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Introduction Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by periods of exacerbation (physical limitations, depressed mood, depressive states and decreased life satisfaction) and remission (hope of health improvement). Our objective was to present social functioning of RA patients taking into consideration their age and employing selected determinants: satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness. Material and methods Standardized tools were employed: the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Generalized Self Efficacy Scale and Acceptance of Illness Scale. The study group included 46 patients with RA 18-45 years of life and 54 above 60 years of life. The control group consisted of 24 non-RA subjects in every group . Results Rheumatoid arthritis patients in the period of disease exacerbation reported low and moderate levels of satisfaction with life, in the patients in remission period the score was moderate, while the control group subjects described their level of satisfaction with life as high and moderate. The level of acceptance of illness was described by the RA patients in the period of disease exacerbation as 20.4/40 points; the patients in remission defined their level of acceptance of illness as 29.38/40 points. The patients with RA exacerbation showed a low sense of self-efficacy, yet a large group of such patients also presented high self-efficacy levels and the majority of the RA subjects in remission reported a high sense of self-efficacy. Conclusions In the RA patients, satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness were closely related and affected their general psychosocial functioning.

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by periods of exacerbation (physical limitations, depressed mood, depressive states and decreased life satisfaction) and remission (hope of health improvement). Our objective was to present social functioning of RA patients taking into consideration their age and employing selected determinants: satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness. Material and methods: Standardized tools were employed: the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Generalized Self Efficacy Scale and Acceptance of Illness Scale. The study group included 46 RA patients aged 18-45 years and 54 RA patients aged over 60 years. The control group consisted of 24 non-RA subjects in every group. Results: Rheumatoid arthritis patients in the period of disease exacerbation reported low and moderate levels of satisfaction with life, in the patients in remission period the score was moderate, while the control group subjects described their level of satisfaction with life as high and moderate. The level of acceptance of illness was described by the RA patients in the period of disease exacerbation as 20.4/40 points; the patients in remission defined their level of acceptance of illness as 29.38/40 points. The patients with RA exacerbation showed a low sense of self-efficacy, yet a large group of such patients also presented high self-efficacy levels and the majority of the RA subjects in remission reported a high sense of self-efficacy. Conclusions: In the RA patients, satisfaction with life, generalized sense of self-efficacy and acceptance of illness were closely related and affected their general psychosocial functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Acceptance of illness greatly affects the quality of life of psoriatic patients. Assessment of patients' need for education and support is very important for patients' counselling and follow-up. Aim: To evaluate acceptance of illness and need for education to support dermatology self-care in Arabic patients with psoriasis. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study using a survey was conducted. The survey collected patients' demographics, disease characteristics, Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and Person-Centered Dermatology Self-Care Index (PeDeSI). Outcome measures were presented in total and in relation to age, gender, disease duration, disease severity, quality of life and level of education. The correlation between AIS and PeDeSI was examined using Spearman's rank correlation test. Results: In total, 209 psoriatic patients from 12 Arabic countries participated in the survey with mean ± SD age of 35.8 ±10.0 years. The median (IQR) AIS score was 28 (19-35). The median (IQR) of the PeDeSI score was 15 (11-22). Both AIS and PeDeSI did not differ in relation to age, gender, disease duration, and level of education. However, patients with a higher impairment in quality of life reported lower levels of illness acceptance (p = 0.001) and a higher need for education and support (p = 0.004). AIS and PeDeSI were moderately correlated (rho = 0.33, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Arabic psoriatic patients showed moderate acceptance of illness and required some education to support dermatology self-care. Greater clinical attention with focus on patient education and counselling should be given to Arabic patients with psoriasis especially those with more impaired quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Type D personality is analyzed more and more frequently in the context of various chronic illnesses, including bowel diseases. Acceptance of illness is affected by many factors that facilitate adaptation to the difficulties and limitations and support the healing process. One of those factors may be self-esteem. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE One hundred fifty-nine individuals, aged 18 to 65, participated in the study. 67% (n = 107) stated that they have ulcerative colitis (UC), and the remaining 33% (n = 52) reported suffering from Crohn's disease (CD). The following measurement tools were used: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), and Personality Type D Scale (D14). RESULTS The conducted analyses revealed significant correlations between all studied elements. Self-esteem was proven to be a full mediator in relations between one of the dimensions of type D personality, negative affectivity, as well as between both dimensions of type D personality (negative affectivity and social inhibition) and acceptance of illness in individuals with bowel diseases. However, mediation analysis did not confirm that self-esteem is a mediator between social inhibition and acceptance of illness. CONCLUSIONS The results show that self-esteem is, for an individual, an essential resource in coping with an illness and adjusting to it. Therefore, providing patient support in the scope of reinforcing self-esteem may prove to be one of the key elements affecting illness acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding spirituality and its dimensions in patients having in-home hospice care, and determining the relationship between spirituality and the level of acceptance of a disease. Material and methods: The research material was collected using a diagnostic survey method among 106 patients covered by home hospice care by the Private Health Care Centre in Radom. The survey questionnaire consisted of two standardised tools: Spiritual Attitudes and Commitment - SAIL and Scale for Acceptance of Disease - AIS, and metrics. Results: In the studied population, the highest average spirituality score was obtained in the Connectedness with nature subscale (M = 5.12; SD = 0.6), while the lowest-rated dimension of spirituality was Transcendent experiences (M = 3.72; SD = 1.03). The level of disease acceptance in the studied group of patients under home hospice care should be defined as an average (M = 25.42; SD = 6.43). Analysis concerning the correlation of individual subscales of spiritual attitudes and involvement showed significant positive correlation of all six subscales with the level of disease acceptance (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: In the studied group of patients, the highest-rated dimension of spirituality was Connectedness with nature, then Trust and Spiritual activity. The following dimensions were slightly lower: Significance/value of life, Resourcefulness, and Transcendental experiences. The examined variables that significantly differentiated the assessment in individual dimensions of spirituality were age, place of residence, education, marital status, the number of people living with the patient in a shared household, the time of taking home hospice care, and attitude towards faith. In conclusion, when the assessment of each of the six dimensions of spirituality increases, the level of acceptance of the disease also rises amongst the researched patients under home hospice care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases are a major cause of health and social problems worldwide. Poor acceptance of illness is considered a prognostic factor for worse satisfaction with life. Aim of the research: To determine the influence of selected factors on the degree of disease acceptance and the level of life satisfaction in patients treated in cardiac wards, as well as to assess whether the level of disease acceptance affects the feeling of life satisfaction and vice versa. Material and methods: The study was conducted in a group of 104 patients hospitalised in cardiac units. To evaluate the acceptance of illness and satisfaction with life the standardised Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used. Results: The mean value of overall illness acceptance was 22.88 ±2.86, which indicated an average level of illness acceptance among the patients. Average satisfaction with life was reported by as many as 50.96% (n = 53) of the patients. The level of acceptance of illness depended on age (p < 0.001), marital status (p = 0.002), living with family (p = 0.001), educational background (p = 0.021), and frequency of hospital treatment (p = 0.04). The variables marital status (p < 0.001) and living with family (p < 0.001) had a statistically significant effect on the degree of satisfaction with life. The acceptance of illness was significantly positively correlated with SWLS (p < 0.001). Patients declared an average degree of acceptance of illness and satisfaction with life. Conclusions: The relationship between acceptance of illness and satisfaction with life should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To assess the strength of religious faith, its determinants, and its impact on the level of disease acceptance in a group of patients under home hospice care. Material and methods: The study was conducted in a group of patients covered by home hospice care as part of the Private Health Care Center (NZOZ) in Radom. Patients completed questionnaires through December 2019 and January 2020. The method of diagnostic survey was used in the study, and the research tool was a questionnaire, which included: Disease Acceptance Scale and Religious Faith Questionnaire. Results: Patients under home hospice care are characterized by high strength of religious faith, while acceptance of the disease is at an average level. A higher strength of religious faith had respondents who lived with more than one family member and declared themselves as deeply religious and believers. