Caregiver burden after stroke: a 10-year follow-up study of Polish caregivers for stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: A long-term assessment of stroke outcomes from the perspectives of patients and their caregivers is important for optimising long-term post-stroke care. The extended effects of stroke caregiving, particularly caregiver burden beyond 5 years since stroke, remain to be determined. Hence, this study aimed to determine caregiver burden at 10 years after stroke, compare the burden severity at 10 years with its levels at 5 years and 6 months after stroke, and identify predictors of the burden severity at 10 years post-stroke. METHODS: A longitudinal follow-up study including a group of first-ever stroke patients/informal continuous caregivers pairs was followed for 10 years and interviewed face-to face at their home setting. Caregiver burden was evaluated with the Caregiver Burden Scale. Potential predictors were examined using standardised measures and identified by applying the Classification and Regression Tree. RESULTS: A total of 40 caregiver/patient pairs participated in the study. At 10 years, 47.5% of the caregivers experienced a considerable burden. This was more than after 5 years (17.5%) and comparable to that after 6 months (37.5%), p < 0.003. Longer time spent caregiving, caregivers' weaker sense of coherence, more severe stroke, and caregivers' anxiety were the independent predictors of considerable burden 10 years after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers' burden in the late chronic post-stroke phase is a significant problem, as nearly half of the caregivers experience a substantial burden. This problem mainly concerns individuals who spend at least 7 h daily caregiving and have a lower Sense of Coherence. The long-term evaluation of stroke consequences reported by stroke patients and their caregivers can be an important source of information for healthcare professionals in order to optimise the care and support they provide at various stages of life after stroke.

Health behaviours of patients with affective disorders: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Severe mental disorders, including affective disorders (AD), are associated with high rates of physical illnesses that lead to premature patient death. Excess somatic comorbidity may be partially explained by lifestyle factors. This study aimed to investigate the health behaviours (HBs) of patients with AD in comparison to the HBs of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and healthy controls (HCs) and to examine associations among HBs and sociodemographic and clinical factors, subjective quality of life and health status, and health locus of control. METHODS: The sample consisted of 108 patients with AD, including 60 with bipolar disorder (BP) and 48 with unipolar disorder (UAD). Analyses included comparisons with a subgroup of AD individuals, patients with T2D and HCs matched in age and sex. The Health Behaviour Inventory was used to evaluate the overall levels of HBs and 4 HB categories. To identify independent determinants of health behaviours, a multivariate linear regression analysis was performed with factors identified as significant in bivariate analyses. RESULTS: Most AD patients had a low level of HBs (40%), followed by moderate (35%) and high levels (25%), and there were no significant differences in HBs between the BP and UAD groups. Compared with the T2D and HC groups, the AD group had a significantly lower level of overall HBs and lower levels of HBs in one of the categories. Independent predictors of overall HBs were quality of life (ß = 0.28, p < 0.001), age (ß = 0.27, p = 0.002), and depressive symptoms (ß = 0.23, p = 0.008). A total of 30% of the variance in HBs was explained. CONCLUSIONS: These findings emphasise the need for a systematic assessment of single and multiple health behaviours to provide better care for patients with AD and reduce the potential adverse effects of an unhealthy lifestyle.

Needs of older persons living in long-term care institutions: on the usefulness of cluster approach.

