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Background and objective: The study was to compare the severity of male depression symptoms, suicidal behaviors, the use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, nicotine), and evaluate personal resources (self-efficacy, coping strategies and resilience) among men from three different groups. Material and methods: The clinical group contained men with depression disorders diagnosed by psychiatrists and treated in psychiatric hospitals (n = 197). The control groups contained men with physical disorders treated in general hospitals in Warsaw, Poland (n = 198) and men who self-evaluated themselves as healthy without physical or mental disorders (n = 203). Several tests were used for evaluation: a test with sociodemographic variables, the AUDIT Test, the Fagerstrom Test, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the MINI-COPE Questionnaire, the Resilience Evaluation Questionnaire (KOP-26), the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised by Osman (SBQ-R) and the Gotland Male Depression Scale (GMDS). Results: Most of the men with depression disorders presented non-typical symptoms of depression which are not included in diagnostic criteria. It allows us to assume that a large percentage of men who suffer from depression are not properly being diagnosed. Moreover, we found that men with any type of physical disorder have the greatest severity of male depression symptoms than healthy men. Men with depression disorders have suicidal thoughts and have made efforts in the past more often, as well as having higher alcohol and nicotine addictions. Patients who overuse or are addicted to alcohol or nicotine should be additionally screened for the possible occurrence of depressive disorders, and substance usage should be treated as a symptom of male depression. Men with depression present low resilience and low self-efficacy. They also use negative strategies in dealing with stress. Conclusion: There is a need to plan and implement effective prevention actions that will take the conditioning of these groups into account.

Introduction: Disease-related stress is a common phenomenon. It also occurs in neoplastic diseases. Since physical and mental health are interrelated, it is important to make sure that treatment covers these two areas. Therefore, it is essential to learn how patients with neoplastic diseases can cope with stress. Materials and Methods: The respondents are 306 patients suffering from neoplastic diseases, associated in patient advocacy groups. The method is the Brief-COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) questionnaire. Results: The following stress management strategies were most commonly adopted by the patients: acceptance (median 2.25; 25–75% IQR 2.0–3.0), active coping (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR (interquartile range) 1.5–2.0), planning (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR 2.0–2.0), emotional support (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR 1.5–2.0), instrumental support (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR 2.0–2.0), self-distraction (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR 1.5–3.0), and venting (median 2.0; 25–75% IQR 1.5–3.0). A decision to adopt a particular stress management strategy by patients with neoplastic diseases was highly affected by demographic factors (p < 0.05), such as sex, education, age, place of residence and employment. Conclusions: Teaching stress management strategies should be a part of the education process among patients with neoplastic diseases. Before or in the course of treatment, an oncology patient should be educated on the prevention of mental health disorders. The ability to cope with stress is one of the key competences for the course of neoplastic diseases and it can affect the treatment process. Stress management in chronic diseases, including neoplastic diseases, should be approached not only at the level of an individual person but also at the level of the health system as a whole.

Men commit suicide more frequently than women in nearly all parts of the world. This is due to a number of factors, including the fact that women tend to seek mental help relatively more often than men. Many developed countries have attempted to implement suicide prevention programmes and initiatives, but only a small proportion of these have targeted men directly. The aims of this paper are to highlight preventive measures focusing on mental problems experienced specifically by men, and provide a detailed description of these measures. Consequently, the paper has both theoretical and practical dimensions, outlining the challenges and presenting potential solutions. The study discusses selected examples of mental health actions targeting men which were carried out in several countries around the world including Japan (“Daddy, have you slept well?”), UK (“Heads Up” campaign), United States (“Real men. Real depression”), Canada (“HeadsUpGuys” campaign), and Australia (Movember), as well as social media campaigns (Instagram: #HereForYou). Men are often reluctant to reveal their mental problems (stress, low mood, insomnia, suicidal ideation), which can be attributed to the so-called macho culture existing in societies. The man is traditionally considered head of the family, a guardian and leader, a strong personality, and a person to rely on. This perception contributes to the fact that men tend not to admit their weaknesses in front of family or friends. It is recommended that preventive actions take into account such aspects as the transfer of knowledge, skills and competences in the areas of identification of mental problems, and abilities to cope with a crisis situation. Mental health actions should be launched in areas frequently visited by men including workplaces, buses, pubs, bars, sports clubs, stadiums or other meeting places, so that the information can reach the largest possible target group.

