The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the quality of life and emotional well-being of the Russian population, with increased emotional disorders such as depression and anxiety. This study focuses on the specific context of Russian university students studying humanities disciplines, who had to adapt to remote learning and self-education during the pandemic.

This study aimed to assess the quality of life and measure the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among Russian humanities students. Additionally, it examined the correlations between quality of life and emotional disorders.

Data collection was conducted between January and April 2021 using a customized Google form. The study included 35 students from Russian universities. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, and levels of depression, anxiety, and stress were determined using the DASS-21 methodology, both adapted for use in Russia.

The mean values for the quality of life domains were as follows: “physical and psychological well-being” (M = 20.65±3.85), “self-image” (M = 19.21±3.54), “microsocial support” (M = 10.39±2.36), and “social well-being” (M = 27.93±4.15). Notably, 54% of respondents exhibited no symptoms of depression, 66% showed no signs of anxiety, and 69% reported no stress. Correlation analysis revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between stress and quality of life, and social well-being did not correlate with emotional disturbances.

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Russian humanities students did not experience clinical manifestations of depression, anxiety, or stress. To improve their emotional well-being, students should prioritize their physical and psychological health, self-perception, self-esteem, and relationships with their immediate social circles, particularly their families. In this pandemic context, broader social factors such as recreational opportunities took a back seat in students’ priorities.

None Declared

Baseline beliefs, as conceptualized by R. Janoff-Bulman in her cognitive theory of mental trauma, represent an inherent internal framework that shapes how individuals perceive and assess traumatic events. It is widely acknowledged that the pandemic has had a profound impact on the global economy and the living conditions of individuals. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that during a pandemic, one’s ability to adapt to these altered circumstances is influenced by their foundational beliefs. Consequently, exploring these fundamental beliefs in two at-risk groups, namely university students and individuals with confirmed HIV, becomes a subject of significant interest.

This study aims to examine the fundamental beliefs of patients with HIV and university students in the context of the second wave of the new coronavirus pandemic in Russia.

Data collection took place from January to July 2021 using a custom-developed Google form. The study involved 35 Russian university students majoring in humanities and 59 HIV-positive patients. We employed the WAS-37 methodology, adapted for use in Russia, to assess their baseline beliefs.

We found that on the scales “Fairness” (M = 21.00±3.73 - students, M = 20.53±4.63 - patients, p = 0.616), “Luck” (M = 31.74±5.06 vs M = 29.59±7.33, p = 0.129) and “Control beliefs” (M = 26.66±4.80 vs M = 27.12±4.42, p = 0.636) students did not differ from patients. Scores on the Environment Benevolence scale were higher in students (M = 35.46±7.33 vs M = 30.50±7.09, p = 0.002) and on the Self Image scale were higher in HIV patients (M = 26.63±6.97 vs M = 30.03±5.41, p = 0.010).

During the latter stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, individuals living with HIV, when compared to students, tended to perceive the world around them as being more perilous and unfriendly, while simultaneously viewing themselves as possessing greater integrity. From our perspective, this latter observation could be interpreted as a means of self-defence against the perceived hostility of the external world. In such pandemic circumstances, it may be advisable to consider the use of supportive psychotherapy for individuals living with HIV.

None Declared

During a pandemic, the population is required to adapt effectively to drastically altered environmental conditions to avoid the development of psychiatric disorders or other maladaptive responses. This adaptation is closely linked to an individual’s ability to regulate their behaviour effectively and to develop traits such as pliability and autonomy.

The research aims to investigate individual self-regulation among students studying humanities disciplines and individuals living with HIV during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia.

Data collection took place from January to July 2021 using a custom-designed Google form. The study involved 35 university students in Russia specializing in humanities and 59 individuals living with HIV. To assess the development of individual self-regulation and determine its specific profile, we utilized the “Behavioural Self-Regulation Style” questionnaire developed by V.I. Morosanova.

