Sexual activity and life satisfaction in older adults
Aim Based on the concept of successful ageing and research reports on the benefits of maintaining sexual activity in mid- to late life, the purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between global life satisfaction and sexual satisfaction in adults older than 60 years. The study also analyzed the relationship between various forms of sexual activity (genital and non-genital) and both types of satisfaction. Methods Thirty-three men and 50 women (N =83) were interviewed by using two structuralized questionnaires. Global life satisfaction was measured with Diener's Satisfaction with Life Scale, whereas sexual satisfaction and preferences regarding various intimate behaviours…
A telemedicine platform to improve clinical parameters in paranoid schizophrenia patients: Results of a one-year randomized study
Objective The study objective was to test a smartphone-based MONEO platform designed to improve the clinical condition of paranoid schizophrenia patients. Telemedicine treatment is considered to be as effective as traditional treatment in outpatient clinics. Method A total of 290 patients with paranoid schizophrenia in the symptomatic remission state were recruited to this 12-month multicenter, open-label randomized trial. A study group (n = 191) received a smartphone with the MONEO platform installed. Patients conducted cognitive training twice a week. Patients' mental state was assessed every month via teleconference. A placebo group (n = 99) received a platform with functionality limited…
Treatment Compliance in the Long-Term Paranoid Schizophrenia Telemedicine Study
Schizophrenia is a chronic disease with a relatively high relapse rate. Different methods are introduced to improve compliance of the patients treated by psychiatrists; among them, a new and promising attitude is telepsychiatry. The 12-month clinical study of the compliance in paranoid schizophrenia was performed on the group of 199 patients. Every patient in the study was given a smartphone with the preinstalled original telemedicine platform (Telemedicine MoneoPlatform). The telemedicine system recorded every confirmation of the drug intake, and according to that, the compliance was counted as the percent of the doses of medication confirmed in relation to the planned ones. In the first m…
"No matter how old I am, I don’t like what my stomach looks like." Lifespan perspective on the changes in self-assessment of attractiveness and life satisfaction in women
The study aimed to examine the association between self-assessment of attractiveness and life satisfaction in women, where age was a potential moderator of this relationship. A cross-sectional study of 360 women aged 18 to 89 was performed. Participants assessed their overall attractiveness, the attractiveness of their individual body parts, and their life satisfaction. The relationship between the assessment of attractiveness of particular body parts and life satisfaction depended on age. The results indicate that not only overall self-attractiveness, but also the perceived attractiveness of particular body parts (different in each distinguished age group: 18-25, 30-45 and 60+) can be cons…
Comparison of housing first and traditional homeless service users in eight european countries: Protocol for a mixed methods, Multi-site study
Background Homeless services expend considerable resources to provide for service users’ most basic needs, such as food and shelter, but their track record for ending homelessness is disappointing. An alternative model, Housing First, reversed the order of services so that homeless individuals are offered immediate access to independent housing, with wraparound supports but no treatment or abstinence requirements. Although the evidence base for Housing First’s effectiveness in ending homelessness is robust, less is known about its effectiveness in promoting recovery. Objective The objective of this research is to compare rehabilitation- and recovery-related outcomes of homeless services us…
Activities of the elderly and their satisfaction with life
Abstract Successful aging (Rowe & Kahn, 1997) is conditioned by aspiration to be active and by the ability to maintain social relations. Activity improves the emotional lives of seniors and is associated with a reduction of some symptoms of aging. Our study verifies if the number of activities (informal and solitary) is associated with quality of life and whether subjective age may be a mediator of this relationship. The 136 seniors above 60 were tested by our authorial scale of activity and the WHOQOL-BRIEF. The results showed that older persons’ higher quality of life levels are related not only to the number of activities undertaken, but also to the frequency that these activities ar…
Emotional intelligence as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and L2 achievement
Abstract The present study investigates the interaction of the higher-order personality trait of Neuroticism and the lower-order personality trait of Emotional Intelligence (trait EI) in the context of foreign language acquisition (FLA). A mediation model was applied to explore the pathway from Neuroticism via trait EI to self-rated L2 skills. The reported results show that the trait EI is not only a significant predictor of the self-reported L2 speaking proficiency, but also a mediator in the relationship between Neuroticism and self-rated L2 speaking proficiency. Consequently, trait EI could be regarded as an important variable in the FLA context because its positive impact on self-percei…
Amantadine in the Treatment of Sexual Inactivity in Schizophrenia Patients Taking Atypical Antipsychotics—The Pilot Case Series Study
Sexual dysfunctions in people with schizophrenia are more severe than in the general population and are an important element in the treatment of schizophrenia. The mechanism of sexual dysfunction in patients treated for schizophrenia may be related to the side effects of antipsychotic drugs (hyperprolactinemia, suppression of the reward system), but it may also be related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia itself. The aim of the study was to present the possibility of using amantadine in the treatment of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia without the concomitant hyperprolactinemia. In an open and naturalistic case series study, five men treated for schizophrenia in a stable mental state …
Multidimensional Sexual Well-being Scale for Older Adults: Validity Evidence from a Polish Sample
Here, we report the results of a Polish adaptation of the Multidimensional Sexual Well-being Scale (MSWBS) for older adults. The MSWBS is a short self-report scale for assessing the five dimensions of an individual's sexual well-being: frequency of caressing, sexual intimacy, sexual compliance, sexual satisfaction, and sexual distress. The aim of our adaptation was to examine the utility of the scale in a country with conservative views on the sexuality of older people, which will help health care providers and researchers to better understand the sexual needs of older people. The study included 507 participants, aged 60-92. We found the reliability of the scale to be satisfactory (Cronbach…
Enhancement in Phospholipase D Activity as a New Proposed Molecular Mechanism of Haloperidol-Induced Neurotoxicity
Membrane phospholipase D (PLD) is associated with numerous neuronal functions, such as axonal growth, synaptogenesis, formation of secretory vesicles, neurodegeneration, and apoptosis. PLD acts mainly on phosphatidylcholine, from which phosphatidic acid (PA) and choline are formed. In turn, PA is a key element of the PLD-dependent secondary messenger system. Changes in PLD activity are associated with the mechanism of action of olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of short-term administration of the first-generation antipsychotic drugs haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and fluphenazine on membrane PLD activity in the rat brain. Animals were…
Digital or In-Person: The Relationship Between Mode of Interpersonal Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Mental Health in Older Adults From 27 Countries
Social distancing has limited the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), but also changed communication patterns. However, studies of how mental health in older adults relates to the usage of different modes of interpersonal communication are sparse. The aim of this study was to analyze how COVID-19-related changes in the frequencies of using different modes of communication (digital or in-person) have influenced mental health in older adults from 27 countries. Our study was based on part of Wave 8 of the SHARE data set, which focused on the living situation of older adults during the pandemic. Findings suggest that in-person communication benefited mental health in people aged ≥60 years mo…
The Effect of Smartphone-Based Cognitive Training on the Functional/Cognitive Markers of Schizophrenia: A One-Year Randomized Study
Background: Cognitive impairment is associated with long-term disability that results in the deterioration of both the social and professional status of individuals with schizophrenia. The impact of antipsychotic therapy on cognitive function is insufficient. Cognitive training is therefore proposed as a tool for cognitive rehabilitation in schizophrenia. In this study we investigated the effect of self-administered cognitive training using a smartphone-based application on the cognitive function of paranoid schizophrenia patients focusing on response time, correct answer rate, incorrect answer rate, and fatigability to check, if these functions can be functional markers of successful cogni…