BACKGROUND: Long-term care units' residents do not constitute a homogeneous population. Providing effective care, tailored to individual needs, is crucial in this context. It can be facilitated by suitable tools and methods, which include needs assessment along with the physical, psychological and social aspects of care. We thus applied a cluster approach to identify their putative groupings to enable the provision of tailored care. METHODS: The needs of 242 residents of care homes in four Polish cities (Poznan, Wroclaw, Bialystok and Lublin), aged 75-102 years (184 females), with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥ 15 points, were assessed with the CANE (Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly) questionnaire. Their independence in activities of daily living was evaluated by the Barthel Index (BI), and symptoms of depression by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The results of MMSE, BI and GDS were selected as variables for K-means cluster analysis. RESULTS: Cluster 1 (C1), n = 83, included subjects without dementia according to MMSE (23.7 ± 4.4), with no dependency (BI = 85.8 ± 14.4) and no symptoms of depression (GDS = 3.3 ± 2.0). All subjects of cluster 2 (C2), n = 87, had symptoms of depression (GDS = 8.9 ± 2.1), and their MMSE (21.0 ± 4.0) and BI (79.8 ± 15.1) were lower than those in C1 (p = 0.006 and p = 0.046, respectively). Subjects of cluster 3 (C3), n = 72, had the lowest MMSE (18.3 ± 3.1) and BI (30.6 ± 18,8, p < 0.001 vs. C1 & C2). Their GDS (7.6 ± 2.3) were higher than C1 (p < 0.001) but lower than C2 (p < 0.001). The number of met needs was higher in C2 than in C1 (10.0 ± 3.2 vs 8.2 ± 2.7, p < 0.001), and in C3 (12.1 ± 3.1) than in both C1 and C2 (p < 0.001). The number of unmet needs was higher in C3 than in C1 (1.2 ± 1.5 vs 0.7 ± 1.0, p = 0.015). There were also differences in the patterns of needs between the clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Clustering seems to be a promising approach for use in long-term care, allowing for more appropriate and optimized care delivery. External validation studies are necessary for generalized recommendations regarding care optimization in various regional perspectives.

Is Venlafaxine More Effective than Escitalopram and Nortriptyline in the Management of Painful Symptoms in Patients with Major Depression?

BACKGROUND: Conflicting data regarding the efficacy of antidepressants of different mechanism of action on unexplained painful physical symptoms (UPPS) in depression have been published so far. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the impact of escitalopram (ESC), nortriptyline (NOR), and venlafaxine (VEN) on UPPS in patients with major depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty patients, participants in the GENDEP study, with a diagnosis of depression according to the ICD-10 criteria were randomly assigned to treatment with ESC (10-30 mg, mean dose 15.2, standard deviation [SD]±9.2) or NOR (50-150 mg, mean dose 106.2, SD±8.2). Additionally, 30 patients who were treated with VEN (75-225 mg, mean dose 181.3, SD±8.8) were included. Before inclusion (day 0) and throughout the study (days 14, 28, 42, 56), the severity of pain was monitored using the visual analog scale. RESULTS: The patients treated with ESC, NOR, and VEN did not differ in the intensity of pain at days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56. CONCLUSION: Our results do not support the hypothesis suggesting the superiority of VEN over ESC and NOR in the management of UPPS in major depression.

Clinical recovery and health-related quality of life in ischaemic stroke survivors receiving thrombolytic treatment: a 1-year follow-up study.

The aims of this study were to examine prospectively the course of neurological and functional recovery and health related quality of life (HRQoL) in ischaemic stroke patients after intravenous thrombolysis, to assess the 1-year outcome and to determine the early predictors. A group of 53 consecutive patients were assessed at admission to the acute stroke unit (T0), before their discharge (T1), and at 3 (T2) and 12 (T3) months after hospital discharge. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Barthel Index (BI) and the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale (SSQoL) were used to evaluate stroke severity, functional disability and health related quality of life (HRQoL). A good outcome was defined as simultaneous improvement in all three scales. At T0, 83 % of the patients had severe or moderate neurological impairment. Additionally, 77 % demonstrated very severe or severe disability when assessed by the BI. 74 and 79 % of the patients reported an acceptable HRQoL at 3 and 12 months following discharge, respectively. Neurological and functional status improved significantly over time with most changes occurring during hospitalization and the subsequent 3 months. At T3, 75.5 % of the patients had the good outcome which had been independently predicted by the level of stroke related disability at T0. A majority of the stroke survivors treated with thrombolysis achieved a good outcome. The measurement of stroke specific HRQoL, as a tool for gathering information from the patient, should be incorporated in the assessment of post-stroke recovery and outcome.

Consequences of stroke in the light of objective and subjective indices: a review of recent literature.

