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In 2024, we observe the fortieth anniversary of the publication, where, for the first time, the term of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was used. Presently, SAD is regarded as a special category of mood disorder. In the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V), the seasonality makes a specifier, "with seasonal pattern", both for recurrent depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and for Bipolar Disorder (BD). The most spectacular phenomenon among SAD is winter depression. Its symptomatology is mostly similar to atypical depression, characterized by excessive sleepiness and carbohydrate craving. SAD can pertain up to one fifth of persons with MDD or BD and is more frequent in women. SAD can be considered as an extreme expression of the central nervous system (CNS) changes related to circannual rhythm of lighting. The seasonal changes of the CNS function apply to the secretion of melatonin, the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In the circadian and circannual processes, a significant role is played by so-called "clock genes". SAD may be a legacy of Homo neanderthalensis. In winter depression, the therapeutic effect is obtained by an exposition to bright light (bright light therapy - BLT) as well as to blue light or using the method of dawn simulation. The therapeutic effect of phototherapy has also been ascertained in non-seasonal depression. As a counterpoint to this mechanism, promising trials have been undertaken in manic states by light restriction using blue light blocking glasses.

The aim of this paper is to review studies available in scientific databases on the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy programmes for separation anxiety disorder in children. The paper also includes a presentation of a clinical description of therapy for a 12-year-old girl with a diagnosis of separation anxiety according to ICD-10. The most widely researched and sole protocol for working with children with anxiety disorders in Poland, the Coping Cat programme, was used as the basic protocol. Its universality is both an advantage and a challenge, as it becomes necessary to adapt the protocol to work with a specific anxiety disorder. This required the authors of this article to review the scientific databases in search of examples of cognitive-behavioural protocol adaptations for treatment of separation anxiety in children. The case study describes the standard use of the Coping Cat protocol which, at some point, stopped delivering the desired results and needed to be modified based on analysis of the revisited conceptualisation together with the supervisor, which made it possible to achieve most of the assumed goals.

Eating disorders are a considerable and prevalent problem among adolescents. Due to their significant adverse health consequences, it is of key importance to examine available treatment options and their effects. Despite the shared criteria for eating disorders in adolescents and adults, the diagnostic and therapeutic processes in the former require distinct specialist interventions, including the entire family environment. Available research suggests that family-based treatment (FBT) and enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-E) are particularly beneficial in the management of eating disorders and prevention of relapse in young patients. Since clinical perfectionism is postulated to be an important mechanism underlying the development and maintenance of eating disorders, its consideration in therapy may contribute to faster and long-term recovery. This article presents available evidence on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in adolescents with eating disorders and clinical perfectionism, with a particular focus on differences in the use of CBT-E and FBT. The presented knowledge may facilitate clinical decisions concerning selection of the most effective methods and forms of intervention adapted to case conceptualisation in adolescents with eating disorders.

During qualification for mechanical circulatory support, the comprehensive assessment of a patient's mental state is an integral element of the overall medical evaluation. It encompasses a range of psychosocial issues, and as such provides information helpful in the selection of a suitable candidate for the required treatment, and sometimes identifies contraindications to it. It allows ensuring that the patient meets expectations regarding both mental health stability and adherence to medical recommendations. It is also helpful in an early detection and diagnosis of mental problems before the surgery, which can increase the possibility of implementation of appropriate treatment and intervention. Due to the lack of generally accepted guidelines, this assessment can be subjective to some extent, especially if it takes place outside experienced transplant centres. This article presents the core principles of mental status evaluation and psychosocial factors increasing the risk of poor prognosis in this group. The article aims to share with psychiatrists and psychologists the clinical experience and comprehensive knowledge about psychosocial eligibility criteria for mechanical circulatory support or heart transplantation.

The aim of the current study was to determine the levels of stress, resilience and the sense of self-efficacy, as well as the influence of resilience and the sense of self-efficacy in shaping stress levels, in a sample of women from various countries of origin.

The subject of the study was to assess the therapeutic value of the author's health education programme developed for a group of patients of forensic psychiatry wards conducted in a group of patients long-term isolated from their natural environment. The main goal of the study was to answer the question of whether health education conducted in forensic psychiatry wards is effective and what value it represents in the process of treatment and rehabilitation of patients in forensic psychiatry wards.

