Novelty Seeking appears to be a general risk factor for drug addiction. High Harm Avoidance appears to channel individuals with high Novelty Seeking towards alcoholism. Immature character traits and probable Personality Disorder increase the risk of illegal drugs. Based on equivalent research in nonpermissive environments, at least a portion of our opiate addicts could have developed alcoholism instead in environments with more limited access to opiates. Personality factors provide useful guidelines for preventive work with young individuals with personality risk factors for drug addiction.

Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related containment measures have grossly affected the daily living and created a need for alternative ways of social communication and entertainment. The aim of this study was to explore the use of various Internet contents depending on sociodemographics and on psychiatric history of participants. This cross-sectional, population-based study is a part of a wider international multicenter study. A total of 1275 participants across Serbia (71.1% of females; average age = 41.81 ± 12.52 years) were recruited using two-level chain-referral sampling method. The participants filled in an anonymous online questionnaire that included questions on sociodemographic data, psychiatric history, and various aspects of increased Internet use since the pandemic. The data were analyzed using a series of multiple logistic regressions. About two-thirds of the sample reported using Internet more during the pandemic. All of the tested regression models, apart from models predicting browsing religion and travel/tourism, were significant, explaining from about 2% (for the contents specific for COVID-19) up to 34.4% (for the sexual content) of variance of use. Reporting a previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder was a significant predictor of greater Instagram use and browsing sexual and sport-related content since the pandemic. To the best of our knowledge, the study is the first to report on the relationship between Internet using and mental health, during COVID-19 pandemic, in the Balkan region. The findings showed various patterns of the increased use of Internet contents since the pandemic referring to both potentially positive and negative Internet influences.

Although limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD) can cause permanent disability, to date there are no studies that examined quality of life (QoL) in these patients. Our aim was to evaluate QoL in patients with LGMD, and to identify the most significant predictors of QoL. The study comprised 46 patients with diagnosis of limb-girdle muscular weakness. QoL in patients was evaluated using two scales-SF-36 questionnaire and the Individualized Neuromuscular Quality of Life questionnaire (INQoL). Following scales were also applied: Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hamilton Scale for Depression (HamD), and Krupp's Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Mean SF-36 score was 52.4 ± 23.5, and physical composite score was worse than mental. Total INQoL score was 46.1 ± 20.4, with worst results obtained for weakness, fatigue and independence, while social relationships and emotions showed better results. Significant predictors of worse SF-36 score in LGMD patients were higher fatigue level (β = - 0.470, p < 0.01) and use of assistive device (β = - 0.245, p < 0.05). Significant predictors of worse INQoL score were higher fatigue level (β = 0.514, p < 0.01) and presence of cardiomyopathy (β = - 0.385, p < 0.01). It is of special interest that some of the identified factors that correlated with worse QoL in LGMD patients were amenable to treatment.

Medical students perceive their health much better than other university students do, but female, older and second grade medical students have worse perception of their HRQoL. Those points should be potential target areas for specific prevention and treatment in order to achieve better HRQoL.