Psychē

Anoreksija nervoza: etiologija, česti komorbidni poremećaji i terapija

2020-07-13T16:18:02+02:00

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that affects mostly young women and has a disturbingly high mortality rate. In addition to daily difficulties with psychological and social functioning, affected persons lose weight drastically, which leads to a disruption of various physiological functions. The article describesthe primary characteristics of the disorder. It refers to one of the primary aspects of anorexia nervosa - a distorted perception of one's body, where the similarities between body images of women with anorexia nervosa and body images of their mothers are pointed out. Later, some clinical entities associated with anorexia nervosa are discussed, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorders. In conclusion, types of therapies most commonly used in the treatment of patients with anorexia nervosa are looked at, specifically the benefits of family therapy.

Dobrobit djece istospolnih roditelja

2020-07-13T16:19:00+02:00

Is the sexual orientation of parents related to the development of their children, and if it is, what is the nature of that relationship? This topic is of great importance regarding recent controversies in the political and cultural scene of both Croatia and the world. The issue of same-sex marriages, as well as of the right of same-sex couples to parenthood, has raised a great amount of research trying to establish the outcomes of children raised by same-sex couples. Twelve field analysis studies, no older than 2004, are reviewed in this article, one of which was conducted in Croatia. Although the number of studies in this field is increasing, the range of available literature remains small and limited, which is discussed throughout this article. Six topics related to the outcomes of children raised by same-sex parents are included in this review: sociodemographic factors, the rates of change in relation to family, psychological well-being, family connections or the parent-child relationship, functioning in school, and romantic relationships. The vast majority of results suggest that children's outcomes are more tightly connected with the quality of the family relationship than with the sexual orientation of the parents.

Dvojezičnost i kognitivno funkcioniranje

2020-07-13T16:20:01+02:00

Bilingualism is the phenomenon of using two languages simultaneously, most commonly developed in early childhood due to cultural or social factors. The positive influence of bilingualism is seen since childhood. During early childhood, the brain is more plastic, i.e. susceptible to change, and it is therefore much easier to learn new languages and differentiate between sounds or phonemic differences between languages, which adults find difficult to learn or can never learn. Young bilingual children show the ability to recognize languages by mouth movements, they have greater attention flexibility, better reaction control and even better memory. There are also distinct differences between bilingual and monolingual people, which include a greater volume of gray matter, of the anterior and posterior corpus callosum, and especially of the basal ganglia. Furthermore, research shows a specific change in cognitive processing in bilingual adults, in which there is less activation of anterior and more activation of posterior brain areas. This change is considered to be the possible cause of better cognitive functioning and later cognitive decline found in bilingual people. In general, results show better connectivity and regulation of brain areas in bilinguals, along with adapting to changes in accordance with task demands. Bilinguals show advantages in various cognitive tasks, especially those regarding executive functions, and they show better results in areas such as attention control, flexibility, memory, task shifting, and error detection.

Kreativnost i mentalno zdravlje

2020-07-13T16:22:12+02:00

Creativity has been associated with certain mental disorders since ancient times. It was believed that there was no genius without a bit of ''madness''. Today we know that ''madness'' refers to mental deficiencies (psychiatric disorders), that is, states characterized by deficits in cognition, behavior and regulation of emotions. The impact of musical creative activity on mental health has always interested scientists, as well as laypeople. Studies examining the potential correlation between these two variables were largely based on biographies of well-known musicians, and such findings cannot be applied to the general population. However, the results obtained from representative samples do exist, suggesting that creative individuals not only show more schizoid traits, but also achieve higher scores on psychoticism scales. Assuming the connection between creativity and poor mental health does exist, it primarily refers to affective disorders, such as bipolar or depressive disorder. On the other hand, there are many studies in which the correlation between these two variables has not been found. Conversely, some studies have suggested a positive impact of amateur musical engagement, such as choir singing, on our well-being. This paper focuses on summarizing the main findings in this area, as well as on the question whether music represents help or a potential threat to our well-being.

Mentalno zdravlje beskućnika

2020-07-13T16:23:31+02:00

About 1.6 billion people face the problem of homelessness daily. Biological, psychosocial, and environmental factors characteristic of life in poverty are clearly linked to the increased risk of developing mental illnesses, although homelessness can also occur as a result of inadequately treated mental illness. Depression and anxiety are the most common contemporary mental health issues, and are also the most prevalent within the homeless population. Substance use disorders, as well as their comorbidity with depression and anxiety, are also common among the homeless. Excessive drug and alcohol consumption is present in two thirds of homeless people, and it acts as the third factor in the interrelation of homelessness and mental health problems. Faced with difficult circumstances, a lot of homeless individuals commit suicide, with the suicide rates ranging between 20% and 40%. Various treatment and intervention programs have focused on solving the problem of mental health issues in the homeless, by developing shelter services, offering housing, and attempting to reintegrate the homeless into society by means of socially cohesive events. It is also important to emphasize prevention programs which focus on analyzing negative social influences in order to detect individuals who are at risk. The negative societal perception of the homeless contributes to increasing the problem of homelessness and mental illness.

