Mental Health in the Workplace: Situation Analyses, Poland

[From Introduction] The workplace is an appropriate environment in which to educate and raise individuals’ awareness about mental health problems. For example, encouragement to promote good mental health practices, provide tools for recognition and early identification of the symptoms of problems, and establish links with local mental health services for referral and treatment can be offered. The need to demystify the topic and lift the taboos about the presence of mental health problems in the workplace while educating the working population regarding early recognition and treatment will benefit employers in terms of higher productivity and reduction in direct and in-direct costs. However, it must be recognised that some mental health problems need specific clinical care and monitoring, as well as special considerations for the integration or re-integration of the individual into the workforce

Screening for acute myocarditis — is scintigraphy with 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte BW 250/183 an answer?

BACKGROUND: Myocarditis is most often caused by Coxackie B virus, influenza viruses, and echoviruses. It is usually self-restricting and ending in full recovery, but in some patients the infection leads to congestive cardiomyopathy. It is difficult to identify patients with myocarditis using clinical criteria, laboratory tests, ECG and ultrasonography, and currently a myocardial biopsy is required to establish the diagnosis. The risk of complications, sampling error and costs of this procedure underline the need of non-invasive but sensitive methods of imaging. Several radiopharmaceuticals have been used so far to confirm inflammation: 67Ga, 99mTc-nanocolloids and 111In-leucocytes. Scintigraphy with radiolabeled autologous white blood cells (WBCs) is considered a very useful method in identifying sources of inflammation but is difficult to perform and time-consuming. AIMS: The aim of our study was to investigate whether scintigraphy with 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte BW 250/183 antibody is a valuable diagnostic method in evaluating focal and diffuse inflammation of the heart and could therefore be suggested for use in screening for acute myocarditis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A two dimensional scintigraphy and SPECT mode of heart imaging with the use of 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte antibody (740 MBq) was performed on 14 subjects (11 males and 3 females) aged 25–60 years with a positive myocardial biopsy confirming an inflammatory process in the myocardium. After i.v. administration of the tracer a 1 minute series of planar scans was performed within the first 60 minutes. Delayed static scans were performed at 1, 2, 4 and 24 hours. RESULTS: The scintigraphic scans revealed the uptake of the tracer in the heart area in 13 patients, confirming active inflammatory process. Follow-up scintigraphy was performed 3–5 months after the first study, when the control myocardial biopsy was negative. The results of the study showed the concordance between myocardial biopsy and scintigraphy results in patients with an inflammatory process in the heart. CONCLUSIONS: Scintigraphy with the use of 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte seems to be a useful diagnostic method in evaluating patients with suspected myocarditis, but further studies are needed to establish its sensitivity and specificity

Screening for acute myocarditis : is scintigraphy with ^{99m}Tc-Anti-Granulocyte BW 250/183 an answer?

BACKGROUND: Myocarditis is most often caused by Coxackie B virus, influenza viruses, and echoviruses. It is usually self-restricting and ending in full recovery, but in some patients the infection leads to congestive cardiomyopathy. It is difficult to identify patients with myocarditis using clinical criteria, laboratory tests, ECG and ultrasonography, and currently a myocardial biopsy is required to establish the diagnosis. The risk of complications, sampling error and costs of this procedure underline the need of non-invasive but sensitive methods of imaging. Several radiopharmaceuticals have been used so far to confirm inflammation: 67Ga, 99mTc-nanocolloids and 111In-leucocytes. Scintigraphy with radiolabeled autologous white blood cells (WBCs) is considered a very useful method in identifying sources of inflammation but is difficult to perform and time-consuming. AIMS: The aim of our study was to investigate whether scintigraphy with 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte BW 250/183 antibody is a valuable diagnostic method in evaluating focal and diffuse inflammation of the heart and could therefore be suggested for use in screening for acute myocarditis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A two dimensional scintigraphy and SPECT mode of heart imaging with the use of 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte antibody (740 MBq) was performed on 14 subjects (11 males and 3 females) aged 25–60 years with a positive myocardial biopsy confirming an inflammatory process in the myocardium. After i.v. administration of the tracer a 1 minute series of planar scans was performed within the first 60 minutes. Delayed static scans were performed at 1, 2, 4 and 24 hours. RESULTS: The scintigraphic scans revealed the uptake of the tracer in the heart area in 13 patients, confirming active inflammatory process. Follow-up scintigraphy was performed 3–5 months after the first study, when the control myocardial biopsy was negative. The results of the study showed the concordance between myocardial biopsy and scintigraphy results in patients with an inflammatory process in the heart. CONCLUSIONS: Scintigraphy with the use of 99mTc-Anti-Granulocyte seems to be a useful diagnostic method in evaluating patients with suspected myocarditis, but further studies are needed to establish its sensitivity and specificity

Czynniki warunkujące powstawanie oporu w grupach młodzieży

Celem przedstawionej pracy jest znalezienie czynników, które warunkują powstawanie oporu przez wpływ na indywldualizację oceny wartości zmiany. Ta sama zmiana może posiadać inną wartość dla różnych ludzi ze względu na cechy osobowościowe i sytuacyjne. Poznanie własności tych czynników i mechanizmu ichh działania umożliwi nam lepsze zbadanie natury oporu, co ułatwi kontrolę tego zjawiska, po to, aby móc je przewidywać i odpowiednio nim kierować