Despite a significant progress in prevention, treatment and management in the past decades, stroke remains the most common disabling chronic condition in adult population. It may be a source of serious temporary or permanent consequences. These consequences should be recognised and measured for defining and implementation of remedial interventions and for optimum utilisation of health care resources. The aim of this work was to present sequels of stroke, taking into account objective and subjective indices, as documented in the recent literature of the subject. Selected data on mortality and survival following stroke were presented, the up-to-date literature was reviewed and register-based prospective studies were presented on quality of life (QoL) in post-stroke patients. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were summed up, related to efficacy of interventions aimed at improving QoL of the patients. Moreover, the studies were reviewed on burden and QoL experienced by caregivers of post-stroke patients and results were summed up of RCT synthesis aimed at reducing the burden and at improving QoL in the caregivers. The analysed studies indicated that stroke exerts a long-term, negative effect on patients' QoL, promoting a decrease in this measure and burdening a significant proportion of the family caregivers. The applied till now different interventions and programmes targeted at the patients and at their carers analysed in RCTs showed no or modest effects on improving of QoL or reducing the caregiver's burden.

[Social functioning and quality of life in schizophrenia patients --relationship with symptomatic remission and duration of illness]. / Funkcjonowanie spoleczne i jakosc zycia u chorych na schizofrenie--zaleznosc z remisja objawowa i czasem trwania choroby.

AIM: The assessment of social functioning and subjective quality of life in relation to symptomatic remission in schizophrenia patients after a first psychiatric hospitalization, as well as the analysis of connection between intensity of psychopathological symptoms and the level of functioning and quality of life, taking into account the status of remission and duration of illness. METHODS: Sixty-four patients were assessed, at 13 months (1st examination) and at mean 8 years (2nd examination) after the first hospitalization, and compared with two control groups of healthy persons. The following scales were used: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Social Functioning Scale (SFS), WHO Quality of Life (WHOQoL--Bref) scale and Global Assessment Scale (GAS). RESULTS: At first examination, the score of SFS domains was not significantly different between patients in remission and without remission while the score of most domains of WHOQoL was significantly higher in patients with remission. At second examination, the scores of both SFS and WHOQoL were significantly higher in patients with remission and did not differ significantly from healthy persons. In both examinations, significant correlations between PANSS and SFS and WHOQoL scores were found, especially in patients without remission. CONCLUSIONS: At mean 8 years after first psychiatric hospitalization, 2/3 of the patients with schizophrenia did not get a symptomatic remission and had worse social functioning and quality of life compared to patients with remission and to healthy controls. Psychopathological symptoms correlated significantly with social functioning and quality of life, especially among patients without remission.

Quality of life among the elderly with locomotor disabilities in Sweden and Poland in the 1990s.

PURPOSE: To estimate the proportion of locomotor disabilities in two elderly populations in Sweden and Poland, respectively. To estimate the perceived quality of life (QoL) in the disabled groups in samples from each country using a model developed by Carol Estwing Ferrans. METHODS: The study comprised three parts: an epidemiological screening test for identification of individuals with a locomotor disability, an analysis of background data of importance and home visits with evaluations of quality of life and functional capacity. Home visits were made using the Quality of Life Index, (QLI) of Ferrans and Powers and a functional scale, the Standardized Practical Equipment (SPE). Data were collected for the period 1991-1996. RESULTS: In the population part of the study, with 1,380 respondents (78%) comprising elderly Swedish persons, 288 reported a locomotor disability. This can be compared with 425 among 1,045 respondents (52%) in a Polish elderly group. The tests at the home visits (Sweden, n = 89; Poland, n = 84) showed that both men and women in the Swedish group reported significantly higher scores for the total QLI (max. 30.00) with men reporting 26.68 points compared to 19.73 and women reporting 21.39 points compared to 19.40 and for three of the four subscales. Also, the Polish group scored lower for balance and mobility (SPE). CONCLUSION: The study provides an important view of the life situation measured with the QLI tool and the SPE for elderly persons with locomotor disorders in Sweden and Poland during the mid-1990s. The results are congruent with epidemiological reports on the poor health situation in Poland, particularly during that time. A new investigation among the elderly with locomotor disorders in the two countries today might provide different results.

