[Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Austria - A Comparison of Symptoms at Admission Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as Rehabilitation Success]. / Medizinisch-psychiatrische Rehabilitation in Österreich ­ Ein Vergleich der Symptombelastung bei Reha-Beginn vor und während der COVID-19-Pandemie, sowie des Rehabilitationserfolgs.

OBJECTIVE: International literature reports an increase of the incidence of psychological disorders because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially young people and people with pre-existing psychological disorders are troubled by the pandemic. Objective of this study is the extent of psychological symptoms, the functioning and the treatment success of rehabilitation inpatients who participated in a medical and psychiatric rehabilitation in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic and those who participated during the COVID-19 phase. METHODS: The data of N=1,715 rehabilitation inpatients who completed the rehabilitation before the lockdown in 2019 and N=707 rehabilitation inpatients who began in 2020 after the lockdown of the clinic due to the pandemic (during the COVID-19 phase) from March to Mai 2020 are compared in reference to their sample characteristics and their results in patient reported outcomes. RESULTS: There are no significant differences between the two observed time periods in reference to the sociodemographic characteristics of the rehabilitation inpatients. At the beginning of the rehabilitation there was no significant difference in the scale somatization. There was a significantly higher score in the scales' anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 phase, but only to the extent of a small effect. The results of the scales of activity and participation (ICF 3 F AT) as well as functionality (WHODAS 2.0) do not differ in the time periods at the beginning of the rehabilitation. However, rehabilitation inpatients with low socioeconomic status (rehabilitation allowance or disability pension) have critical scores in some scales. The rehabilitation success is comparable to the one before the COVID-19 pandemic and falls within the range of medium to high effect sizes. CONCLUSION: The study shows - with respect to its limitations - low or no significant differences in reference to the sociodemographic data and the symptomatic load at the beginning of the rehabilitation. The effect sizes are comparable with the time frame bevor the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of international studies, which reported a considerable increase in psychological stress of the population cannot directly be transferred to the Austrian rehabilitation clientele.

[Performance testing in mountaineering]. / Leistungsdiagnostik im Bergsport.

Laboratory ergometry to exhaustion allows cardiopulmonal risk assessment for the prevention of health problems related to mountaineering. Moreover, exercise testing evaluates functional status, so permitting individualized training programs and evaluation of training effects. Additionally, mountaineering-specific performance diagnosis allows individual as well as group-specific determination of exercise performance related to field conditions. Laboratory tests are standardized, easy to perform and cost effective. Treadmill ergometry with constant walking speed and increasing inclination is suggested to be predictive for mountaineering performance. On the other hand, the validity for the specific conditions for mountaineering is questionable. Standardized laboratory exercise tests combined with sport-specific exercise tests provide rough information on the ability to sustain real-situation strain. To compare individual exercise performance, published data tables obtained from field tests may be used. It must, however, be mentioned that high-altitude-adaptation is independent of exercise performance evaluated separately.