ATTITUDES TOWARD COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, BELIEFS IN AFTERLIFE AND RELIGIOSITY AMONG PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND THEOLOGISTS

Background: The aim of our study was to investigate the differences in beliefs, attitudes toward CAM, beliefs in afterlife and religiosity among the sample of psychiatrists, psychologists, and theologists. Relationship among these constructs could have impact on the concept of mental health. Subjects and methods: Research was conducted in the Split urban area, Croatia, during 2017 on a sample of psychiatrists (n=51), psychologists (n=55), and theologists (n=25). Participants were presented a figure of the human body, which contained numbers identifying eight different regions of the body. Participants were asked to select which region best represents the location of the self, soul, and mind in the body. We used CAIMAQ (The Complementary, Alternative and Integrative Medicine Attitudes Questionnaire) which contains five subscales. The Afterdeath Beliefs Scale was used to measure the varieties of afterlife beliefs. Analyses showed that applied questionnaires have appropriate reliability and expected factor structure. Results: The most frequent locations of the Soul were 9 (37%, Not located in any centralized region in the body) and 5 (31% chest), whereas Self and Mind were mostly located in the head (43% and 73%). Psychiatrists and psychologists have average scores on positive pole of CAIMAQ but did not differ significantly (p>0.05). There were statistical differences between theologists and psychologists/psychiatrists on two subscales: “nutritional counseling and dietary/food supplements can be effective in the treatment of pathology” and “attitudes toward a holistic understanding of the disease” (p<0.05). There were significant correlations between religion and three CAIMAQ subscales. Although they were mostly religious, psychiatrists and psychologists had a higher average score on Annihilation than theologists. They also did not believe in body resurrection and connection between behavior during life and after death. Conclusion: The results of our study could have impact on the concept of mental health and in the future must be deeper evaluated within qualitative research methodology

Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies: validity and reliability of the Croatian version

OBJECTIVE: To test the validity and reliability of the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) in patients with mental illness in Croatia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following translation, back-translation, and pilot testing, the Croatian version of DIGS (CRO-DIGS) was administered to a total of 150 inpatients and outpatients diagnosed at the Clinical Hospital in Split with bipolar and major depressive disorder (n=56), schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (n=62), and alcohol dependence or use disorders (n=32). Initial testing was performed independently by one interviewer and one observer blinded to the diagnosis, and a retest was performed after 8 weeks by a third examiner. RESULTS: The validity of CRO-DIGS was high (κ=0.916), with an excellent inter-rater (κ=0.824) reliability, especially for bipolar disorder (κ=0.956). Following an 8 week test-retest interval, the reliability for all diagnoses was found to be excellent (κ=0.843). CONCLUSION: Our study has shown excellent validity and reliability of the Croatian version of DIGS, making it a promising instrument to assess mental illness of patients. The development of a valid and reliable diagnostic tool such as the CRO-DIGS will considerably advance the scientific communities' ability to carry out genetic studies of psychiatric illness in the region

THE CROATIAN VERSION OF DIAGNOSTIC INTERVIEW FOR GENETIC STUDIES

Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) is a moder structured interview schedule that has been in use since 1994. Main purpose of the DIGS is to record information regarding to a subject\u27s functioning and psychopathology and it was specifically designed for psychiatric genetic studies. The DIGS is also suitable for making diagnostics, evalouation of comorbidity and other researches. IT contents items and sections and has a semi-structured design that gives interviewers the freedom needed to extract the best information possible. The validity of a Croatian versin of the DIGS was invastigated. The original English version was initially translated to Croatian. The Croatian versin was then back-translated and compared with the original. In this paper we will describe each item that DIGS contents as well as the use of this diagnostic instrument

Ružička days : International conference 19th Ružička Days “Today Science – Tomorrow Industry” : Proceedings

Dear colleagues, we are extremely honoured to present to you the Proceedings of the international conference 19th Ružička Days, which was successfully held on September 21–23, 2022, in Vukovar, Croatia, in the hometown town of our famous Croatian scientist and first Nobel laureate, professor Leopold (Lavoslav) Ružička. The main goals of the Conference were to promote excellence, originality and innovation of interdisciplinary scientific research as well as the practical application of the obtained results through collaboration with industry, emphasizing thus the recognizable slogan of the Ružička Days conference: "Today Science – Tomorrow Industry". In addition, the Conference gave the opportunity for meetings, exchanging the ideas, opinions, experiences and cooperation among participants from different working surroundings. It is also important to point out that since 2008, within the international conference Ružička Days, Meeting of Young Chemists has also been held, where high school students, with the help of their mentors, present papers in the field of chemistry, with the aim to direct students and young people to the technical and natural sciences, especially chemistry. In its seventh issue (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) the Proceedings publishes scientific and professional full papers of high quality in the following sections: Chemical analysis and synthesis (10), Chemical and biochemical engineering (3), Food technology and biotechnology (4), Chemistry in agriculture and forestry (1), Environmental protection (9) and 8th Meeting of Young Chemists (3). Full-length papers were subjected to an international review procedure done by eminent experts from the corresponding fields, to whom we express our gratitude, but they were not subjected to linguistic proofreading. On behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committee of the 19th Ružička Days we cordially thank all the authors, reviewers, participants, lecturers, organizers, especially the international organizers EuCheMS and EHEDG, auspices and sponsors, and all the others who, in any way, supported the Conference and contributed to the preparation of the Proceedings, especially to our highly skilled and committed associates, who have put a lot of effort in the preparation of these Proceedings. At the very end, special thanks to our young, future scientists and their mentors who are faithful participants of the Meeting of Young Chemists of the Ružička Days conference. Enjoy the extremely interesting scientific and professional papers contained in these Proceedings, until the next 20th jubilee of Ružička Days in 2024! We are looking forward to meeting you again in Vukovar! Yours sincerely, Chief Editors Jurislav Babić Vesna Ocelić Bulatović Dajana Kučić Grgi