Caregiver burden after stroke: towards a structural model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke may impose a severe burden on both the patients and their caregivers. Although there is substantial literature relating to the adverse impact of stroke on patients, considerably less is known about its impact on their caregivers. The aim of this study was to analyse predictive factors of the overall burden in caregivers of stroke victims and to verify the structural model of burden, built on the basis of theoretical and empirical assumptions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty pairs of patients and their caregivers were evaluated. The Caregiver Burden Scale (CB), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC), Social Support Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, Barthel Index and Scandinavian Stroke Scale were all used to evaluate caregiver burden and the characteristics of patients and caregivers. RESULTS: The caregivers experienced a moderate burden (mean CB = 2.08) and emotional distress (mean total HADS = 14.1). Path analysis showed that higher burden was associated with a lower SOC score, higher emotional distress, and lower patient's functional status. Higher emotional distress, in turn, was associated with lower SOC and lower patient's functional status. These results show that the burden and the degree of emotional disturbance are two distinct negative consequences of caregiving. CONCLUSIONS: The negative consequences of caregiving depend mainly on the caregiver's intra-psychic factors and the patient's disability. Professional interventions should be targeted at enhancing caregivers' ability to cope with stress, improving their caregiving skills and reducing the physical dependence of patients.

Burden and quality of life in caregivers of persons with multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the second most common cause of disability among nervous system diseases. This disease causes reduced quality of life of patients and those caring for them. Quality of life (QoL) measures consist of at least three broad domains: physical, mental and social. In the field of medicine, researchers have often used the concept of health-related quality of life, which specifically focuses on the impact of an illness and/or treatment on patients' perception of their status of health and on subjective well-being or satisfaction with life. Subjective factors of QoL in MS patients include perception of symptoms, level of fitness, self-image, satisfaction with family life, work, the economic situation, interaction with other people, social support and life in general. Objective factors include the clinical picture of disease, social status, social and living conditions and the number and intensity of social contacts. While many generic and specific questionnaires have been developed to assess QoL in patients with MS, including general fatigue, there is a lack of specific questionnaires assessing QoL of caregivers. In this paper, a review of selected studies on QoL and caregiver burden in MS and a summary of the most popular questionnaires measuring burden and QoL are presented. Special attention is paid to the first questionnaire specific for QoL of carers of persons with MS, CAREQOL-MS by Benito-León et al.

Neuropsychological exponents for the driving ability in remitted bipolar patients.

BACKGROUND: Bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with cognitive deficits regardless of the phase of the disease. Medications used in treatment are an additional factor that may affect cognitive performance. Poor cognitive performance can significantly affect a patient's ability to drive. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aims to explore cognitive functions relevant for safe driving in the group of remitted bipolar patients. METHOD: Patients with BD in remission (n = 33) and healthy volunteers (n = 32) were included. Selected psychometric tests for drivers were carried out using computer software: called Specialistic Diagnostic Platform (SPD): The Cross-over Test (COT) version with free tempo (COT-F) and tempo of 50 tasks per minute (COT-50) and the Signal Test (ST). Moreover, the following neuropsychological tests were used: Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Stroop Color-Word Test (SCWT) part A and B, and Trail Making Test (TMT) version A and B. RESULTS: In comparison with healthy controls bipolar patients in remission had poorer outcomes for some cognitive parameters and longer reaction times in both tests for drivers and neuropsychological tests. Additionally, we found a significant correlation between the time of performance of neuropsychological tests and the time of psychometric tests for drivers. CONCLUSION: Patients with BD performed worse in several cognitive domains assessed by tests for drivers and neuropsychological tasks. These deficits can affect the speed of the patient's motor reactions while driving.

Effect of Face Masks on Blood Saturation, Heart Rate, and Well-Being Indicators in Health Care Providers Working in Specialized COVID-19 Center.