Background: Women in Poland suffer from mental disorders more often than men (except for addictions). However, men are about six times more likely to commit suicide than women. What could be the cause of this situation? The aim of the article was to analyse the potential correlation between mental health and suicide in men. Materials and methods: The review was based on the available scientific literature on male depression and suicide. We searched Pubmed, Scopus and Google Schoolar (from 1.11.2019 to 31.01.2020). Results: Polish statistics may differ from others due to the fact that current diagnostic criteria often fail to take into consideration the typical symptoms of mental disorders in men. Male suicide attempts are more commonly lethal. Men are also more likely to try to deal with mental problems on their own, often using alcohol, which, in many cases, leads to suicidal behaviour and addictions. This disparity between the numbers of suicides among men and women in recent years indicates an urgent need to promote mental health among men. Conclusions: Polish health policies should focus more on the mental health of men. It is very important to develop standards of promoting male mental health, which would meet the specific health needs of this group. It is necessary to provide physicians with new diagnostic tools which will allow for better identification of typical male symptoms of mental disorders.

Introduction: Despite the fact that the knowledge of health differences between males and females is more and more available, it does not always translate into the differentiation of health programmes. Undoubtedly, there is a need for innovative programmes promoting the mental health of men and accounting for male standards. Material and methods: Review of scientific literature concerning mental health promotion, with special regard to recommendation to create programmes of promotion of men’s mental health searched in Pubmed, Scopus and Google Scholar. Results: Health promotion is a process enabling people to increase their control over health and to improve it. Mental health promotion is a rarely discussed branch of health promotion, and its characteristics differ from physical health promotion. Currently, no organised activities are conducted in Poland aiming at the promotion of men’s mental health. Looking at suicide statistics, according to which men take their lives seven times more often than women, it seems essential to design comprehensive activities targeting this specific group. Male-specific determinants of mental health should constitute a reference point for health promoters in the process of designing programmes of mental health promotion. Conclusions: It seems necessary to consider gender factor while designing activities related to mental health promotion. The activities directed to men should be planned according to specific principles. Their implementation may have a positive effect on male participation and involvement in the suggested programme of mental health promotion, and in turn on its efficacy.

Background: The most common method of suicide in Poland is hanging, especially among men. However, women tend to overdose on medications to commit suicide. Considering suicide attempts, poisoning, which involves overdosing various substances, is the most commonly used method. The purpose of the present study was to analyze suicide attempts by intoxication, suicides, and substances that influenced the state of consciousness of suicide victims in Poland in the years covered by the study. Methods: A descriptive analysis was made based on the data obtained from the registers of the General Police Headquarters of Poland and the Statistics Poland for the years 1999–2020. Results: During the 21-year study period, 161,655 cases of suicide attempts were recorded in Poland, 106,169 of which resulted in suicides. Results showed that out of 14,660 self-poisoning suicide attempts, there were 2258 cases of suicide poisoning deaths in the analyzed study period. According to the data of the General Police Headquarters of Poland, the total number of suicides of all causes was 106,169. Self-poisoning suicides accounted for 2.1% of all cases of suicides. Conclusion: Due to the distribution of suicide registration systems in Poland, data available in this area should be interpreted with caution.

Introduction: Many of the symptoms of depression in men can be placed in the category of other mental health problems, such as substance abuse. Personal resources are important factors that can have a positive impact on the treatment of people affected by depression. The aim of the study was to analyze the use of alcohol and nicotine and the level of personal resources among men diagnosed with depression. Material and methods: The test group consisted of 40 men diagnosed with depressive disorders (F31 — in the phase of depression, F32 and F33) treated in the 2nd Department of Psychiatry of the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology and 40 men from the control group. The study used: AUDIT Test, Fagerstrom Test, Emotion Control Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale. To ensure reliability that in the control group are only men without depression, an additional test for this group was added — Gotland Male Depression Scale (to exclude men with symptoms of depression in further analysis) and test with sociodemographic variables. Results: The level of nicotine and alcohol addiction did not differ significantly between the study group and the control group. The groups differed in the context of self-efficacy (p = 0.006) and the level of life satisfaction (p = 0.003). Men with depression assessed their mental health worse and had a lower sense of self-efficacy compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups in the control of emotions and its components, and in the context of the assessment of physical health. Conclusions: The frequency of abuse of psychoactive substances by men with depression is similar to that in the control group. Men with depression are characterized by a lower sense of self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Therefore, psychological help addressed to this group of patients should be based on strengthening self-esteem.