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between a higher level of religious faith and a higher level of disease acceptance (r = 0.446; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The strength of religious faith in the group of patients studied is at a high level, and the level of acceptance of the disease felt by the patients is at a medium level. Determinants of the level of religious faith strength are the number of people living together with the patient and the attitude towards faith declared by the patient. With the increase in the level of religious faith, the level of acceptance of the disease in patients under home hospice care increases also raises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The aim was to investigate the degree of acceptance of the disease and the selected conditions of acceptance among patients under home hospice care. Material and methods: The study was conducted in a group of patients covered by home hospice care by the Private Health Care Center (NZOZ) in Radom in the period from December 2019 to January 2020. The study involved 106 people. The research used the diagnostic survey method, and the research tool was an original questionnaire combined with the Disease Acceptance Scale. Results: The respondents obtained an average level of disease acceptance of 25.42 points. Age, education, marital status, the number of people living together with the patient in a shared household, the time of taking home hospice care, and the declared attitude to faith significantly differentiate the level of acceptance of the disease in the studied group (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The respondents show an average level of disease acceptance. A significantly higher level of disease acceptance was observed in older respondents with secondary and higher education, married, living with a more significant number of people in one household, covered by 6 to 7 months of home hospice care, and describing themselves as believers and deeply believing. Gender and place of residence did not significantly differentiate the study group in the level of disease acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with advanced cancer may have adaptive disorders that respond to an inconvenient situation in many dimensions of life. Defensive mechanisms of the personality allow them to reduce the intensity of unpleasant emotions without changing the situation that causes them. Through this, they can help to cope with stress and tension caused by the crisis situation. When applied excessively or inadequately to the situation, they may hinder the functioning of the oncological patient both by the inability to assess their own condition, the lack of communication with the treating physician, and indecision in the choice of an effective treatment method. This paper presents a case of a patient with advanced ovarian cancer, in whom the perpetuation of the defence mechanisms of the personality had an adverse impact on the course of the disease, which was a radical denial regarding the diagnosis and consequences of the disease and, therefore, discontinuation of the proposed treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We aimed to investigate the relationships between selected psychological features of patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF) and their attitude towards knowledge of the disease. Participants and procedure This prospective study among 75 patients with stable systolic HF consisted of 2 parts: a quantitative approach, conducted during the hospitalization (based on 4 psychological questionnaires: the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale; the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations; the Acceptance of Illness Scale; and the Patient’s Request Form) and a qualitative approach (phone interviews performed later). Results Fifty-nine percent of patients declared the need for possessing knowledge about their disease. Psychological questionnaires did not allow us to characterize groups of patients with extremely different attitudes towards knowledge about the disease. Patients who did not want to look for any information, although they admitted that their knowledge was poor, were characterized by the conviction that nobody has an influence on their health status. Patients who were likely to read drug labels were characterized by the active style of coping. Conclusions The attitude towards knowledge about the disease is diverse among patients with systolic HF, and it is not easy to explain these differences using their psychological features assessed in the present study. Further studies focused on assessing the patient’s willingness to acquire knowledge about HF, using more accurate measures, are needed, especially for healthcare professionals, who still look for an improvement in understanding the needs of their patients.