The aim of the study was to create a Polish adaptation of the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS), assess its psychometric properties and conduct factor analysis in a group of adults.

The study's aim was to determine co-occurrence of psychopathological symptoms and personality predispositions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its dimensions several months after hospitalisation of patients with severe COVID-19 during the 2nd and 3rd waves of the epidemic.

Psychosomatic disorders (somatic symptom disorder - SSD) constitute a heterogeneous group of medical conditions characterized by somatic symptoms without explained somatic causes. Due to the complexity of symptoms, they present a significant medical, social and economic challenge, and diagnosing and treating these disorders remains a substantial clinical challenge. The aim of the conducted research was an attempt to identify characteristic patterns in the surface-level brain bioelectrical activity of individuals experiencing psychosomatic disorders. The obtained results may contribute to understanding the pathomechanism of these disorders and developing objective methods for diagnosis and differentiation of functional dysfunctions.

Since the 1950s, there have been rapid developments in psychiatric pharmacotherapy, resulting not only in more effective treatment of patients, but also in improvements in minimizing adverse effects of therapy. Modern third-generation antipsychotics, in addition to antagonism toward D2 receptors, also exhibit partial agonism toward dopamine receptors. Such a mechanism of action is intended to regulate dopaminergic transmission - inhibit (antagonism) it in pathways where it is excessive (excessive transmission in the mesolimbic pathway in psychotic patients, excessive transmission in the tuberoinfundibular pathway in patients with hyperprolactinemia) and stimulate (agonism) it in pathways where it is too low (mesocortical pathway). This has a beneficial effect on both the reduction of adverse symptoms and the negative, affective and cognitive symptoms of patients suffering from schizophrenia. The purpose of this review article is to present the most important clinical aspects of the use of dopamine D2 receptor partial agonists in the treatment of schizophrenia, using brexpiprazole as an example, and to define the profile of patients to whom this drug could be dedicated - based on recent studies.

The article presents the provisions currently in force in Polish legislation regarding legal termination of pregnancy. In particular, it refers to the premise of a psychiatrist's decision that the health of a pregnant woman is at risk. Under Polish law, termination of pregnancy is generally prohibited and penalized. However, there are two exceptions to this prohibition. Such a procedure is permitted if: the pregnancy poses a threat to the life or health of the pregnant woman, or if there is a reasonable suspicion that the pregnancy was the result of a prohibited act. The text presents an overview of the relevant regulations and tips on their interpretation and application in everyday medical practice. This issue is particularly important for psychiatrists consulting maternity wards. In addition, the most important mental disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth are described. The clinical features and prevalence of perinatal mood disorders and psychoses are presented. The issue of suicide among pregnant and postpartum patients was also discussed. A sample certificate template was proposed, and guidelines were discussed as to what information and conclusions should be included in the opinion of a psychiatrist.

This study aimed to adapt the shortened version of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF) into Polish and to evaluate the psychometric properties and factor structure of this new measure.

The paper further explores the development of psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period. Jaroszyński attempted to sketch out the idea of "emotional psychotherapy". Stryjeński organized a counseling clinic for the mentally ill, using psychotherapy as one of the means of treatment. Bilikiewicz developed oneiroanalysis - a psychotherapeutic method of dream analysis based on modifications of psychoanalysis. Gottliebowa advocated for the use of psychoanalytically influenced psychotherapy in the gynaecologist practice. Markuszewicz considered psychoanalysis the only psychotherapeutic modality aimed at unearthing the real causes of mental illnesses. Henryk Higier proposed to consider psychoanalysis practically as a method of psychotherapy and saw its heterogeneity as its advantage. Critical views on psychoanalysis as a psychotherapeutic method were delivered by Wirszubski and Mikulski. In general, psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry of the interwar period was highly influenced by psychoanalysis. Moreover, the understanding and practice of psychotherapy in public psychiatric facilities differed from that in private practice. In public psychiatric facilities, it was used mainly to deal with psychoses, so it urged clinicians to modify the classic psychoanalytic approach. In private practice, psychiatrists were dealing mainly with cases of neuroses and therefore could apply standard psychoanalytic procedures. Methods of suggestion, persuasion and hypnosis, characteristic of nineteenth-century psychotherapy, were still in use in Polish psychiatry of the interwar period. The main obstacles to the development of Polish psychotherapy in the interwar period were antisemitic attitudes contributing to hostility towards psychoanalysis, as well as the biological orientation of the majority of the Polish psychiatric society.