Mentalno zdravlje djece razvedenih roditelja

2020-07-13T16:37:52+02:00

Parental separation and divorce significantly impact children's mental health. Children who experience their parents’ divorce face multiple stressors that intensify the risk of developing adjustment problems, as well as internalized and externalized problems. This article describes several stressors associated with divorce, such as inefficient parenthood, interparental conflicts, and family economic problems. Additionally, specific internalized and externalized problems are outlined, such as anxiety, depression, behavioural problems, and poor academic achievement. This article summarizes their development, manifestation, and recommended treatments. It also presents multiple risk and protective factors, and describes their effect on children's mechanisms for coping with parental divorce.

Neuropsihologija depresije

2020-07-13T16:55:15+02:00

Depression, although nowadays frequently mentioned in the media, remains a largely undetected and untreated disorder. There are multiple subtypes of depressive disorders, and this paper aims to describe various depressive disorders according to the DSM-5 manual, and to depict the neural foundation of depression as well as the neurological relationship between depression and dementia. The most common type of depressive disorder is major depressive disorder, which includes symptoms such as depressive mood, weight loss, feeling of uselessness and lack of interest in and motivation for activities. Other depressive disorders, such as premenstrual dysphoric disorder, are less common in prevalence (number of cases), but have more distinct causes and a greater efficacy of treatment. Some of the frequent causes of depression are changes in neurotransmitters, especially reduced norepinephrine and serotonin levels, as well as psychological and social factors such as great losses or life changes. A contemporary model of depression incorporates brain activation, especially lower activation of left frontal area, lower and higher activation of right frontal area and lower activation of right posterior area. The relationship between depression and dementia is apparent in neurological factors, where it has been shown that people with depressive disorders have an increased risk of dementia in older age. To conclude, depression is a complex term which demands a more detailed depiction and research in order to differ its subtypes and find effective treatment.

Nostalgija i mentalno zdravlje

2020-07-13T17:14:50+02:00

Nostalgia is an emotion which was ignored for a long time by researchers in the field of emotions, but has received a lot of recognition in the last decade. Nostalgia is an ambivalent emotion which is mostly positive and related to past events. In this short review paper, different nostalgia benefits are considered: regarding social, individual and existential context. Numerous research papers have shown a correlation between nostalgia and greater self-esteem and positive effect, which is then related to better social functioning and subjective well-being. The purpose of this paper is to offer a synthesis of the newest research regarding the positive effects of nostalgia. However, limitations and contrary findings are also discussed, as well as future implications of nostalgia.

Povezanost alkoholizma i kronične boli

2020-07-13T17:06:31+02:00

The relationship between alcohol consumption and chronic pain is of increasing importance in the area of scientific as well as clinical research. Although it seems that alcohol tends to provide a certain analgesic effect, excessive consumption can lead to many undesired effects. Some of them are increased pain responding - hyperalgesia, hypersensitivity to emotional distress in the context of opioid abuse - hyperkatifeia, and an allostatic load, that is, the state where stabilizing responses becomes dysregulated. As a result of repeated episodes of pain and alcohol intoxication combined with withdrawal, pathological changes to neural structure and function may occur. A possible overlap of neural substrates between pain transmission and alcohol dependence is considered. Lastly, a model postulated by Egli, Kobb, and Edwards (2012) is reviewed as well as possible interactions between these factors and how they might motivate a person experiencing chronic pain to turn again to alcohol for symptom relief. Finally, a direction for future research and how to implement these findings in the clinical treatment of people suffering from chronic pain and alcohol abuse is proposed.

Povezanost organizacijske klime s organizacijskim i psihološkim procesima

2020-07-13T17:28:05+02:00

The arousal of the industry and stiff competition nowadays have put pressure for the growth and development of modern organizations. This is why there is a big interest for the fields that try to find out what exactly influences people in the organizations, or more importantly, what influences their productivity. It is organizational climate that gives a lot of answers on this topic. Organizational climate roughly describes what it feels like to work in the organization, and it has been found to be connected to a lot of important constructs, such as the creativity of the workers, job satisfaction, work efficiency, and work safety. This article explains what organizational climate is, how it is operationalized, how we measure it, what psychological climate is, and how we get organizational climate from psychological climate data. It also provides insight on climate literature, showing how climate affects organizational and individual variables. Finally, it discusses the difference between organizational culture and organizational climate.

Romantiziranje psihičkih poremećaja u medijima

2020-07-13T17:34:19+02:00

In the last few years, there has been a growing effort in raising awareness about mental health problems and knowledge about psychological disorders. By raising awareness, psychological disorders and people suffering from them are more accepted and other people have a better understanding of them. However, one of the negative consequences is the romanticization and glorification of these disorders. There is a growing perception, coming through social media and other channels, that psychological disorders make individuals unique and special, and their sorrows become poetic. Also, the media often misinterpret disorders and their symptoms. This trend of romanticization is not something new and it has been present since the nineteenth century, when there was suicide contagion among young people who read “The Sorrows of Young Werther“. The goal of this paper is to find how depression, anxiety, anorexia nervosa, and suicide are romanticized in the media and what effect they have on individuals. There are many researchers who examined how the media and popular culture influence the development of mental disorders. For example, a correlation was found between how suicide was reported in the media and its incidence, and how beauty standards affect the development of anorexia nervosa.

