Introduction. Schizophrenia to a considerably great degree impairs the social functioning of the persons affected in the spheres of interpersonal and occupational contacts, as well as self-care. It brings about serious cognitive, perceptual, motor and emotional deficits, inevitably leading to the social withdrawal of patients. This phenomenon may assume various forms, from the limitations in interpersonal relations, through narrowing these relations to only some circumstances, to the total cessation of social contacts. Objective. The objective of the study is presentation of the most important problems related with social functioning and quality of life of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, based on scientific studies conducted in Poland and worldwide. State of knowledge. The family of a schizophrenia patient exerts a great effect on the social functioning. While undertaking proper actions the family may become a co-therapist and significantly facilitate the patient's adjustment to life in society and his/her playing a specified role. Analysis of disorders in social functioning of patients with schizophrenia, in the context of social cognition, indicates the fact that these disorders have their source in the lack of capabilities for identification of own and other people's internal states, whereas mentalization is the essence of social cognition. Conclusions. Therapy, any psychosocial impact as well as rehabilitation, neutralizes the causes for patients' withdrawal from social life. Training of social skills is necessary which teaches patients to return to the situation when they would be able to function properly in their environment.

Background Effective preparedness to respond to mass casualty incidents and disasters requires a well-planned and integrated effort by all involved professionals, particularly those who are working in healthcare, who are equipped with unique knowledge and skills for emergencies. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the level of knowledge and skills related to mass casualty and disaster management in a cohort of healthcare professionals. Methods A cross-sectional brief study was conducted using a validated and anonymous questionnaire, with a sample of 134 employees at a clinical hospital in Lublin, Poland. Results The findings of this study may indicate a need for standardization of training for hospitals employees. It also suggests a knowledge gap between different professional groups, which calls for adjusting such general training, to at least, the weakest group, while special tasks and mission can be given to other groups within the training occasion. Conclusion Pre-Training gap analyses and identification of participants’ competencies and skills should be conducted prior to training in mass casualty incidents and disasters. Such analyses provides an opportunity to develop training curriculum at various skill and knowledge levels from basic to advance. All training in mass casualty incidents and disasters should be subject to ongoing, not just periodic, evaluation, in order to assess continued competency.

The loss of a baby is a traumatic event, irrespective of the duration of pregnancy. In the present study, we attempted to recognize the opinions of women after miscarriage that needed assistance and support from the medical staff during hospitalization. The study was conducted during the period from January to June 2012 and included 303 women who miscarried and used medical care in the Lublin Region (Poland). The method of a diagnostic survey was applied using a questionnaire technique. The majority of the respondents reported that information obtained from physicians after the diagnosis of miscarriage were rather understandable (44.22%) and sufficient (41.91%). According to more than a half of respondents, after miscarriage, midwives demonstrated adequate skills (57.43%) and provided necessary informative support (52.81%). The study showed that during hospital stay the women who had experienced miscarriage evaluated in relatively high terms the physicians and midwives providing them with care. The evaluations of the attitudes of doctors and midwives increased with the women's growing needs during hospitalization. The results of the study allow the presumption that the medical staff providing care of women after miscarriage possess a relatively high level of knowledge and skills in the area of diagnostics and treatment of pregnancy terminated with miscarriage. However, it should be remembered that the constant training of doctors and midwives in the provision of emotional and psychological support is necessary.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze how mood and anxiety level are related to the functional genetic polymorphism in the promoter region of SLC6A4 (5-HTTLPR) and the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO A promoter region. Methods: The study involved 272 postmenopausal women from Poland. The authors employed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for measuring levels of anxiety, the Mood Adjective Check List for measuring mood, and genetic tests. Results: Analysis did not show any statistically significant differences in the mean levels of anxiety, and mood disorders in women in relation to genotypes of the 5-HTTLPR (SLC6A4) polymorphism and the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO A promoter region. However, these problems were more severe among women with s/s genotype. In the case of MAO A gene polymorphism, the level of anxiety was higher in women with a 4/4 genotype. Conclusions: The study did not prove the possibility of the identification of homogeneous groups of women with an elevated risk of developing anxiety and mood disorders during the post-menopausal period. Nevertheless, it showed that respondents with s/s genotype of the 44-bp polymorphism in the 5-HTT (SLC6A4) promoter region had the highest average anxiety levels both as a state and as a trait. Furthermore, the analysis of the 30-bp VNTR polymorphism in the MAO A promoter region demonstrated slight differences in anxiety levels between the women, indicating that those with a 4/4 genotype had higher severity of anxiety symptoms.

The COVID-19 pandemic, apart from the main problems concerning the health and life of patients, sparked a discussion about physicians’ moral and social professional attitudes. During a pandemic, physicians have the same ethical, moral, and medical responsibilities, however, the situation is different since they are self-exposed to a danger, which may influence their willingness to work. The problem of the professional moral attitudes of health care workers, recurring in ethical discussions, prompts us to define the limits of the duties of physicians in the event of a pandemic, hence this research aimed to assess these duties from an ethical perspective and to define their boundaries and scope. The study was conducted in May and June 2020 in the city of Lublin, covering all medical centers, and the questionnaire was completed by 549 physicians. The research was conducted in four areas: emergency standby in the event of a disaster, even if it is not requested; willingness to work overtime in the event of a disaster, even without payment; willingness to take health risks by caring for people who are infectious or exposed to hazardous substances; readiness to be transferred to other departments in the event of a disaster. Although most of the respondents declared to be agreed on personal sacrifices in the performance of professional duties, they were not prepared for a high level of personal risk when working in a pandemic. Excessive workload, its overwhelming nature, and personal risk are not conducive to readiness to work overtime, especially without pay. Research shows how important it is to respect the rights and interests of all parties involved in a pandemic. Physicians’ duty to care for a patient is also conditioned by the duty to protect themselves and should not be a tool for intimidating and depersonalizing their social and professional lives.