Text-Based Detection of the Risk of Depression

This study examines the relationship between language use and psychological characteristics of the communicator. The aim of the study was to find models predicting the depressivity of the writer based on the computational linguistic markers of his/her written text. Respondents’ linguistic fingerprints were traced in four texts of different genres. Depressivity was measured using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The research sample (N = 172, 83 men, 89 women) was created by quota sampling an adult Czech population. Morphological variables of the texts showing differences (M-W test) between the non-depressive and depressive groups were incorporated into predictive models. Results: Across all participants, the data best fit predictive models of depressivity using morphological characteristics from the informal text “letter from holidays” (Nagelkerke r2 = 0.526 for men and 0.670 for women). For men, models for the formal texts “cover letter” and “complaint” showed moderate fit with the data (r2 = 0.479 and 0.435). The constructed models show weak to substantial recall (0.235 – 0.800) and moderate to substantial precision (0.571 – 0.889). Morphological variables appearing in the final models vary. There are no key morphological characteristics suitable for all models or for all genres. The resulting models’ properties demonstrate that they should be suitable for screening individuals at risk of depression and the most suitable genre is informal text (“letter from holidays”)

When Parents and Teachers Assess Intellectual Giftedness of Preschool Children

The paper deals with the possibility of using a screening method for the assessment of intellectual giftedness at preschool age by two groups of persons – nursery teachers and parents. It presents The Characteristics of Giftedness Scale (CGS) for preschool children from Linda Silverman and its Czech translation that was verified from the aspect of parallel validity with a standardized IQ test. The CGS was filled in by experienced nursery teachers and by parents of preschool children and their assessments were analysed from the aspect of similarity and diversity. The results show that teacher assessment is closer to the IQ test results compared with parents who tend to overestimate their children. Eight items with low agreement between the two groups of respondents were identified and their expected sources discussed

DATASET seniors formal caregivers

This dataset is the basis for a study in which examines the emotional states of social workers caring for the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic and reveals connections with situations handled during the pandemic. N=253 social workers participated in the research. The study uses the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 questionnaires to reveal that 35% experienced moderate/severe depression and 27% reported moderate to severe anxiety. Research finds inconclusive associations with personal factors, but highlights the importance of work-related factors. It turned out that respondents focused on behavior and motivation, communication and competence. The results revealed a surprisingly low number of conflicts between work and family. Among other things, it was found that people with higher depression describe more problems where finances and non-work relationships play a central role. Finally, the study examines the thoughts of social workers and outlines what changes they plan to make as a result of this experience - respondents express a determination to change work methods (more IT) and professional content (less administration, more direct work and communication with clients). The findings underscore the resilience and adaptability of social workers and demonstrate their ability to draw positive outcomes from adversity.</p