Crisis intervention and psychotherapy in traumatic bereavement after a child’s death by homicide

The article presents parents’ reactions to the death by murder of a grown-up child. The authors provided them with assistance in the form o f crisis intervention and psychotherapy. Three kinds o f reactions to a child’s sudden death have been analysed. They include the emotional, cognitive and behavioural ones. Some recommended therapeutic practices have been described with reference to various stages o f traumatic bereavement

Jakość życia pacjentów neurogeriatrycznych

Background. Quality of life and old age are closely correlated. The process of growing old is perceived as destructive, progressive and irrevocable. It is determined by both biological and psycho-social factors. Elderly people face difficulties connected with deteriorating health state.Aim. The work aimed at specifying subjective quality of life of geriatric patients with neurobiological conditions.Material and methods. The investigation was administered in the cohort of 171 elderly people with neurobiological conditions. The patients were staying in long-term care institutions of central and eastern Poland. The research material was collected by means of the Polish version of the QHOQOL-Bref scale.Results. Quality of life evaluation in the whole group of elderly people averaged out at 2.84±0.96, while self evaluation within the cohort averaged out at 2.48±1.09. Patients’ evaluations were highest for the environmental domain (average of 11.61±2.32) and social relations (11.39±3.19). Results for the psychological domain averaged out at 10.33±2.91. Patients’ evaluations were lowest for the physical domain (9.92±2.99).Conclusions. Subjective evaluation of neuro-geriatric patients’ quality of life was on a rather low level. Education significantly differentiated elderly people’s quality of life. Patients of care and treatment institutions evaluated their quality of life higher in comparison with those from nursing and care institutions. (PNN 2012;1(4):151-155)Wprowadzenie. Jakość życia i starość ściśle ze sobą korelują. Proces starzenia postrzegany jest jako destrukcyjny, postępujący i nieodwracalny. Determinują go zarówno czynniki biologiczne, jak i psychospołeczne. Osoby w podeszłym wieku przeżywają trudności związane z pogarszaniem się stanu zdrowia. Cel. Celem pracy było określenie subiektywnej jakości życia pacjentów geriatrycznych ze schorzeniami neurologicznymi.Materiał i metody. Badania przeprowadzono w grupie 171 osób w podeszłym wieku ze schorzeniami neurologicznymi. Pacjenci przebywali w zakładach opieki długoterminowej na terenie środkowej i wschodniej Polski. Materiał badawczy zebrano za pomocą polskiej wersji skali WHOQOL-Bref.Wyniki. Ocena jakości życia dla całej grupy badanych osób starszych kształtowała się na poziomie średniej 2,84±0,96, a samoocena zdrowia na poziomie 2,48±1,09. Pacjenci najlepiej ocenili dziedzinę środowiskową (średnia 11,61±2,32) oraz relacje społeczne (11,39±3,19). Dziedzina psychologiczna otrzymała wynik na poziomie średniej 10,33±2,91. Najniżej badani ocenili jakość swojego życia w zakresie dziedziny fizycznej (9,92±2,99).Wnioski. Subiektywna ocena jakości życia przez pacjentów neurogeriatrycznych kształtowała się na obniżonym poziomie. Wykształcenie w istotny sposób różnicowało jakość życia osób starszych. Lepszej samooceny jakości życia dokonali pacjenci zakładów opiekuńczo-leczniczych w porównaniu z pacjentami zakładów pielęgnacyjno-opiekuńczych. (PNN 2012;1(4):151-155

Immigrant Entrepreneurs: in Search of Identity

Objective: The purpose of this study is to show identity construction processes of immigrant entrepreneurs and the way these identities are constructed and reconstructed in business and migration experiences. Research Design & Methods: The findings are based on two qualitative research projects on immigrant entrepreneurs: Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Poland and Polish entrepreneurs in the USA. Both studies were based on ethnographic inspiration. Open interviews and observations were used to collect primary data. Findings: The study indicates that identity construction is a process of an interplay of three main elements: being an immigrant, being an entrepreneur, and sense of nationality. This interplay takes place in different, overlapping dimensions: private, social, national and professional, and it takes place in a certain cultural context. Identities of immigrants are constantly constructed and reconstructed in their search for belonging and freedom at the same time. Implications & Recommendations: The results imply that the issue of immigrant entrepreneurship requires open, culturally-oriented and comparative studies. Recommendations for further studies are formulated in the last section of the paper. Contribution & Value Added: The paper provides insight into the processes of migration between different cultural and institutional contexts and their impact on entrepreneurs’ identities

