Search

The aim of this paper is to discuss the challenge posed to mental health by climate change. Our inquiry is based on literature review and original qualitative studies. The data are collected from both desk research and in-depth interviews with participants belonging to following groups: high school and university students, young parents, activists, and psychotherapy patients. This paper also offers the critical review of contemporary terminology used for mental health problems and emotions appearing in the context of climate change, as well as the history of scientific interest in the issue at hand. The term and phenomenon of climate depression acquires aspecial focus, based on qualitative studies participants' self-reports and main arguments critical to medicalization of emotions experienced when facing the climate crisis. The additional analysis of socio-political and cultural aspects of climate change and mental health concludes in establishing the urgent need for further research in the area, so as to gain multidimensional understanding necessary for providing adequate mental health services. It is very likely that it will be increasingly needed in the future.

Contemporary approach to schizophrenia treatment assumes multidirectional therapeutic intervention aimed at achieving full remission and the patient's return to full psychosocial functioning. Properly selected and administered pharmacotherapy still plays the key role in schizophrenia treatment. In previous decades (starting from the 1950s) the use of antipsychotics aimed mostly at managing positive symptoms (aggression, agitation). In subsequent decades (starting from the 1980s) it was possible to use new generation medications with fewer side effects. Some of those medications turned out to be also helpful in alleviating negative symptoms, which gave some patients an opportunity to return to normal functioning. Nevertheless, there is still a common belief that schizophrenia patients with predominant or persistent negative symptoms are the most serious challenge from the therapeutic perspective. They are characterized by worse course of the illness, poorer prognosis and response to treatment. There is constant need for new, more effective therapeutic interventions. The following paper presents international standards and recommendations of the Polish Psychiatric Association for effective approach to treating negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a chronic illness that in the majority of cases begins either in adolescence or early adulthood. It is often perceived as a severe, incurable condition with generally poor prognosis, while patients suffering from it tend to be agitated, aggressive and unpredictable in their behaviors. Growing awareness, along with gradual changes in the approach to the need for multifaceted schizophrenia therapy, as well as considerable progress in pharmacotherapy in recent years have allowed for improving the prognosis for many patients. Because of polymorphic character of the condition, many schizophrenia sub-types are identified by means of classifications of mental disorders, adjusting the criteria and descriptions to most frequently observed clinical scenarios. Clinical descriptions of schizophrenia are based on various psychopathological models, which are often multidimensional and multifactorial. They virtually always take account of the following two dimensions: negative (deficit) and positive (creative) symptoms. Contemporary approach to schizophrenia treatment assumes multidirectional therapeutic intervention aimed at achieving full remission and the patient's return to full psychosocial functioning. Long-term studies indicate that the severity of negative symptoms is the prognostic indicator of the deterioration of social and professional functioning and reduced quality of life. The following paper presents the review of concepts and research devoted to negative symptoms in schizophrenia and their treatment; in the second part, international standards and recommendations of the Polish Psychiatric Association concerning the approach to effective management of negative symptoms in schizophrenia are discussed.

Objectives: The world literature is reporting economic destabilisation of psychiatric wards in general hospitals related to the new rules of financing (managed care). The aim of this paper is to analyse the literature on psychiatric wards in general hospitals, and to know the opinions of psychiatrists employed in these wards in Poland regarding organisational model and the stability of these wards., Methods: The 18-items Likert-type questionnaire was send to 83 psychiatric wards in Poland and published on the website psychiatria.pl., Results: 50 psychiatrists from psychiatric wards in general hospitals in 11 provinces had responded. The prevailing number of respondents positively assessed: the organisational model of the ward, implications for therapy arising from its location in the general hospital and the relationships with colleges of other specialties. However, they assessed negatively: the working conditions, stability of employment, the mode of treating the psychiatrists by the management of the hospital, and the interest of the authorities in these wards. The majority of respondents (72%) prefer to work in integrated stationary/ambulatory services, and postulates (86% of respondents) that the psychiatric wards in general hospitals should be guaranteed permanent status in the mental health system., Conclusions: The psychiatrists employed in the psychiatric wards in general hospitals in Poland evaluate this organisational model positively. However, the destabilisation of economic foundations of these wards reported in the world literature was also reflected in the results of a survey conducted in Poland. There is a need to develop standards for the organisation and financing departments of psychiatry in general hospitals providing them stable status in the healthcare system in Poland.