We found that 43% of students have an average level of self-regulation, 37% - high and 20% - low. Among people living with HIV the distribution is similar: 53 % have an average level of self-regulation, 37 % - high and 10 % - low. The analysis of average results of the scales did not reveal statistically significant differences among the groups of respondents. The average profiles have no pronounced peaks and look as follows: planning (M = 5.77±2.16 - students, M = 6.24±1.90 - patients, p > 0.05), modelling (M = 5.26±1.80 vs M = 5.69±1.90, p > 0.05), programming (M = 6.00±1.50 vs M = 5.93±1.66, p > 0.05), performance evaluation (M = 6.26±1.42 vs M = 5.78±1.60, p > 0.05), pliability (M = 6.17±1.87 vs M = 6.58±1.90, p > 0.05) and autonomy (M = 5.00±2.33 vs M = 5.56±2.08, p > 0.05) were almost at the same level in both the student and patient groups.

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, there were no significant distinctions observed in the self-regulation behaviour styles between students and individuals living with HIV. The majority of participants from these chosen groups demonstrated a similar average level of effectiveness in self-regulating their behaviour, as well as comparable degrees of pliability and autonomy development.

None Declared

Mental health-related stigma occurs not only within the public community but is also an issue among healthcare professionals. The relationship between national culture and provider stigma remains yet to be empirically attested.

We performed a cross-sectional multicentre study across 32 European countries to investigate the attitudes of psychiatrists towards patients with mental health problems. We aimed to examine the relationship of attitude with country-specific indicators.

We measured stigmatizing attitudes using the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) within an online survey among specialists and trainees in general adult, child and adolescent psychiatry. Its total score was correlated with the Human Development Index (HDI), the Democracy Index (DI), the Social Progress Index (SPI), the number of psychiatrists per 100,000 people, and the Hofstede dimensions. Latent class analysis was done to find subgroups of countries according to the stigmatizing attitudes of psychiatrists and the six Hofstede dimensions.

Altogether, n=4245 participants completed the survey. The total score of the OMS-HC significantly correlated with the long-term orientation (r=0.453, p=0.015) and indulgence dimensions (r=-0.629, p<0.0001) and with the HDI (r=-0.503, p=0.005), DI (r=-0.418, p=0.024), SPI (r=-0.348, p=0.040). The latent class analysis separated high- and low-stigma countries. High stigma was associated with high power distance and uncertainty scores.

Findings from this study not only expand knowledge of factors related to stigmatizing attitudes of healthcare professionals, but also enlighten the cultural aspects of the stigma that could contribute to the further development of anti-stigma programs.

D. Őri Grant / Research support from: Research grant form the Fulbright Association, P. Szocsics: None Declared, T. Molnár: None Declared, L. Bankovska Motlova: None Declared, O. Kazakova: None Declared, S. Mörkl: None Declared, M. Wallies: None Declared, M. Abdulhakim: None Declared, S. Boivin: None Declared, K. Bruna: None Declared, C. Cabaços: None Declared, E. A. Carbone: None Declared, E. Dashi: None Declared, G. Grech: None Declared, S. Greguras: None Declared, I. Ivanovic: None Declared, K. Guevara: None Declared, S. Kakar: None Declared, K. Kotsis: None Declared, I. Klinkby: None Declared, J. Maslak: None Declared, S. Matheiken: None Declared, A. Mirkovic: None Declared, N. Nechepurenko: None Declared, A. Panayi: None Declared, A. Pereira: None Declared, E. Pomarol-Clotet: None Declared, S. Raaj: None Declared, P. Rus Prelog: None Declared, J. Soler-Vidal: None Declared, R. Strumila: None Declared, F. Schuster: None Declared, H. Kisand: None Declared, A. Reim: None Declared, G. Ahmadova: None Declared, M. Vircik: None Declared, H. Yilmaz Kafali: None Declared, N. Grinko: None Declared, Z. Győrffy: None Declared, S. Rózsa: None Declared

A pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus is an immensely traumatic event. Researches indicate that such events significantly impact various aspects of individuals, including their physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and social functions, affecting different components of their personality structure. However, the experience of trauma itself is influenced by implicit internal structures known as underlying beliefs. Consequently, emotional responses to traumatic events may be interconnected with these core beliefs.

This study aimed to explore fundamental beliefs among Russian university students and analyze their associations with emotional reactions such as depression, anxiety, and stress.

Data collection took place from January to April 2021 using a custom-designed Google form. The study involved 35 Russian university students. We employed the WAS-37 methodology to investigate fundamental beliefs and the DASS-21 methodology to assess the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.