The paper explores the development of psychotherapy in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period from the perspective of Kurt Danziger's historical psychology. Firstly, the organizational and social context of the development of Polish psychiatric care in the interwar period and its impact on the development of psychotherapy is outlined. Then, the most influential in Poland, European psychotherapeutic developments in the interwar period are reconstructed. Finally, the views of psychiatric personnel of three psychiatric facilities proposing psychotherapy as one of the main means of treatment of mentally ill patients are introduced: Dziekanka Psychiatric Hospital, the Jewish Hospital in Warsaw and Psychiatry and Neuropathology Clinic of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Psychiatric personnel from Dziekanka Psychiatric Hospital, directed by Aleksander Piotrowski, understood psychotherapy broadly, as the influence of the environment on the patient's psyche. Psychiatrists of the Jewish Hospital in Warsaw, Adam Wizel, Gustaw Bychowski, Władysław Matecki, and Maurycy Bornsztajn developed psychoanalytically influenced psychotherapy of schizophrenia. Bychowski also advocated for the application of psychotherapy in such neglected groups of patients as children and the intellectually disabled. Jan Piltz and Eugeniusz Artwiński pursued psychotherapy in the treatment of war neuroses at the Psychiatry and Neuropathology Clinic of the Jagiellonian University.

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The aim of this exploratory study is to evaluate whether implicit motor learning impairments observed in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) are associated with the resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within large-scale functional networks.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and cyberchondria in a sample of men and women. The study also examined the significance of Big Five personality traits as mediators of this relationship.

The aim of this article is to introduce the Polish adaptation of the Developmental Crisis Questionnaire (DCQ-12). In Poland, there is currently no tool for measuring the quarterlife crisis, hindering empirical exploration and cognitive understanding of this phenomenon. The DCQ-12, developed by Petrov and colleagues, serves as an age-independent measure of adult developmental crisis for research and applied purposes.

The aim of this pilot study was to compare the level of empathy, temperament and character traits before and after 6 months of treatment in a group of patients staying in a psychiatric day care unit in groups with different (internalising vs. externalising) disorder types.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective method of treating acute mental conditions in psychiatry. The progress that has been made in anesthesiology in recent years allows for the personalization and optimization of electroconvulsive therapy through purely anesthetic interventions. There are few procedures in medicine where anesthesia would have such a direct impact on the effectiveness, or even success, of a given procedure. A key aspect of electroconvulsive therapy is a selection of the appropriate anesthetic. In Polish conditions, we have a choice of thiopental, propofol, etomidate, and ketamine - each with different, unique properties and a different impact on the generated epileptic seizure and the patient's hemodynamic safety. From the psychiatrist's perspective, etomidate and ketamine seem to be optimal, as they have no anti-epileptic effect and allow the use of lower energy values, which translates into a lower risk of cognitive dysfunction. However, their use is associated with more frequent cases of hypertension and tachycardia. Ketofol, a mixture of ketamine and propofol, helps to alleviate excessive increases in blood pressure and pulse rate through the hemostabilizing property of propofol. Another important issue is the dose of the anesthetic used, i.e., the depth of anesthesia, which can be monitored using the bispectral index. Too deep anesthesia will result in less effectiveness of the procedure itself. The flow of the electric current requires the patient's muscles to be fully relaxed. Succinylcholine, which is a depolarizing muscle relaxant, remains the drug of choice. In the case of contraindications to its use, non-depolarizing agents, such as mivacurium or rocuronium, turn out to be useful, although the duration of the procedure is definitely longer. Sugammadex allows for full abolition of rocuronium-induced relaxation, but it remains a drug that is usually unaffordable.