scale, and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Inclusion criteria were being a student and providing informed consent to participate. The study involved 726 respondents (70.5% female) with an average age of 22.41 (SD=3.89), including 308 (44%) medical students. RESULTS: In the group of Polish medical students, the regression model was well-fitted F(10,287)=30.189; p<0.001, R2=0.496, and the risk factors were escape motivation (ß=0.416; p<0.001), psychological well-being (ß=-0.165; p=0.003), emotional loneliness (ß=0.152; p=0.014), and social loneliness (ß=-0.118; p=0.031). Among Polish students of other majors, the regression model was well-fitted F(10,378)=46.188; p<0.001, R2=0.538, and the influence of escape motivation (ß=0.456; p<0.001), entertainment motivation (ß=0.258; p<0.001), the psychological well-being of students (ß=-0.134; p=0.004), and emotional loneliness (ß=0.111; p=0.032) was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Students are in a high-risk group for behavioural addiction known as binge-watching. Emotional loneliness, the desire to escape from everyday life problems, and reduced psychological well-being intensified binge-watching in all the studied groups. Entertainment motivation and social loneliness differentiated the groups of Polish medical and non-medical students in terms of BW risk factors.

The Assessment of the Impact of Training With Various Metacognitive Interventions on the Enhancement of Verbal Fluency in School-Age Children With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine whether a 3-month training with the use of the metacognitive strategies would strengthen the executive function related to verbal fluency in children with ADHD. METHOD: A total of 45 children with ADHD (M = 10.41; SD = 1.42) participated in a randomized experimental study. They completed the Verbal Fluency Test before and after training. RESULT: The results of the Wilcoxon test show that the mean number of words spoken by the child increased significantly in the second measurement compared to the first in the Mind Map group (M = 11.40; SD = 4.03; M = 14.46; SD = 3.99; p = .001). Unfortunately, this data did not apply to the Sketchnoting Group. Verbal regression was noted in the Control Group. CONCLUSION: The results provide an interesting premise for further research. Perhaps Mind Mapping training can be an effective form of complementary therapy.

Randomized clinical trial evaluating the effect of metacognitive interventions on planning skills in children with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with mixed symptom presentation. Pilot trial design. / Randomizowane badanie kliniczne oceniajace wplyw interwencji metapoznawczych na umiejetnosci planowania u dzieci z zespolem nadpobudliwosci psychoruchowej i zaburzeniami uwagi (ADHD) o prezentacji objawów mieszanych. Pilotaz.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this experimental pilot study is to evaluate the effects of 25 metacognitive interventions on planning skills in children with ADHD. METHODS: Forty-five children with ADHD aged 7-12 years (M = 10.41; SD = 1.42) participated in the experiment along with a parent. The children were randomly assigned to one of three groups, determining the type of metacognitive technique used in the training: (1) Mind Maps, (2) Sketching, or (3) Control. They participated in 25 thematic meetings. They were measured at the beginning and at the end of the trainings using the Conners Questionnaire 3 and the Park Map Test tools. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the intensity of the mean scores for the "Planning" variable between the first and second measurements (M1 = 6.13; SD1 = 0.35; M2 = 5.67; SD2 = 0.82) in the control group, and non-significant differences in the intensity of the mean scores for the groups with Mind Maps and Sketching. The effect size for the significant outcome is high (rc = 0.53). CONCLUSIONS: In the children who did not participate in the training, the score worsened, while the score of children in the experimental groups was unchanged.

Stuck in a Rut of Thought-That Is Just a Barrier: Dysfunctional Metacognitive Beliefs, Limitation on Individual Freedom and Well-Being of Adolescents during COVID-19 Lockdown.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the cross-sectional study was to conduct an exploratory analysis of identifying factors related to mood, metacognitive beliefs, and limitation on individual freedom associated with lockdown restrictions during COVID-19, and to determine whether they may be relevant to the deteriorating well-being of adolescents. METHODS: A total of 387 adolescents (M = 15.37; SD = 1.62): 85 with depression (DG) and 302 without any psychiatric diagnosis group (WPDG) were examined using the health survey and the CDI-2 questionnaire to assess the symptoms and severity of depression and MCQ-A to measure the intensity of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs. RESULTS: The feeling of restriction of freedom had an influence on worsened well-being in the whole group of responders OR = 4.15; p < 0.001 but was more in the DG than the WPDG (OR = 20.00; p < 0.001 vs. OR = 4.77; p < 0.001). Positive metacognitive beliefs were related to well-being (DG), but no effect was observed in the WPDG (OR = 0.88; p < 0.05 vs. OR = 1.05; p = 0.136). The lower age of the WPDG negatively impacted well-being (OR = 1.20; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and the feeling of restriction of freedom are important in the deterioration of adolescents' well-being, but these factors have a stronger impact on well-being in the DG.

The Influence of Metacognitive Strategies on the Improvement of Reaction Inhibition Processes in Children with ADHD.

BACKGROUND: Low response inhibition underlies attention disorders and hyperactivity. The aim of this study is to check whether these processes will be strengthened by three months of training with metacognitive strategies. METHODOLOGY: Forty-five schoolchildren took part in an experimental study (M = 10.41; SD = 1.42). Each child had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The participants were randomly assigned into three groups: the first group was tested for the effect of Mind Maps; the second group, for the effect of Sketchnoting, while the third group was assigned the role of a Control group. All of the groups were examined with the Loud Subtraction 7 test (LS7T) with a distractor before and after the training. RESULTS: Analysis with the Wilcoxon test showed that children with ADHD made significantly fewer errors in the LS7 Test in the second measurement in the Mind Maps group (M1 = 7.45; SD1 = 4.07; M2 = 5.76; SD2 = 4.68; p = 0.02). In the remaining groups, there were no statistically significant differences in the average number of errors made. CONCLUSIONS: Mind Maps are an effective metacognitive strategy. Regular use of this method strengthens the inhibition of children with ADHD in this study. It can complement the existing forms of support for the child.

Processes of a Transformation of Young Drivers' Responsibility for Health-Carpe Diem.

Research most often deals with the relationship between risky behaviour on the road and other aspects of young adults' lifestyle. It is rare that the sense of responsibility for one's own life and health and for that of other people on the road is understood, due to the limitation of perceptual data. In this study, we researched 198 young adults (M = 19.75; SD = 1.11) using the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, the Inventory of Health Behaviours, the Criteria of Health List and a student health survey. The chance of risky driving will increase by 50.7% among young adults as their understanding of health as a state increases. On the other hand, when young people feel that others are responsible for their lives, the likelihood of risky driving will drop by 6.4%. The hedonistic life orientation of a young adult had a significant impact on the results obtained which was connected with their understanding of health.