Dominik Olejniczak,1 Dorota Bugajec,2 Anna Staniszewska,3 Mariusz Panczyk,4 Aleksandra Kielan,1 Aleksandra Czerw,1 Marta Mańczuk,5 Grzegorz Juszczyk,1 Joanna Skonieczna,1 Anna Brytek-Matera6 1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 2Students’ Scientific Public Health Association, Health Promotion Section, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 3Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; 4Division of Teaching and Outcomes of Education, Faculty of Health Science, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland; 5Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute – Oncology Center, Warsaw, Poland; 6Katowice Faculty, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland Introduction: Night-eating syndrome (NES) involves uncontrolled and most often repeated binge eating during the night. It is related with mood disorders as well as sleep disorders and it may cause obesity. Risks related to NES are obesity, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, affective disorders, and sleep disorders. The objective of this study is to analyze eating habits in terms of the risk assessment of NES occurrence in the population of women in the Masovian Voivodeship (in Poland). Patients and methods: Six hundred and eleven women living in the Masovian Voivodeship participated in the study. The average age of the respondents was 22.7 years (median = 23.0; interquartile range = 3.0). The Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ) was used to assess the risk of NES. Results: In the studied group of women, 1.3% of cases (N = 12) reached a NEQ total score of ≥25, which indicates a probability of 40.7% for NES, while 0.7% (N = 4) reached a score of ≥30, which indicates a probability of 72.2% for occurrence of this syndrome. The highest average total score was observed in the group of obese people. The level of education of the participants did not significantly affect the NEQ score. A weak correlation was observed between the place of residence variable and the mood/sleep subscale (r = 0.11, P < 0.01). Conclusion: NES may be one of the causes of overweight and obesity; therefore, the need for further studies on this health issue is justified. It is worth pointing out that knowing the conditions responsible for the occurrence of NES, it is possible to suggest a prevention procedure for this condition. Keywords: night-eating syndrome, women, obesity

Introduction and objective Occupational stress-related factors among working municipal police officers in Poland have not been examined in the literature. The purpose of the paper was to evaluate the impact of selected work-related factors on occupational stress in active municipal police officers in Warsaw by using configural frequency analysis (CFA). Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 578 participants, which accounted for 55.1% of all municipal police officers in Warsaw. The majority of study participants were men (72%) (mean age 43 years old). Two groups of workplace-related stress factors were analysed in the study: physical conditions and organisational working conditions causing stress. The study was carried out using the PAPI method (Paper-and-Pencil Interviewing), based on a proprietary questionnaire developed for the study. CFA searches for templates and patterns in contingency tables. Results Municipal police officers who claimed that stress did not affect health, took advantage of psychological/psychiatric advice less often than those who thought so (1.7% vs 10.1%; χ2 = 20.152, df = 2, P = 0.000). Those who declared that they often experienced stress at work were also more prone to claiming that one or two factors affected their level of stress: physical abuse, contact with infectious materials, working at uncomfortable temperatures or working in a noisy environment. In the opinion of the study population, there were some factors which contributed to the occurrence of stress at work, and these factors included: working in a hurry, lack of necessary resources, devices and materials at work, the need to be available at all times and the unpredictability of the work. The municipal police officers from the study population combined two or three methods to cope with stress, such as watching TV, surfing the Internet and talking with their families. Conclusion Due to the specificity of a municipal police officer's occupation, special attention should be paid to the occupational stress risk factors characteristic for this group of professionals, and measures should be taken to reduce the number of stressors. It is important to organise training events devoted to effective methods of coping with stress. There is need to carry out more in-depth studies of occupational stress among municipal police officers.