Measuring sense of inequity at work according to Adams- d development of research tool

This paper outlines the process of developing an instrument for measuring the sense of inequity at work. The research tool we created enables the evaluation of work satisfaction, in the meaning of J.S. Adams's theory. In order to elaborate the method and make a preliminary selection of questions, we conducted a pilot study. As for the main research, it was to examine the theoretical accuracy and to prove the reliability of the questionnaire

Selected predictors of the merchant's entrepreneurship

The aim of this research was to gain better understanding of the characteristics of individuals inclining towards setting up their own business. Because of a nature of this paper we restrict ourselves to analyzing the career anchors and locus of control. We claim that those variables affect one’s motivation and so determine individual behaviour (entrepreneurial behaviour as well). Also demographic factors such as: age, sex and education were included to the model to control their influence on a dependent variable. The study was conducted in commercial centre, both on business owners and workers employed. The aim of the research was to specify which of the considered variables allow us to predict a probability of being an entrepreneur – what are the typical traits of a person who starts a new venture. Obtained results show that the probability of being an entrepreneur is related to internal locus of control and one of the career anchor – creativity

The role of cognitive schemata in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder: results of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies

Objective: There are two theories (by Horowitz and by Foa) which attempt at explaining the process of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) development by information dissonance. The purpose of the present study was to verify these theories via cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Materials and Methods: The study based on a cross-sectional design was performed on a representative group of Polish firefighters. The study using a longitudinal protocol was conducted among police officers. The level of PTSD was assessed using the Questionnaire for PTSD Measurement (K-PTSD). The sense of coherence (SOC) was measured with the Polish adaptation of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire by A. Antonovsky. Results: In the cross-sectional study, the correlation coefficients between K-PTSD and SOC were –0.35 (p 0.05 indicated that the tendency we observed was not statistically significant. Conclusions: We would like to propose two possible explanations for the difference in the relationships between SOC and PTSD symptoms obtained in the studies employing the cross-sectional and the longitudinal protocols

Need of talking about traumatic event and PTSD symptoms development

There were many studies on treatment and prophylaxis of PTSD. It was assumed that a need of talking about of the traumatic event has been a factor moderating relationship between exposure to traumatic event and PTSD symptoms development. Aim of the study was to test this assumption. The study was conducted on police officers according longitudinal procedure, it means that the study was performed in two stages with one year break. It was a possibility to make an analysis of obtained results as if it were two studies; cross-sectional and longitudinal ones. Each analysis let us draw opposing conclusions. Need of talking about traumatic event appeared to be a resistance factor in former one and a sensibilizing factor in letter one

Application of psychological tests in evaluation of persons answering questions in interviews

In order to assess the degree of confidence with regard to the results obtained in questionnaire interviews, a researcher may measure the appropriate traits of respondents which influence the validity of their answers. On the basis of saturation of a given group of respondents with such traits, a researcher may estimate the quality of their answers obtained in interviews. It was assumed that the basic traits which are likely to disturb the validity of answers, are: 1° poor vocabulary, 2° a predisposition to show off, 3° a predisposition to answer the questionnaire questions without thinking over their contents. Three tests were prepared to measure these traits: 1° a test of the vocabulary (V), 2° a test of lying (L), 3° a test of dummy, or “sleeper” questions (D). The basic hypothesis was formulated, as follows: respondents showing a high level on the score of the V-test, and low scores on the L-test and D-test are giving correct answers more frequently than those having the opposite scores. The hypothesis was corroborated in methodological investigations conducted in Włocławek in 1973. Coefficients of correlation between particular scores and the numbers of correct answers (A) are surprisingly high: rVA=0,65, rLA=0,40, rDA=0,53

Seeking of stimulation and exposure to traumatic events

Problem. Prevalence of traumatic stress in general population is not so often but in some vocations it is a serious risk factor for employees’ health. A traumatic event is a main reason for PTSD and other mental disorders. There are multiple risk factors for PTSD development but the exposure to traumatic event is a main cause, included in a definition of PTSD. A need of stimulation, strongly connected to reactivity, may be treated as an individual resource because it let diminishing a chance of PTSD development but it may be treated as the risk factor of this disorder also. Hypothesis. Number of exposures to traumatic events is correlated to power of stimulation need. Subjects. 109 soldiers. Methods. Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) by M. Zuckerman and Stressful Life Events Questionnaire (experimental version by M. Lis-Turlejska). Results. Relationships between results obtained in the particular dimension of the stimulation need and the number of traumatic events experienced by subjects are as follow: a dimension of thrill and adventure seeking (TAS) – rho = 0.30 (p < 0.008); an experience seeking dimension (ES) – rho = 0.20 (p < 0.060); a disinhibition dimension (DIS) – rho = 0.30 (p < 0.008) a boredom susceptibility dimension (BS) – rho = 0.20 (p < 0.060); a general dimension of stimulation seeking (G) – rho = 0.10 (p < 0.210). Rank correlation between a total results of SSS (a sum of subscales results) and the number of traumatic events experienced by the subjects is 0,25 (p < 0,008)