Background . Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Pain perception is influenced by biological, psychological and sociological factors. Objectives. Analysis of occurrence of pain in the context of bio-psycho-social condition of individuals who are over 60 years of age. Material and methods . The study included 296 inhabitants of Szczecin over the age of 60. AIS, SWLS , Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress Mini-COPE, VAS scale to assess the intensity of pain and an authorial questionnaire were used. Results . 60.14% of respondents experienced pain within one week prior to filling out the questionnaire. Low intensity pain occurred in 34.81% respondents, moderate was experienced by 28.65%, and severe – 36.52%. Among the respondents with high acceptance of disease the lowest percentage of individuals experiencing pain within one week prior to the questionnaire was noted. Among the individuals who did not experience pain a higher level of life satisfaction was noted in comparison to individuals who experienced any pain (0.00%; χ 2 = 9.17; p = 0.010). Pain significantly contributed to respondents employing the strategy of turning to religion (69.3%; χ 2 = 9.28; p = 0.002). Pain was experienced more often by patients who suffered from more than one disease (76.1%; χ 2 = 16.53; p = 0.001). Individuals experiencing pain were not physically active (44.9%; χ 2 = 11.88; p = 0.037). Conclusions . Over a half of participants of the study experienced pain. Lack of pain was characteristic of people who had a high level of satisfaction with life and acceptance of the disease. Urgent diagnosis and pain management is of utmost importance in elderly patient care.

Background Young’s early maladaptive schemas are defined as convictions about oneself acquired in childhood, formed by a child in response to deprivation of his or her basic needs, especially in the area of relationships. In the case of anorexia, the role of the family and relations is emphasized as crucial for the genesis of this disorder. The aim of the research was to investigate whether Young’s early maladaptive schemas change during the therapy, which would prognosticate higher treatment efficiency. Participants and procedure The study group included 30 women suffering from anorexia, starting their 6-week therapeutic program. The procedure included double measurement: during the administration and discharge. The respondents filled in the Young Schema Questionnaire in its short form (YSQ-S3) (twice), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) adapted by Juczyński (twice), and a demographic chart (once). Results The intensity of all schemas decreased after completion of the therapeutic program; the differences were mostly statistically significant. The composition of the most intense schemas did not change significantly: unrelenting standards and abandonment were the highest during both measurements. What changed were the interrelations between the schemas. They are also connected with the acceptance of the illness (the weaker they are, the greater the acceptance, and the stronger the relations) and with psychological well-being, especially during the post-therapy measurement. Conclusions The schemas seem to be significant from the perspective of understanding anorexia. They are susceptible to be changed by integrative therapies. Nevertheless, it seems that in order to achieve a durable change, schema therapy should be applied.

Introduction: Socio-demographic forecasts indicate a stable increase in the population of elderly people, which gives rise to the need to examine the relationship between the acceptance of chronic illness and socio-demographic variables not only in terms of subjective negative emotions but also because of possible social consequences. The acceptance of a chronic disease is determined by factors related to its character including its severity and the discomfort it brings about but also by factors connected with the patient that is socio-demographic determinants. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between socio-demographic variables and the acceptance of a chronic disease of locomotive organs. Material and methods: The study was conducted in the group of 150 patients diagnosed with a systemic connective tissue disease during its stable phase. A socio-demographic questionnaire as well as a standardised Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) adapted by Juszczyñski were applied in the study. The study was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results: In the group of 150 patients suffering from a systemic connective tissue disease the percentage of women was higher than the percentage of men (60.7% vs. 39.3%). The indicator of the acceptance of illness in the group examined reached 24.5 ±7.5. The strongest correlation was found between the acceptance level and married probants (eta = 0.26; p = 0.01), high education (eta = 0.24; p = 0.04) and working activity (eta = 0.20; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Socio-demographic factors which determine the level of illness acceptance include age, marital status, education and the source of income. The acceptance of illness in the examined group of patients with systemic connective tissue diseases reached 24.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Human functioning is based on physical, psychological, social and spiritual areas. The emergence of cancer and all types of problems affect these areas. Adapting to cancer is very important for the process of therapy, and acceptance of the disease is its determinant. Aim of the research study : To determine the relationship between oncological patients physical fitness and their acceptance of the disease. Material and methods: The following research techniques and tools have been used: a questionnaire survey, the Repta operation scale for assessing the functionality of patients in the course of the disease, a modified Pain Assessment Worksheet for evaluating the intensity of pain and its impact on daily activities and the AIS scale to assess the degree of acceptance of the disease. Results: Most of the respondents were fully efficient in the field of the activities of daily living. The vast majority of respondents did not feel pain, or felt pain that could be taken lightly. Pain that made daily functioning difficult, particularly in mobility and locomotion, concerned only persons over 60 years old. In the study group there was dominantly an average degree of acceptance of the disease; a small group was marked by a high level, and only a few people showed a lack of acceptance of the disease. Independent people and people in need of assistance accepted the illness at a medium level, and vulnerable patients showed the lowest level of acceptance. Conclusions : The efficiency of patients with cancer affects the level of acceptance of the disease. Cancer for the majority of respondents is not an obstacle in performing basic activities. Most respondents accept the disease, a small part selects a high level, and only a few people show a lack of acceptance of the disease.

