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This thematic issue of Psychological Topics is devoted to the gut-brain axis, the cross-talk between the gut, its microbiota and the brain, and its role in understanding the underlying mechanisms that explain the complex interactions between the biological, psychological and social aspects of functional gastrointestinal, metabolic and weight disorders. Research on the role of the gut-brain axis in health and disease is quite new, and we hope that the articles published in this issue will contribute to further understanding of this interesting and important scientific topic. This issue presents a broad range of research reports, theoretical contributions and review papers on the effects of various functional gastrointestinal disorders and weight regulation issues on physical and mental health, and the quality of life in general. Accordingly, the articles published in this issue of Psychological Topics cover a variety of topics, such as regulation of functions of the brain and body by the principle of predictive coding and implications for impairments of the brain-gut axis; gut microbiota and its role in human health and body weight; psychological factors and metabolic outcomes in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes; correlates of body mass index and the role of brain-gut miscommunication in irritable bowel syndrome; parents and childhood functional abdominal pain and the conjoint role of dieting and health complaints of adolescents. We would like to express our thanks to all the authors for their contributions to this issue of Psychological Topics. Last but not the least, special thanks go to the Editor-in Chief, the Editorial Board and the academic reviewers. Mladenka Tkalčić and Alessandra Pokrajac-Bulian

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between beliefs about the causes of illness, glycaemic control, and affective status of overweight and obese women and men with type 2 diabetes. The clinical sample included 88 patients (46 males), aged from 31 to 79 years. Patients were examined in the Outpatient Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases in the Clinical Medical Centre Rijeka. Psychological measurements included the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Patients' body weight, height and glycaemic control (HbA1c) were also obtained.The results show that body mass index (BMI) is not significantly correlated with the level of HbA1c, nor with measured psychological variables (psychological attributions of illness, anxiety and depressive symptoms). A stronger belief that illness was caused by psychological factors is correlated with more symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients. There was a significant main effect of patients' sex on psychological attributions and anxiety symptoms. Women reported stronger beliefs that psychological factors might have been the cause of their illness and showed higher levels of anxiety symptoms than men. There was no significant main effect of glycaemic control on measured psychological variables. The results suggest that in working with T2DM patients it is important to pay attention to psychological aspects of illness, taking into account the patient's sex. Inquiring about diabetes causation beliefs and emotional status may be a way of recognizing possible barriers towards providing care.

Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je evaluacija programa prevencije poremećaja ishrane (Dalle Grave & De Luca, 1999) na prigodnom uzorku adolescentkinja u Srbiji. Ovaj program ima za cilj povećanje znanja o poremećajima ishrane, kao i redukciju ponašanja i navika povezanih sa poremećajima ishrane. U istraživanju su učestvovale 84 učenice, od čega je 57 učenica pohađalo program, a 37 učenica su činile kontrolnu grupu. Prosečna starost ispitanica u uzorku bila je 14.92 godina, a prosečan Indeks telesne težine (BMI) iznosio je 20.02. Primenjeni program prevencije trajao je ukupno šest nedelja i obuhvatio je šest susreta u trajanju od 90 minuta. Baterija upitnika samoprocene je zadavana grupi koja je učestvovala u programu i kontrolnoj grupi pre implementacije programa, kao i šest meseci nakon njegovog sprovođenja. Primenjeni su sledeći instrumenti: Upitnik za procenu ponašanja i navika povezanih sa poremećajima ishrane za adolescente (ChEAT), Upitnik procene samopoštovanja (SES), Upitnik za procenu učestalosti sprovođenja dijeta kod adolescenata (ADS), kao i Test znanja o poremećajima ishrane, konstruisan za potrebe ovog istraživanja. Analiza podataka upućuje na značajan efekat grupe, kao i efekat interakcije vremena i grupe u ispitivanom nivou znanja. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da su šest meseci nakon sprovođenja programa ispitanice koje su učestvovale u programu pokazale značajno viši nivo znanja o poremećajima ishrane i njihovim uzrocima u odnosu na ispitanice iz kontrolne grupe. Nisu dobijene značajne razlike između grupa na bihejvioralnom planu. Autori zaključuju da program namenjen prevenciji poremećaja ishrane u školi može biti veoma koristan, jer se pokazao kao uspešan u povećanju nivoa znanja učesnika o rizicima za pojavu poremećaja ishrane.