Clinical outcomes of primary vitrectomy in pseudophakic retinal detachment

PURPOSE. To evaluate the efficacy of primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhematogenous retinal detachment (RD) in pseudophakic eyes. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The medical records of 63 patients who had undergone PPV after phacoemulsification were reviewed retrospectively. The mean follow-up period was 10 months. Statistical analysis evaluated functional and anatomical results as well as general (diabetes, hypertension) and ocular (myopia, glaucoma, floppy iris syndrome, intraoperative complications during cataract surgery, YAG capsulotomy) conditions. RESULTS. The median period from cataract surgery to RD onset was 15 months. Retinal attachment was achieved in 92% of eyes. The final visual acuities were improved significantly from 1.7 logMAR to 0.7 logMAR. Silicon oil was used as a tamponade in 38 eyes and SF6 gas in 25 eyes. Better functional results were achieved with SF6 gas tamponade. No intraoperative complications were reported. Most of the patients were males (71%). Statistical analysis revealed that general and ocular conditions did not influence functional results. CONCLUSIONS. Primary PPV, especially with gas as a tamponade, is an effective procedure in the surgical treatment of pseudophakic RD. The advantages include good anatomical and functional outcomes and low complication rate. Neither clinical nor surgical factors have been identified as responsible for the visual outcomes

Analysis of consistency between temporospatial gait parameters and gait assessment with the use of Wisconsin Gait Scale in post-stroke patients

Introduction Due to the increasing incidence and social effects of stroke there is a growing interest in finding methods enabling gait analysis in this group of patients. Observational techniques are predominantly applied in clinical practice; on the other hand advanced quantitative methods allow in-depth multidimensional gait assessment. The present study was designed to assess the consistency between temporospatial gait parameters acquired through 3-dimensional gait analysis and the results of gait assessment with the use of observational WGS in post stroke hemiparetic patients. Material and method The study was performed in a group of 30 post-stroke patients, over 6 months from the onset of ischaemic stroke, who were able to walk unassisted. Gait assessment based on WGS was performed by an experienced physiotherapist, with the use of video recordings. Assessment of temporospatial parameters was based on gait analysis performed with BTS Smart system. Results The findings show moderate correlation between WGS based gait assessment and gait velocity (r=−0.39; p=0.0316). Similar relationship was identified between gait cycle duration and score in WGS for both unaffected (r=−0.36; p=0.0477) and affected side (r=−0.37; p=0.0426). Higher correlation level was demonstrated for stance phase on the unaffected side and gait assessment based on WGS (r=0.58; p=0.0009). Conclusions Gait assessments with the use of temporospatial parameters and with observational WGS were found to produce moderate and good consistent results. WSG is a useful, simple tool for assessing gait in post stroke hemiparetic patients

The Teacher’s Personality and its Impact on Work with Migrant Children in the Primary School

Research on the personality of primary school teachers and on their level of competence in teaching migrant children, including their own migration experience and their attitudes toward training for better education of foreign pupils, was conducted in 2016, using Big Five NEO-FFI and a questionnaire constructed by the authors (PPNUC). The subjects work in a big Polish city and their school is attended by Ukrainian and Vietnamese migrant children; half of the teachers (called NU) have the migrant children in their classes, the other half do not (NN). The results have shown, among others, that NU teachers have higher extraversion scores than NN and that younger teachers have a more positive attitude toward training programs for educating migrant children

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Religiosity and religious crises of medical students and their opinions on the usefulness of chaplains’ service and religion in coping with illness

Aim: The aim of the study was to obtain information on the religiosity of medical students, including the occurrence of the phenomenon of religious crisis. The paper also attempts to verify whether there is a relationship between the centrality of religiosity and the way to answer questions about the usefulness of ministry of chaplains and the role of religion in coping with illness.Method: The study was conducted among 273 medical students, aged 19-27. Data was obtained using Scale of the Religious Crisis by W. Prężyny (SKR), Scale of Centrality of the Religions of S. Huber in translation of  B. Zarzycka and a self-devised questionnaire. Results: Respondents who were convinced that religion and contact with the chaplain helps to cope with life difficulties, compared to those who believed that religion rather helps, or those who thought religion does not help, experience a religious crisis less often. In the groups of people who believed that religion and the priest's in-hospital contact definitely helps to cope with the disease, in comparison to those who thought it rather helps or than those who thought it does not help, a higher centrality of religiosity in the various subscales was observed.  Conclusion: Studies have shown that students who do not attribute religion and chaplaincy to a large role in coping with life problems experience a religious crisis more often than those who do not experience crises. Respondents who believed that both religion and priest's in-hospital contact help in coping with difficulties were characterized by high frequency of personal religious practices