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the second most common type of carcinoma in men. The rate of prostate cancer has increased approximately fivefold lover the last 30 years. The purpose of the study was to evaluate coping strategies, pain management, illness acceptance, and adjustment to cancer in patients diagnosed with prostate carcinoma and the effect of socioeconomic variables on the above-mentioned issues.Material and methods: The study included 228 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer. The questionnaire interview consisted of demographic questions and four psychometric tests: BPCQ, measuring the influence of factors affecting pain management, CSQ, designed to evaluate pain coping strategies, the AIS questionnaire, measuring disease acceptance, and the Mini-Mac.Results: Pain locus of control scores in prostate cancer patients are distributed evenly across all three BPCQ subscales. The top mean score was observed in the area of beliefs that powerful others (doctors) control pain. Increased behavioral activity was the most frequently selected coping strategy (mean score = 18.27). The average level of disease acceptance in study patients was 30.39, with a standard deviation of 8.07. The results were differentiated by education (p = 0.08) and income (p = 0.012). The most frequently indicated coping strategies were fighting spirit (mean score = 22.46) and positive re-evaluation (mean score = 22.04).Conclusions: The main belief about pain control in prostate cancer patients is that powerful others (doctors) control pain. The study patients cope with disease constructively. The main socioeconomic variables which differentiate the scores obtained across all tests are income and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women. Despite the advances in diagnostics and treatment, the breast is not always salvageable. Apart from physical consequences, mastectomy is linked with various psychosocial consequences and leads to the need of adaptation to the new situation. Most studies in Poland are quantitative and most frequently concern selected areas of a woman's functioning. Aim of the study: The aim of the presented study was to learn about and analyse experiencing cancer based on women's accounts following mastectomy. Material and methods: Five semi-structural interviews were conducted. The main questions focused on communication, coping with information on the diagnosis and treatment options, body acceptance and life after illness. Seven main motives were distinguished. Results and conclusions: The study showed that women have been increasingly aware of the role of prevention, but some solutions in the health care system or the lack of proper training of medical personnel extend time before proper treatment is administrated. Thanks to the information about breast cancer in the media, women can talk about their illness more openly. However, in some communities breast cancer is still a taboo subject. For some being actively involved in the activities of "Amazons" Association is a difficult experience causing negative emotions, while for others it is a source of self-realization. The results indicate that mastectomy and fight with cancer change women's overall experiences. The way how women react to their illness and how well they cope with it depends on many factors. It seems that the role of them should be further examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to assess the correlations between the acceptance of the illness and coping strategies and social support. Material and methods: We studied 63 oncologic patients. In the study the following methods were used: Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS), Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC) and Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS). Results and conclusions: The results of the study indicated positive correlations between using active (constructive) coping with stress style and the acceptance of the illness level. The Fighting Spirit strategy seemed to play a role here. Similarly, the greater the acceptance of illness, the more social support the patient perceives and receives. In addition, we observed that women were significantly more likely to use an active (constructive) coping style and they reached higher scores on social support dimensions such as perceived available support and support actually received [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND We aimed to investigate the relationships between selected psychological features of patients with chronic systolic heart failure (HF) and their attitude towards knowledge of the disease. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE This prospective study among 75 patients with stable systolic HF consisted of 2 parts: a quantitative approach, conducted during the hospitalization (based on 4 psychological questionnaires: the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale; the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations; the Acceptance of Illness Scale; and the Patient's Request Form) and a qualitative approach (phone interviews performed later). RESULTS Fifty-nine percent of patients declared the need for possessing knowledge about their disease. Psychological questionnaires did not allow us to characterize groups of patients with extremely different attitudes towards knowledge about the disease. Patients who did not want to look for any information, although they admitted that their knowledge was poor, were characterized by the conviction that nobody has an influence on their health status. Patients who were likely to read drug labels were characterized by the active style of coping. CONCLUSIONS The attitude towards knowledge about the disease is diverse among patients with systolic HF, and it is not easy to explain these differences using their psychological features assessed in the present study. Further studies focused on assessing the patient's willingness to acquire knowledge about HF, using more accurate measures, are needed, especially for healthcare professionals, who still look for an improvement in understanding the needs of their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience. Pain perception is influenced by biological, psychological and sociological factors. Objectives. Analysis of occurrence of pain in the context of bio-psycho-social condition of individuals who are over 60 years of age. Material and methods. The study included 296 inhabitants of szczecin over the age of 60. AIS, SWIS, Inventory to Measure coping strategies with stress Mini-COPE, Vas scale to assess the intensity of pain and an authorial questionnaire were used. Results. 60.14% of respondents experienced pain within one week prior to filling out the questionnaire. Low intensity pain occurred in 34.81% respondents, moderate was experienced by 28.65%, and severe - 36.52%. Among the respondents with high acceptance of disease the lowest percentage of individuals experiencing pain within one week prior to the questionnaire was noted. Among the individuals who did not experience pain a higher level of life satisfaction was noted in comparison to individuals who experienced any pain (0.00%; א² = 9.1 7; p = 0.010). Pain significantly contributed to respondents employing the strategy of turning to religion (69.3%; א² = 9.28; p = 0.002). Pain was experienced more often by patients who suffered from more than one disease (76.1 %; א² = 16.53; p = 0.001). Individuals experiencing pain were not physically active (44.9%; א² = 11.88; p = 0.037). Conclusions. Over a half of participants of the study experienced pain. Lack of pain was characteristic of people who had a high level of satisfaction with life and acceptance of the disease. Urgent diagnosis and pain management is of utmost importance in elderly patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Every year more than 15,000 newly diagnosed cases of colorectal carcinoma are recorded in Poland. Aim: The objective of the study was an assessment of coping strategies and pain management, acceptance of illness, and adjustment to cancer in patients diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma. The analysis was extended to include the effect of socioeconomic variables on the above-mentioned issues. Material and methods: The study included 238 colorectal cancer patients treated on an outpatient basis at the Centre of Oncology, the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute in Warsaw in the year 2013. The questionnaire interview comprised demographic questions (socioeconomic variables) and the following four psychometric tests: BPCQ (Beliefs about Pain Control Questionnaire), CSQ (Coping Strategies Questionnaire), AIS questionnaire (Acceptance of Illness Scale), and the Mini-Mac scale (Mental Adjustment to Cancer). Results: The source of pain control depends on the respondent's level of education. An increase in patient income was associated with a lower mean result in the "power of doctors" subscale. The coping self-statements and increased behavioural activity are the two most frequently selected strategies of coping with pain. The most commonly followed ways of mental adjustment to cancer in the study group were a fighting spirit (23.42) and positive re-evaluation (22.31). Conclusions: Colorectal cancer patients believe that the greatest role in pain management is played by internal factors. The locus of pain control depends on the level of education. The study patients feature a constructive way of struggling with disease differentiated by the place of residence, professional status, and income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Young's early maladaptive schemas are defined as convictions about oneself acquired in childhood, formed by a child in response to deprivation of his or her basic needs, especially in the area of relationships. In the case of anorexia, the role of the family and relations is emphasized as crucial for the genesis of this disorder. The aim of the research was to investigate whether Young's early maladaptive schemas change during the therapy, which would prognosticate higher treatment efficiency. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE The study group included 30 women suffering from anorexia, starting their 6-week therapeutic program. The procedure included double measurement: during the administration and discharge. The respondents filled in the Young Schema Questionnaire in its short form (YSQ-S3) (twice), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) adapted by Juczynski (twice), and a demographic chart (once). RESULTS The intensity of all schemas decreased after completion of the therapeutic program; the differences were mostly statistically significant. The composition of the most intense schemas did not change significantly: unrelenting standards and abandonment were the highest during both measurements. What changed were the interrelations between the schemas. They are also connected with the acceptance of the illness (the weaker they are, the greater the acceptance, and the stronger the relations) and with psychological well-being, especially during the post-therapy measurement. CONCLUSIONS The schemas seem to be significant from the perspective of understanding anorexia. They are susceptible to be changed by integrative therapies. Nevertheless, it seems that in order to achieve a durable change, schema therapy should be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Studies confirm the relationship of coping strategies with various aspects of human functioning. It is a factor in protecting the mental and physical health of people, helping them adapt to new conditions and, consequently, contributes to more adaptive functioning, even in illness. Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease, may have a negative impact on the patient's mental state and his social functioning, leading to a reduction in quality of life. Objective. To determine the relationship between strategies of coping with stress and acceptance of illness among people with psoriasis. Material and methods. The study group consisted of 87 persons with psoriasis (45 women and 42 men) with a mean age of 41 years. The stuinterperdy employed the Mini-Cope questionnaire of Carvera and colleagues, The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) by Felton, Revenson and Hinrichsen, a personal questionnaire and the PASI scale to measure psoriasis intensity. Results. Patients with psoriasis most frequently use active coping strategies and are least likely to use psychoactive substances - one of the avoidance strategies. Gender differentiated coping strategies, while age and skin condition measured by PASI did not differentiate strategies of coping with stress and acceptance of illness. Statistical analysis showed a significant negative relationship between cessation of action, self-blame and acceptance of illness among people with psoriasis. Illness duration was negatively correlated with denial and was a predictor of acceptance of illness. Conclusions. The role of coping strategies proved not significant for acceptance of illness. It is necessary to pay attention to other variables, in particular illness duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Studies confirm the relationship of emotional intelligence with various aspects of human functioning. It is a factor protecting the mental and physical health of people, helping them to adapt to new conditions and, consequently, contributes to amore adaptive functioning, even in illness. Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease, may have a negative impact on the patient's mental state and his social functioning, leading to a reduction in quality of life. Objective. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between emotional intelligence and acceptance of illness by people with psoriasis Material and methods. The study group consisted of 81 persons with psoriasis (41 women and 40 men) with a mean age of 41 years (SD = 14.18). The study employed the Emotional Intelligence questionnaire of Schutte and colleagues (INTE), the Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) by Felton, Revenson and Hinrichsen, a personal questionnaire and a scale to measure psoriasis intensity. Results. There was no statistically significant relationship between global emotional intelligence and acceptance of the disease in the studied group of patients with psoriasis. However, the use of emotions in thinking and acting (the first factor) correlated positively with acceptance of the disease. Conclusions. Emotional intelligence as a whole is not a determinant of acceptance of illness in patients with psoriasis. Nevertheless, the first factor (the use of emotions in thinking and acting) explains about 9% of the variability in disease acceptance (β = 0.342) and can be regarded as its indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]