Percepcija bolesti izravno utječe na ponašanja, strategije suočavanja i emocionalne odgovore na bolest, kao i na tijek tjelesnog i psihičkog oporavka nakon što se bolest već pojavila. Cilj je provedenog istraživanja bio provjeriti konstruktnu i kriterijsku valjanost Ljestvice atribucije uzroka bolesti, koja ispituje kojim sve čimbenicima osobe atribuiraju uzroke svoje bolesti. Eksploratornom faktorskom analizom, provedenom na rezultatima osoba oboljelih od šećerne bolesti tipa 2 (N = 88), izdvajaju se tri moguće skupine čimbenika kojima osobe pripisuju nastanak svoje bolesti. Taj je model, uz originalu strukturu koju predlažu autori, zatim testiran konfirmatornom faktorskom analizom, na uzorku osoba oboljelih od kardiovaskularnih bolesti (N = 177). Model s tri povezana faktora i manjim brojem čestica imao je najbolje indekse pristajanja, u usporedbi s preostalim modelima. Također, ti su faktori bili u značajnoj umjerenoj korelaciji s mjerama anksioznosti i depresivnosti, što govori u prilog kriterijske valjanosti ljestvice. Iako se prema originalnoj strukturi upitnika (IPQ-R) razlikuju četiri moguće skupine uzroka bolesti, naši rezultati pokazuju da je na hrvatskom uzorku primjerenija tro-faktorska struktura. Mogući uzroci bolesti tako se grupiraju u psihološke čimbenike, nekontrolabilne čimbenike te opće čimbenike rizika. Dobivene podljestvice imaju zadovoljavajuće statističke pokazatelje, uz nešto nižu pouzdanost tipa unutarnje konzistencije.

We assessed 87 overweight and obese patients with cardiovascular disease in order to explore the weight change over time, and related psychological, behavioural and environmental variables. After hospitalisation, all patients received recommendations for decreased calorie intake combined with physical activity. All of them were contacted for a follow-up after 6 to 23 months in person (N = 43) or in a telephone interview (N = 44). Results show that patients who attended the follow-up in person increased their weight significantly less and maintained their body weight more successfully in comparison with the group of patients contacted over telephone. In the present study, the most desirable techniques for weight reduction seem to be the low calorie diet and exercise. However, the level of attendance at received recommendations for dieting and exercise was not satisfactory. Patients reported different reasons that interfered with their weight loss attempt, such as problems at work or financial problems. We have discussed the necessity of continued contact and support for patients in the period of loss and maintenance of weight loss, considering their psychological, behavioural and environmental problems, and particularities.

This study examined the role of internalization and comparison as mediators of relationships between socio-cultural pressures to be thin, psychological factors, restrictive and bulimic behaviours in college females. Participants were 262 Croatian college females (mean age = 21.22 ± 1.47 years) who completed self-report questionnaires. Regression analysis was used to test a model in which internalization and social comparison mediated the impact of socio-cultural pressure (parents and peers dieting, teasing, pressure to be thin, media influences), self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and perfectionism in restrictive and bulimic behaviours. Internalization is a significant mediator of the relationships between all predictors included in this research and disturbed eating habits. Social comparison is relevant as a mediator between social influence, negative affect, self-esteem, perfectionism and restrictive behaviour but does not mediate bulimic behaviour. These findings could be seful in understanding processes that may predispose young women to develop eating dysfunctions and indicate the need for prevention programs that incorporate formative influences and processes such as internalization of societal norms and comparison in the construction of therapeutic strategies.