Wybrane uwarunkowania jakości życia w chorobie Parkinsona

Background. The most significant aim of treatment for Parkinson’s disease is the improvement of functioning of the patient in the daily living. The interest of medical sciences moved beyond the traditional, purely medical area of action, focusing on different fields of their life.Aim. The assessment of relations of chosen factors to the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease was the purpose of this work.Material and methods. The research was conducted among 75 patients with Parkinson’s disease in the University Department of Neurology in Cracow and in Sądecki Railway Outpatient in the period from November 2010 to April 2011. The data was collected with the standardized Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ 39) used for the evaluation of the quality of life and clinical state in patients with Parkinson’s disease, with Lawtona scale (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living – IADL) used for the assessment of functional efficiency in complex activities of everyday life and with the geriatric depression scale.Results. The research showed that Parkinson’s disease had an adverse impact on all examined aspects of the quality of life. To a great degree, the disease limits the patients’ mobility (74%) and makes it impossible to perform basic everyday activities (69%). As a result of illness, 61% of the examined patients feel permanent discomfort of the body and limited cognitive functions. As many as 60% have problems arising from contacts with other people because of the stigmatization of their illness, whereas 57% have problems in communicating and emotional disorders. Results also showed a moderate grade of depression in 61% of the examined people and only 36% of patients had no symptoms of depression.Conclusions. Parkinson’s disease to the greatest degree limits abilities of free migration of the patient, both in a public place and within their own flat. The illness deprives of possibilities to use the phone which is a basic tool of communication. The patients who run their household alone demonstrate a greater psychological resistance in the face of heavy and incurable illness in spite of greater functional dysfunctions. Symptoms of depression are one of the factors which lower the quality of life in Parkinson’s disease. (PNN 2012;1(2):48-57)Wprowadzenie. Coraz większe znaczenie w procesie leczenia choroby Parkinsona przywiązuje się do działań zmierzających do poprawy funkcjonowania pacjenta w codziennym życiu. Zainteresowanie nauk medycznych przesunęło się poza tradycyjny, czysto medyczny obszar działania, skupiając się na aktywności podopiecznych w różnych dziedzinach życia.Cel. Celem pracy była ocena wpływu wybranych czynników na jakość życia pacjentów z chorobą Parkinsona.Materiał i metody. Badania przeprowadzono wśród 75 osób z chorobą Parkinsona w Krakowskim Stowarzyszeniu Chorych z Chorobą Parkinsona, w Krakowskiej Klinice Neurologii oraz w Sądeckiej Przychodni Kolejowej w okresie od listopada 2010 do kwietnia 2011 roku. Materiał badawczy w pracy został zebrany za pomocą stan-daryzowanego kwestionariusza Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire 39 (PDQ 39) służącego do oceny jakości życia i stanu zdrowia pacjentów z chorobą Parkinsona, skali Lawtona (Instrumental Activities of Daily Living – IADL) służącej do oceny sprawności funkcjonalnej badanych w zakresie złożonych czynności życia codziennego oraz geriatrycznej skali depresji.Wyniki. Badania wykazały, że choroba Parkinsona negatywnie oddziałuje na wszystkie badane składowe jakości życia. W największym stopniu ogranicza mobilność pacjentów (74%), uniemożliwia sprawne wykonanie podstawowych czynności dnia codziennego (69%). W następstwie choroby 61% badanych, odczuwa stały dyskomfort ciała oraz ograniczenia funkcji poznawczych. Aż 60% ma problemy rodzące się w kontaktach z innymi ludźmi z powodu stygmatyzacji choroby, zaś 57% problemy w zakresie komunikowania się oraz zaburzeń emocjonalnych. Wykazano również, że tylko 36% pacjentów nie było obciążonych depresją, u 61% badanych stwierdzono umiarkowane nasilenie depresji.Wnioski. Choroba Parkinsona w największym stopniu ogranicza możliwości swobodnego przemieszczania się pacjenta zarówno w miejscu publicznym jak i w obrębie własnego mieszkania. Choroba pozbawia człowieka możliwości sprawnego posługiwania się telefonem, który jest podstawowym narzędziem komunikacji. Chorzy, którzy sami prowadzą gospodarstwo domowe wykazują większą odporność psychiczną w obliczu ciężkiej i nieuleczalnej choroby, pomimo większych dysfunkcji w zakresie sprawności funkcjonalnej. Objawy depresji są jednym z czynników, które obniżają jakość życia w chorobie Parkinsona. (PNN 2012;1(2):48-57