We investigated a relationship between selected polymorphisms: rs6313 in HTR2A, rs6295 in HTR1A and rs1386494 in TPH2, and suicidal behavior in 150 alcohol-dependent patients. There was a significant association between more frequent C102C genotype in HTR2A and suicide attempts in alcoholic females. No differences in genotype distribution in HTR1A and TPH2 SNPs were found between patients with and without suicide attempts.

Pathological use of smartphones may be the biggest non-drug addiction of the 21st century. Therefore, rapid screening tools designed for easy identification of people with problematic mobile phone use are needed. The main aim of the present study was to validate a short version of the Mobile Phone Problematic Use Scale (MPPUS-10) in the Polish population. The study comprised 640 university students aged 18-38 years. We used a self-report questionnaire that included questions regarding socio-demographic variables and Polish versions of the Mobile Phone Problem Use Scale (MPPUS-10), Mobile Phone Addiction Assessment Questionnaire (MPAAQ in Polish KBUTK), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Kimberly Young. The analysis showed high reliability for the final Polish version of MPPUS-10 (Cronbach's a = 0.78) and confirmed a significant correlation between the MPPUS-10 and the MPAAQ, which was previously used in Poland (rho = 0.56; p < 0.001). Due to the poor correlation of item number 10 with other items, we suggest dropping this item and using the nine-item Polish version. Our result also confirmed significant correlation between the MPPUS-10 and the IAT (rho = 0.54; p < 0.001). The contribution of the study is the Polish validation and adaptation of the MPPUS-10 scale with confirmed psychometric values. It provides a quick and convenient screening tool to assess problematic mobile phone use. Our results also indicate the need for a revision of available diagnostic tools in Poland.

Background Depressive symptoms as well as high levels of impulsivity are subjects of special interest in alcohol dependence, as these factors are considered to influence the course of this disorder. However, until now mutual relationships between impulsivity and depression have not been investigated thoroughly in alcohol-dependent patients. Methods By means of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and stop-signal task, levels of impulsivity among 304 alcohol-dependent patients were measured. The stop-signal task was used as a manipulation-free method of estimating the level of behavioral impulsiveness, and the BIS-11 is a self report measure of global as well as cognitive impulsivity. Patients were also asked to complete the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Hopelessness Scale (BHS). The results were analyzed in order to examine relationships between impulsiveness and depressive symptoms. Results Statistical analyses revealed significant associations between impulsiveness and severity of depressive symptoms. Individuals with higher scores on the BDI were more impulsive on the BIS-11, whereas patients with higher scores on the BHS were more impulsive on both the stop-signal task and BIS-11. The strongest correlations were found with the attention impulsivity subscale of BIS-11. Adjusting for other variables, a linear regression analysis revealed that cognitive impulsivity was the strongest predictor of depression severity. Limitations The main limitation of the study is a not fully representative sample, with exclusion of patients with active mood disorders Conclusions The results indicate a strong association between depressive symptoms and impulsivity in alcohol-dependent patients, and suggest an important distinction between hopelessness and other depressive symptoms.

Objectives Fatal and non-fatal suicide attempts are far more common in opioid dependent individuals than in the general population. More research is needed to understand the specific risk factors for suicidal behaviors in this patient population, particularly outside of the U.S. and Western Europe. This study investigated the correlates of suicide attempts among Polish patients in methadone maintenance treatment and interpreted results in the context of findings from other countries. Methods The study was based on a sample of 240 individuals recruited from a methadone maintenance clinic in Poland. Participants were interviewed using standardized measures. Results Consistent with studies in other countries, sexual abuse, depression, alcohol dependence and impulsivity were associated with suicide attempt. Additionally, those patients with somatic comorbidity had an increase in odds (OR=2.6) of suicide attempt. Conclusion The results of our study suggest a potential benefit to treatment approaches that address somatic concerns of methadone maintenance patients. More research is needed to identify, assess and understand possible cultural and regional differences between opioid dependent populations to better tailor prevention strategies.

Background: Substance use is a growing problem worldwide, and there is a great need to develop national policies addressing prevention and treatment of substance-use disorders (SUD). However, the lack of a commonly used, valuable diagnostic tool to assess the symptoms of SUDs precludes comparison of the prevalence of drug-use problems as well as the efficacy of policy strategies applied in different countries. This study was conducted to validate one of the commonly used scales the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (the DUDIT) for use in Polish condition. Objectives: The aims of this study were to test the reliability of the DUDIT in the Polish population, to confirm the comparative stability of the factor structure of the instrument, and to verify previously proposed DUDIT cutoff scoring. Methods: The group of drug users comprised 127 patients aged 19-40 years (mean age 30.37, SD 6.36) with a diagnosis of SUD, while the control group consisted of 533 students aged 19-25 years (mean age 20.72, SD 1.88). All participants completed the Polish version of the DUDIT. Internal consistency of the Polish version of the DUDIT was determined, and subsequently external validation was performed. Results: Analysis showed that the Polish version of the DUDIT was characterized by a good reliability based on Cronbach's α, with a value of 0.92. The between-group comparison revealed a significant difference between the control group and substance-dependent patients corresponding to a large effect size (Cohen's d = 3.27). The receiver-operating characteristic analysis, comparing the DUDIT score to the ICD-10 diagnosis of SUD, showed an optimal cutoff value of 7 points, with a sensitivity of 0.929 and a specificity of 0.974. Conclusion: These results constitute preliminary evidence that the Polish version of the DUDIT may be a valid and reliable screening tool for drug-use disorders in the Polish population.