Background: The paper presents the findings of our study researching the differences in strategies for coping with stress, social support, hassels and uplifts of sport, medical and psychology students at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Subjects and methods: A random sample of 237 Slovene undergraduate university students was studied. The three groups were chosen among students of medicine, sport and psychology. Results: It was found that there were no significant differences in strategies for coping with stress between the three groups of students. Significant differences between the groups were found in the number of uplifts and hassles, but not in the mean of both variables. Sport students had less social support compared with the other two groups of students, but the difference between actual and ideal social support is not significant. Discussion: The results were interpreted according to our hypothesis and compared with findings of research in students' stress. Conclusion: Some suggestions for further research are given on the basis of the present research.
COBISS.SI-ID: 39089762
Anxiety is the most common psychiatric disorder; in Europe 43 million people suffer from this disorder. The incidence of this disorder is increasing. Life style is also a contributing factor and it is of essential importance to know the events that derail our life. Distress is the result of experiencing anxiety, that manifests in the entire psycho-phisical being. The oncet is usually unexpected, without warning, cause and reason. The knowledge of the oldest human fuse is very important, because the protected function of anxiety is changed in to a threat. Possibly, at its ancient existence the oldest mental component, symptom or diagnosis had a protective function; humans without enough sensitivity probably didn'd survive. When a real sensitivity turns into a preoccupation, persistent pondering, life becomes strenuos, paralized, uncontrolled, maybe mad, but mostly inharmonious at all leves: mental and physical. As such it has devastating consequences.
COBISS.SI-ID: 24148263
This study investigated the prevalence, risk factors and rate of recognition of anxiety and depression in 50 patients hospitalized for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Using the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders questionnaire, 13 patients were identified as having depression, four had anxiety and eight had a combination of the two. Patients with anxiety and/or depression had a significantly higher partial pressure of oxygen and pH, and a lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide, in arterial blood on admission, more severe dyspnoea after a 6-min walk test and less improvement of dyspnoea from admission to discharge than COPD patients without anxiety and/or depression. Two patients were referred to a mental health specialist during their hospitalization, indicating a low rate of recognition. The results suggest that patients with mental disorders are referred and admitted to hospital earlier in the course of a COPD exacerbation due to earlier and more intense perception of dyspnoea.
COBISS.SI-ID: 3996479
Background: Schizophrenia (SCH) is primarily a cognitive dysfunction. Its specific cognitive impairment profile was identified and suggestions have beenmade to include it in present diagnostic instruments as a special differential diagnostic criterion. However, studies indicate a substantial overlap of cognitive deficits between SCH patients and those with depression (DEP). In order to elucidate the structure of cognitive functioning in both entities, principal cognitive domains of SCH and DEP patients were assessed inthe acute phase of disease. Subjects and Methods: 44 SCH and 30 DEP patients, matched according to age, gender, education, IQ score, and duration of hospitalization were included. Neurocognitive assessments were performed in the first week of hospitalization using Digit Span test (working memory, attention), Trail Making Test (psychomotor speed, sustained attention, shifting), Rey's Complex Figure Test and Verbal Learning Test (perceptual organization, visual and verbal learning and memory). Results were evaluated according to demographically matched test norms. For statistics Student's t tests were used. Results: In both study groups deficits in maintenance and shifting of attention during psychomotor tasks were found, while automatic processes (working memory, sustained attention) were preserved. In both groupsmemory and learning processes were impaired, in DEP however, deficits inattention shifting during cognitive tasks and delayed recall of visual material were more intense. Conclusion: In the acute phase of schizophrenia and depression similar cognitive impairment profiles can be found. Further studies are needed to assess longitudinal dynamics and possible later development of specific patterns of cognitive functioning in these patients.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28947417
Background: The study aimed to compare purgative anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients in regard of their level of aggression and impulsivity traits, as well as dynamics of selected impulsive behaviours over time-course of eating disorder treatment. Subjects and methods: 30 females with purgative anorexia nervosa, 33 females with purgative bulimia nervosa and 31 controls were included. Impulsive behaviours were assessed upon hospital admission, discharge, and three and six months after, using the internal ward questionnaire. Aggression and impulsivity traits were evaluated three months after discharge using Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, 11th Revision. Results: In all patients, the expressed impulsive behaviours were most frequent upon admission, when bingeing, striking and quarrelling were more expressed in bulimic patients. Later, patient groups did not differ regarding any impulsive behaviour. These all substantially resolved till discharge, and showed further decline at later assessments. All patients had a higher level of aggression and impulsivity traits and lower overt and higher covert aggression than controls. Patient groups had similar within group distribution of aggression and impulsivity intensity levels. Regarding individual dimensions of these traits no difference was found between them, except for the higher level of suspiciousness in anorectic individuals. Conclusions: Purgative anorectic and bulimic patients show similar dynamics of impulsive behaviours which substantially decline over time-course of eating disorder treatment. They bothpresent similarly heightened levels of aggression and impulsivity traits, with some minor differences regarding their individual dimensions, possibly reflecting higher overt aggression in bulimic and higher covert aggression in anorectic patients.
COBISS.SI-ID: 28274393