This study aims to investigate whether wearing face masks (filtering facepieces, FFP class 2) with personal protective equipment (FPP2/PPE), while working a 12-h shift in a COVID-19 referral center, affects the blood saturation, heart rate (HR), and well-being of health care providers (HCPs). The study included a group of 37 HCPs. To perform continuous recordings of the SpO2 and heart rate (HR) in real time, we used a Nellcor PM10N (Covidien, Mansfield, MA, USA) portable monitoring system. SpO2, HR, and HCP well-being scales were measured during two 3-h shifts, while HCPs worked during a 12-h period. Additionally, each subject completed a questionnaire concerning their well-being. The difference in the SpO2 level between the 1st and 2nd working shifts while wearing an FFP2/PPE was small, with a median decrease in SpO2 of -1%. The scales of the well-being indicators increased within the shift. They were mainly fatigue and thirst with median scores of 2 out of 6 (range 0-4). We assume that during a 12-h period, a work scheme that consists of a 3-h shift in FFP2/PPE and a 3-h rest period (working without FPP2/PPE) is a reliable and safe solution for HCPs working in specialized COVID-19 referral hospitals.

The impact of FFP3 respirators on the blood saturation.

This study aims to investigate whether wearing a filtering facepiece class 3 respirators with personal protective equipment (FPP3/PPE) during work in the intensive care unit (ICU) affects the blood saturation (SpO2), the heart rate (HR), and the well-being of health care workers (HCWs). This preliminary study included a group of 21 volunteers (including 16 females (76%), with a median age of 23 years). Each worker served as his own control and performed the test two times: they wore the FFP3/PPE and did not wear it for a three-hour shift in the ICU. The working with an FFP3/PPE compared to not working with an FFP3/PPE caused a significant, but within normal ranges, influence on the level of SpO2 with a mean decrease of - 1.43%. The highest reduction in the SpO2 was - 2.29% and occurred after 150 min of work. All of the score scales of the well-being markers increased consecutively but moderately during the shift while wearing the FFP3/PPE. We assume that a 3-h shift rhythm is a safe and reliable solution, i.e., three hours of working in the FFP3/PPE in the ICU, followed by rest or working without an FFP3/PPE.

Development and Psychometric Properties of the Caregiver Burden Scale in Polish Caregivers of Stroke Patients.

Purpose: Most stroke patients require long-term care of their family members. Excessive care burden entails several negative consequences; therefore, the severity of the burden should be periodically assessed. For this purpose, valid multidimensional measures are needed. Our study, which is a part of a larger research project, aims to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Polish Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS) in relation to construct validity and internal consistency in caregivers of the patients after stroke. Patients and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional observational study consisted of 366 informal caregivers to consecutive first-ever stroke survivors. The five-factor Polish CBS and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered during the home visits at three to six months after patients' hospitalisation. Exploratory (EFA), confirmatory (CFA) factor analyses and a net analysis were performed to investigate the internal structure and a factorial construct validity of the CBS. Correlation analyses between the CBS and the HADS were carried out to examine convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlation were applied to assess internal consistency. Results: Three out of five factors identified by EFA were similar to the original indices of the CBS, while the remaining two deviated from the original structure of the CBS. The CFA five-factor model represented an acceptable fit (confirmatory fit index, CFI = 0.96, root mean square error, RMSEA = 0.04) but only after a modification. All subscale scores of the CBS were positively correlated with the HADS, supporting the convergent validity. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the overall scale (0.92) and all subscales (0.72-0.87) except one (0.69) and item-total correlation results indicated good internal consistency. Conclusion: The Polish version of the CBS showed acceptable internal consistency and good convergent validity. Factorial validity and structural integrity were partially supported. The interrelationships between the CBS subdomains, their partial mutual contamination, and the scale's non-orthogonal structure should be considered when interpreting the results of further studies using this version of the scale.

Are yoga and physical activity determinants of quality of life in Polish adults? a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Yoga is an ancient form of physical activity (PA) that encompasses meditation, stretching and breathing techniques. Although the benefits of PA and associated lifestyle interventions are clear, we here addressed the paucity of evidence regarding the specific relationship between yoga and quality of life (QOL) in adults in Poland. We hypothesised that participation in PA and yoga could result in a positive impact on QOL. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, self-administered questionnaire-based survey. Both the quantitative and qualitative variables were statistically compared. Multivariate analyses were performed using linear regression. Results were determined based on age, sex and education level; a p<0.05 was considered significant. SETTING: Questionnaires were delivered to participants online, at high schools and universities, and in elderly communities in Poland. PARTICIPANTS: 714 polish citizens aged over 18 participated in the study; there are no specific entry and exclusion criteria besides age. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were observed between the QOL of the physically active group (PAG) and non-PAG (N-PAG). Meanwhile, yoga practice was revealed to have a significant effect on QOL; QOL was found to be statistically higher (p<0.001) in the PAG with yoga (PAG-Y) (4.29±0.66) than in the N-PAG (3.83±0.92) and PAG without yoga (4.07±0.68). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that both regular PA and yoga practices could improve QOL; however, PAG-Y produced higher QOL scores than PA of other types. This outcome may be explained by the impact of physiological and psychological aspects within yoga practice. These results suggest that this unique combination impacts health more positively than other kinds of PA alone.