Saznajte sve o life coachingu u 5 koraka

2020-07-13T17:42:33+02:00

Life coaching has been a prevalent topic in the media in the last few decades regarding well-being and wellness. It is a new intervention which aims at helping to achieve one's goals by strengthening emotional and motivational mechanisms with the help of a mentor – a life coach. Research indicates that coaching interventions have a positive impact on a broad range of variables including health, quality of life and personal and professional growth. We have considered reasons for skepticism towards life coaching among professionals, as well as ethical dilemmas behind it. Lastly, we have concluded that life coaching has the potential of becoming a broadly used intervention, but only after professionalization is achieved.

Što nam o prevenciji suicida mogu reći oproštajna pisma?

2020-07-13T18:07:23+02:00

Psychologists have been researching suicide by various methods for many years with the intention to improve understanding of the reasons behind this act. The most recent research focuses on studying suicide notes that people left before their death. Suicide notes have been studied using many different methods. The most recent method is the theoretical-conceptual analysis, which investigates the most significant suicide theories and tries to identify them among suicide notes. Aside from the main motives behind the act of suicide, this method also tries to identify gender and age differences among people who committed suicide, as well as differences between suicide attempts and completed suicides. The possibility of generalizing the results of these studies is of great importance, as well as practical application with the intention of improving suicide prevention.

Utjecaj društvenih mreža na psihičko zdravlje

2020-07-13T18:26:17+02:00

Social media is a type of Internet service that represents the global revolution in communication between people. Social media like Facebook and Instagram can offer a sense of connection and belonging because of the possibility to communicate with others, to express your own opinion and to publish different photos and other content. It can also encourage unpleasant emotions because of social comparison with other users. Since we can see a significant increase in social media use, it is important to investigate its influence on different aspects of human behaviour. The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of social media on mental health. Therefore, this paper will explore the most researched positive and negative outcomes of social media use. Furthermore, it will discuss the role of various predictors of social media use that are often analysed in this area. In the end, it will provide useful recommendations regarding the prevention of negative consequences of social media use on mental health, and regarding the responsible and safe practice of social media use.

Videoigre u psihoterapiji

2020-07-13T18:36:26+02:00

Video games in this literature review will be divided into serious and commercial video games. Serious video games have been developed to acquire new knowledge and skills, and to change human behaviour, so entertainment is not their primary purpose, but rather an added convenience. On the contrary, commercial video games have been developed exclusively for entertainment purposes and each one of us has encountered them at least once (e.g. Pac-Man, League of Legends). This paper offers a critical review of several research studies in which authors address the effectiveness of serious and commercial video games in psychotherapy, as well as one study about psychotherapists’ attitudes on their use. Serious video games mentioned in this paper are mainly intended for the treatment of various disorders in children and adolescents, and are based on principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, with the exception of the PlayMancer video game used for the treatment of severe gambling disorder in adults, which is based on biofeedback. Taking into consideration the large funds invested into commercial video games and their consequential technological superiority to serious video games, researchers have begun to wonder what benefits these extremely popular games might pertain beyond the framework of leisure. Two qualitative studies of commercial video games in psychotherapy are described, one of which is focused on PTSD treatment, and the other on general support for child psychotherapy, stemming from the experience of a child psychodynamic therapist.

Rodna pristranost studenata pri hipotetskoj situaciji zapošljavanja

2020-07-13T18:45:01+02:00

Numerous studies have shown the widespread presence of stereotypes and their impact on behavior, and cognition. Gender stereotypes are characterized by beliefs about the unequal abilities of men and women. The aim of this research is to determine the existence of gender bias of students in a hypothetical employment situation. The research involved one hundred eighteen psychology and economics students studying in Zagreb. For the purpose of this research, a CV of the job candidate was constructed in which the gender of the candidate was varied. Thus, the male and female versions of the CV were used to describe the candidate for the job. After reading the CV, the participants evaluated the work characteristics of the imagined candidate and made judgments about his/her suitability for the job. The data were collected through an online questionnaire containing the CV and assessment of the candidate's characteristics. The processing of the data showed that for most of the job characteristics of the candidates evaluated by the students, the estimates did not differ depending on the gender of the candidate that they were evaluating. An exception is the sociability characteristic of a female candidate who is considered to be more social than the male candidate. These results may speak to reducing employment bias, but on the other hand, it is important to bear in mind the methodological shortcomings of this research and to critically approach the results.

Osvrt na film Memento (2000)

2020-07-13T18:52:49+02:00

Osvrt na prvu sezonu serije 13 Reasons Why (2017)

2020-07-13T18:58:52+02:00

Osvrt na knjigu; William Glasser: Teorija izbora (2000)

2020-07-13T19:03:32+02:00