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Introduction: Schizophrenia is a major health-care problem, but despite the importance of this issue, there were no validated tools for negative symptoms evaluation in Lithuania. Dolfus et al created a self-rated negative symptom scale (SNS) in concordance with the NIMH-MATRICS consensus statement on negative symptoms showing great psychometric properties. Therefore, we decided to validate this scale in Lithuania. Objectives: To validate the SNS in Lithuania and to evaluate the severity of negative symptoms of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in Kaunas Clinics. Methods: We performed a double translation of SNS from French to Lithuanian then distributed the SNS, brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS), mini international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI) to stable, non-psychotic patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD 10 in in-patient and out-patient settings. We measured internal consistency, convergent validity and discriminant validity comparing the results from SNS scale with negative and positive symptom scores from BPRS. We also performed principal component analysis, the factor retained had an eigenvalue >0,8. Results: We evaluated 51 patients. Cronbach's coefficient (a = 0,8) showed good internal consistency. Factor analysis extracted one factor that accounted for 55,3 % of the variance. SNS score significantly correlated with negative subscores of BPRS (r = 0,87, p <0,001) and did not correlate with positive symptom subscores showing good convergent and discriminant validity. Mean score of SNS was 19,3 (SD = 9,2) with 54,8 % of patients scoring more than 20. Conclusions: SNS is a valuable tool for negative symptoms evaluation showing great psychometric properties. Most of the evaluated patients had severe negative symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by various symptom groups that tremendously affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to specify whether negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia correlate and can predict HRQoL. (2) Methods: Patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia were invited to participate in the study. Participants were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and were asked to fill out the Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms scale (SNS) and the Medical Outcomes Short Form Survey (SF-36). Pearson's and Spearman's correlations were used to calculate the correlations between cognitive deficits and negative symptoms. We performed the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for the variables correlated with SF-36 scores. (3) Results: HRQoL correlated significantly with the negative symptoms; however, it did not correlate with cognitive deficits. ROC analysis showed that the abulia subscore of the SNS showed the most significant predictive potential of HRQoL. (4) Conclusions: Negative symptoms correlate more significantly with the HRQoL than cognitive symptoms. The SNS offers the possibility of predicting the HRQoL of patients with schizophrenia and is useful as a screening tool in clinical practice.

(1) Background: the relationship between the psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is understudied. Moreover, health science students are the future leaders and advocates of vaccination efforts. Therefore, it is essential to understand the origins of vaccine hesitancy and evaluate if the adverse psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic influence it. (2) Methods: we shared an anonymous questionnaire among health-science students via institutional emails of two Lithuanian universities. Results were summarized with odds ratios and mean differences. (3) Results: a total of 1545 health sciences students answered the questionnaire. Almost a fifth of the respondents claimed that they were unsure about getting vaccinated, and nearly one out of ten claimed that they would not get vaccinated. Medicine students, non-infected students, and students who volunteered in a COVID-19 ward were significantly more willing to get vaccinated compared to other health science students. Vaccine hesitant respondents reported a more significant negative effect of COVID-19 on their income and belief in the future. (4) Conclusions: the results of this study showed that negative psychosocial impact on income and 'belief in future' were positively associated with vaccine hesitancy. Having been diagnosed with COVID-19 was significantly associated with being doubtful towards vaccination.

Purpose: To validate the Lithuanian version of the Self-Evaluation Negative Symptoms Scale (Lith-SNS)., Materials and Methods: A double translation from French to Lithuanian and back was performed. We included patients from in-patient and out-patient settings that had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria and were screened as free from acute psychotic symptoms using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Participants were evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BRPS) and completed the Lith-SNS scale. We measured internal consistency, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of Lith - SNS comparing its scores with BPRS negative and positive symptom subscores., Results: A total of 67 participants were evaluated. Cronbach's alpha (α) for all 20 items of Lith-SNS (α = 0.82), and for the five subscores (α = 0.76) showed good internal consistency. Factor analysis showed a 2-factor solution which accounted for 70.12% of the variance with the first factor accounting for 53.3% and the second factor accounting for 16.8% of the variance. Lith-SNS total scores and all five subscores significantly correlated with BPRS negative symptoms subscores showing good convergent validity. There was a correlation between the Positive subscore of BPRS and the alogia subscore of Lith-SNS ( r  = 0.39, p  = 0.001), but no correlations with other subscores or the total Lith-SNS score showing adequate discriminant validity., Conclusions: Lithuanian version of SNS is a valuable tool to evaluate negative symptoms of schizophrenia with good internal consistency, convergent, and discriminant validity.

Vaccination is one of the most useful preventive interventions in healthcare. The purpose of our study was to gain overview of the opinions, knowledge, and engagement in vaccination practices among medical students (MS) and junior doctors (JD) in Europe. The survey was distributed from March 2016 until August 2016 via the e-mail and social media of the European Medical Students' Association. In total, 1821 responses from MS and JD from 34 countries in the European region were analysed. The majority of respondents agreed that vaccines are useful (98.7%) and effective (97.2%). Although the necessity of revaccination was supported by 99.2%, only 68.0% of the respondents went through with it. Even though the potential benefit of the flu vaccination seems to be acknowledged by our participants, only 22.1% of MS and JD declared getting the flu shot every or every other season. MS and JD were in favour of specific mandatory vaccination for medical staff (86.0%) and medical students (82.7%). Furthermore, we analysed the self-reported vaccination coverage of our participants regarding 19 vaccines. Of the respondents, 89.5% claimed to provide advice about vaccination to their friends and family. In conclusion, European MS and JD have a very positive attitude towards vaccination. However, their behaviour and knowledge demonstrate certain gaps which should be further addressed in medical education.