In the paper there have been presented the creation and activities of the Clinic of Neuropsychiatry in the period of 1914-1950 and the scientific and organizational work of professor J. Piltz (1870-1930).

The aim of this study was to describe the specific engineering services and suitability of candidates for the psychophysical performance. Navy ships are equipped with equipment and weapons are controlled by electronic devices ship and crew. Advanced technology puts high demands on operator. For the ship's staff are recruited soldiers of the psychophysical characteristics predisposing to this kind of action. The paper uses personal experience to work in military units of the Navy, and data from the literature. Terms of sailing ships off the summer season are defined as difficult. The crew during a combat mission felt the risks associated with movements of the ship in difficult meteorological conditions, and associated with the implementation of the task. The development of ship's technical equipment, working in isolated groups, functioning within a limited space, noise, vibration, electromagnetic waves heighten the emotional burden on crew members. Military service on Navy ships require high psycho-physical predisposition, resistance to stress. The crucial factor is proper selection among the candidates based on psychiatric and psychological counseling for military and medical jurisprudence. Also plays a significant role for training doctors and specialists in psychoprophylaxy of military units in the field of mental hygiene.

The paper is a presentation of the most important and actual psychiatric health care problems in Poland: the financial situation of hospitals, the risk faced by the out-patient psychiatric care,ethical problems related to clinical practice, as well as issues on postgraduate education.

The paper is a presentation of the most important and actual psychiatric health care problems in Poland: the financial situation of hospitals, the risk faced by the out-patient psychiatric care and the ethical problems related to investigations of psychotropic drugs.

The aim of this paper was a reflection on the most significant events in Polish psychiatry in 2003. Reform in health care financing and its realisation in 2003 introduced a risk of inhibiting further development of mental health care. The endangerment is a result of allocation of resources, which is inadequate to real costs and promotes in-patient treatment. An additional risk is seen in a project of privatisation of health care institutions. Increasing orientation towards methodology of molecular biology, which is similar to a general global tendency, influences research in psychiatry. Nevertheless the low number of publications resulting from government sponsored studies is disturbing. The situation in forensic psychiatry calls for involvement and studies. Psychiatria Polska published a report indicating low standard of psychiatric expertise for courts and high probability of corruption. The same was reflected in mass media publications later on. Polish Psychiatric Association Board had appointed a special commission to study this problem.

The paper is a presentation of the most important and actual psychiatric health care problems in Poland: the financial situation of hospitals, the risks faced by the out-patient psychiatric care, maintaining the legal issues of the psychiatric patients, the situation of forensic psychiatry and legal-psychiatric expertise, postgraduate training, availability of psychotropic drugs. Attention is paid to the importance of giving the programme of psychiatric health protection a status of evident value and that this programme should become a national programme.

The aim of this paper is a reflection upon the most important issues in Polish psychiatry in 2002. In the mental health care development, an unfavorable legal regulation on the profession of the psychologist was passed and another change in health care financing in Poland. The role of Polish psychiatrists in international actions inspired by the World Psychiatric Association could be noted, especially in the de-stigmatising "Open the doors", as well as the stance towards 2nd generation antipsychotics. A positive growing interest and tendency in post-graduate psychiatric training was noticed, especially constant training. The publication of a new, large clinical textbook on psychiatry was noted, leading the probable direction of post-graduate training and development of scientific research. Special attention was drawn to the return of neuro-surgical interventions in treatment resistant obsessive-compulsive disorders, namely the nonstandard position of stereotactic operations on the limbic system in these disorders. Such a position is the result of insufficient scientific documentation on the effectiveness of such procedures and weakly documented theoretical bases.

The paper is a presentation of the most important and actual psychiatric health care problems in Poland: the financial situation of hospitals, the risks faced by the outpatient psychiatric care, maintaining the legal issues of the psychiatric patients, the situation of forensic psychiatry and legal-psychiatric expertise, post-graduate training, the level of diagnosis and therapy, availability of psychotropic drugs. Attention is paid to the importance of giving the programme of psychiatric health protection a status of evident value and that this programme should become a government (national) programme.

Copyright of Psychiatria Polska is the property of Editorial Committee of Polish Psychiatric Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Psychiatria Polska is the property of Editorial Committee of Polish Psychiatric Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)