Quality of life and social support in patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and to assess the relationship between QoL and social support taking into account key clinical factors and other sociodemographic variables. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and ten MS patients (150 women and 60 men) aged between 21 and 59 years were evaluated; the MS group was compared with 108 healthy controls. QoL (MSQOL-54), disease severity (Expanded Disability Status State, EDSS), social support (Social Provisions Scale, SPS), mood (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and basic clinical and demographic data were assessed. RESULTS: Disease severity was mild (EDSS < 4) in 85% of patients, and depressive symptoms (BDI > 13) were present in 41% of patients. Mean physical health composite of MSQOL-54 was 53.6 ± 20.7 and mean mental health composite was 60.0 ± 19.8. MS patients scored significantly lower than healthy subjects. Mean SPS was 78.2 ± 10.9 (range, 6-96) which indicated high social support. In bivariate analysis, social support correlated significantly with the majority of MSQOL domains; in multivariate analysis, however, this relationship was not significant. Emotional well-being was the main predictor of QoL, in both physical and mental domains. CONCLUSIONS: MS influences QoL but to a greater extent in the physical than the psychological domain. The role of social support in QoL is generally positive but its protective function may be weakened when interacting with other factors. Depression is the main predictor of QoL when adjusted for other factors. Thus, treatment of mood disturbances might significantly improve QoL in MS patients.

[Stroke incidence, case fatality and mortality--current trends and future prognosis]. / Zapadalnosc, smiertelnosc i umieralnosc z powodu udarów mózgu--aktualne tendencje i prognozy na przyszlosc.

In Europe, since the 40's of the previous century the tendency of decreasing number of stroke cases has been observed. In Poland, epidemiological data concerning the stroke have shown relatively stable index of stroke incidence and stroke mortality rates in the last few decades. The decline concerns mostly early poststroke mortality which results directly in the increase of the number of people who have recovered from stroke. However, the index of post-stroke mortality is still higher in Poland than in other European countries and the USA. The prognosis referring to the incidence in next years, caused by demographic alterations related to the increasing number of elderly people, is not optimistic. Significant increase of population at the age of 65 and more is going to contribute to the increase of the number of new stroke cases in Poland and other European countries. This fact becomes a challenge both for hospitals, care-giver agencies and patients' families.

Polish version of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). / Polska wersja Krótkiej Skali Objawów Negatywnych (Brief Negative Symptom Scale ­ BNSS).

OBJECTIVES: To create a Polish adaptation of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS), to assess the internal consistency of the Polish version of the BNSS, and to make correlations between the BNSS scores and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in the group of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The procedure of Polish adaptation of the assessment form (Scoresheet) of the BNSS, comprising 13 items organized in 6 subscales (anhedonia, lack of proper distress, asociality, avolition, blunted affect, and alogia), as well as the Manual and the Workbook of the scale was carried out. Psychometric tests were performed in 40 patients with paranoid schizophrenia (20 men and 20 women), aged 44±13 years, with illness duration of 17±10 years, and severity of symptoms on the PANSS 56±16 points, receiving unchanged pharmacological treatment in the last three months. RESULTS: The Polish version was accepted by the authors of the scale. The reliability analysis showed high values of the Cronbach's alpha coefficient both for the whole scale (0.97) and for individual subscales (0.74-0.93). The BNSS and its subscales showed a high significant correlation with the total PANSS score and with the PANSS negative symptom subscale, both original and modified. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results indicate good psychometric properties of the Polish version of the BNSS and its possible usefulness in the study of negative symptoms of schizophrenia conducted in Poland.