Cel pracyCelem niniejszej pracy jest poznanie opinii młodzieży w wieku 16-19 lat, uczęszczającej do warszawskich publicznych liceów ogólnokształcących, na temat efektywności profilaktyki samobójstw.MetodaPopulacja badana objęła młodzież, która w roku 2015 była w wieku 16-19 lat (M = 17,29; SD = 0,94). Respondenci uczęszczali do ośmiu warszawskich publicznych liceów ogólnokształcących z ośmiu różnych dzielnic. Badanie było reprezentatywne. W badaniu uczestniczyło 1439 respondentów – 821 dziewcząt (57,1%) i 592 chłopców (41,1%). Badanie przeprowadzono metodą PAPI. Kwestionariusz zawierał 34 pytania.WynikiRespondenci najczęściej nie wiedzieli czy w Polsce istnieje zorganizowany system zapobiegania samobójstwom (42,0%), ale duża część respondentów (39,7%) miała świadomość, że taki system w Polsce nie istnieje. Respondenci uważali działalność szkoły (46,7%), Kościoła (38,3%) i policji (55,9%) za nieskuteczną, jednostek opieki zdrowotnej (47,7%) i mediów (46,6%) za mało skuteczne, natomiast rodzinę (70,9%) za skuteczną w zakresie zapobiegania samobójstwom. Osoby, które upatrują znaczącą rolę kościoła równocześnie wskazują na znaczący udział rodziny w zapobieganiu samobójstwom, a w znacznie mniejszym stopniu innych z wymienionych instytucji.Wnioski1. Ponad 1/3 badanej młodzieży zdaje sobie sprawę, iż w Polsce nie istnieje zintegrowany system zapobiegania samobójstwom. 2. Najważniejszą rolę w prewencji zachowań autodestrukcyjnych, w opinii licealistów, pełni rodzina. 3. Istnieje potrzeba większego zaangażowania szkół, Kościoła, policji, jednostek służby zdrowia oraz mediów w edukację i uświadamianie młodzieży w kwestii profilaktyki zachowań autodestrukcyjnych.

Cel pracyCelem niniejszej pracy jest poznanie opinii młodzieży w wieku 16-19 lat, uczęszczającej do warszawskich publicznych liceów ogólnokształcących, na temat czynników ryzyka samobójstw.MetodaPopulacja badana objęła młodzież, która w roku 2015 była w wieku 16-19 lat (M = 17,29; SD = 0,94). Respondenci uczęszczali do ośmiu warszawskich publicznych liceów ogólnokształcących z ośmiu różnych dzielnic. Badanie było reprezentatywne. W badaniu uczestniczyło 1439 respondentów – 821 dziewcząt (57,1%) i 592 chłopców (41,1%). Badanie przeprowadzono metodą PAPI. Kwestionariusz zawierał 34 pytania podzielone na trzy bloki- dotycząc epidemiologii, czynników ryzyka i profilaktyki zachowań samobójczych.WynikiWedług 37,0% badanych głównym problemem występującym w rodzinie, który może stać się czynnikiem ryzyka popełnienia samobójstwa jest brak zrozumienia przez rodziców. Badani uważali, że konflikty z rówieśnikami stanowią sytuacje związane ze szkołą, które mogą stać się przyczyną powstania myśli samobójczych (48,6%). Ponad połowa badanych (59,1%) uważała, że odrzucenie przez osoby bliskie i ważne stanowi główny czynnik związany z poczuciem osamotnienia, mogący być przyczyną aktu samobójczego.Wnioski1. Istotnym elementem w prewencji zachowań autodestrukcyjnych młodych osób powinien być trening rodzicielski w zakresie okazywania zrozumienia i akceptacji swoim dzieciom. 2. Wskazane jest prowadzenie zajęć, doskonalących umiejętności psychospołeczne młodzieży, w szczególności zdolności rozwiązywania problemów interpersonalnych, w celu zmniejszenia liczby konfliktów z rówieśnikami, występujących w środowisku szkolnym.

The health behaviors or health-related behaviors is behavior (or activity) that are part of everyday life, affecting the health of the individual. An example of the behavior of health is also sunbathing, or exposing the body to excessive solar radiation dosage. It may be positive and negative effects on health.Evaluation of knowledge about gymnasium students. The impact of UV radiation on health and health behaviors associated with sunbathing.The study was a diagnostic survey, with author's questionnaire. The sample was comprised students from classes II and III. A total of 312 questionnaires were collected among 181 girls and 131 boys. Used purposeful sampling. Results were considered statistically significant at p0.05.There is a statistically significant relationship between the stated sunbathing to get a sun tan, and sex of the respondent (p = 0.0002). Definitely more girls (77.35%) admit that tans in the sun to get a tan as compared to boys (58.02%).It is recommended that further research aimed at checking the causes and incidence of sunburn among young people. Consideration should be given to create and implement the appropriate health programs taking about tanning that could be implemented under the School Health Promotion Program, or to supplement this knowledge on subjects such as Biology or Nature.