We found that the mean values of the “Benevolence of the surrounding world” (M = 35.5±7.3) and “Luck” (M = 31.7±5.1) scales are higher than the normative mean values for the Russian population. In contrast, the mean values of the “Fairness” (M = 21.0±3.7), “Self-image” (M = 26.6±7.0) and “Beliefs about control” (M = 26.6±4.8) scales are generally not different from the normative values. Depression has negative correlations with Self-image (rs = -0.590, p < 0.01) and Beliefs about control (rs = -0.509, p < 0.01). No statistically significant correlations of anxiety and stress with baseline beliefs were obtained.

During the second wave of the pandemic, Russian university students tend to view the world around them as less perilous than the broader population does, and they perceive themselves as more fortunate. Depressive feelings among students are linked to their lower beliefs in the value and importance of their self, as well as their perception that the world around them is not sufficiently controllable.

None Declared

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people’s lives, affecting various aspects of society and potentially altering the quality of life of certain groups. The World Health Organisation defines quality of life as an individual’s physical, psychological, emotional, and social health as perceived by themselves in relation to society. It appears that the pandemic disproportionately affected the most susceptible societal segments, comprising university students who encountered significant stress due to the shift to remote learning, and individuals living with HIV who faced difficulties in accessing medical assistance.

The study aimed to investigate the quality of life of students studying the humanities disciplines and HIV patients during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia.

Data collection was conducted from January to July 2021, using a Google form developed by the researchers. The study included 35 students from Russian universities studying humanities specialities and 59 HIV-positive patients. To check the quality of life, we used the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, adapted for use in Russia.

We found that on the domains “physical and psychological well-being” (M = 20.26±3.89 - students, M = 21.43±3.62 - patients, p = 0.144) and “self-image” (M = 19.11±3.53 vs M = 19.52±2.92, p = 0.553) respondents from the two groups did not differ from each other. The domain “microsocial support” was more pronounced in students than patients (M = 10.71±2.48 vs M = 9.17±2.96, p = 0.011). A similar situation was observed in “social well-being” (M = 27.23±4.33 vs M = 24.97±5.24, p = 0.034).

During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia, individuals living with HIV experienced a lower quality of life compared to students in humanities disciplines. Individuals living with HIV reported lower satisfaction with their relationships within their immediate environment, including family and friends, as well as their overall social well-being, encompassing factors like safety, material wealth, access to medical care, and transportation. In these pandemic conditions, it became evident that individuals with HIV required more extensive social support measures than students.

None Declared

The new coronavirus pandemic has brought the issue of life quality to the forefront. Among HIV-infected patients, life quality may be associated with fear of death.

The study aimed to investigate the life quality and death fear among HIV-infected patients during the pandemic second wave in Russia.

The data were collected from February to July 2021 using a Google form that we developed. Fifty-nine patients living with HIV participated in the study. We used the WHOQOL-BREF to examine the quality of life and the Fear of Personal Death Scale to explore fear of death. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.

We found the following mean values for the domains: “physical and psychological well-being” — M = 21.39±3.61; “self-perception” — M = 17.51±2.28; “microsocial support” — M = 9.15±2.94; “social well-being” — M = 24.81±5.33. We found that physical and psychological well-being were associated with the transcendental consequences of death (rxy = 0.274, p < 0.05), self-perception with body consequences (rxy = -0.304, p < 0.05) and fear of forgetting (rxy = -0.287, p < 0.05), and social well-being with body consequences (rxy = -0.310, p < 0.05).

Life quality is related to intrapersonal, interpersonal, and supra-personal dimensions of death fear during the second wave of the pandemic among patients living with HIV. Such fact may indicate possible psychotherapeutic targets when working with this group of patients.

None Declared

The pandemic is an undeniably stressful factor on a planetary scale. Life meaning, specific meaning-life orientations, and aspects of locus of control mediate one’s relationship to one’s life circumstances. Thus, the noetic part of human existence can relate to the perception of the pandemic.

The study aimed to examine the relationship between life-meaning orientations and nonspecific emotional reactions in HIV-infected patients during the second wave of the pandemic.

The data were collected from February to July 2021 using a Google form we developed. Fifty-nine HIV-positive patients participated in the study. We used the Purpose-in-Life Test to examine life-meaning orientations and the DASS-21 to diagnose depression, anxiety, and stress. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.

We obtained the following mean values on the PiLT scales: “general index of life meaningfulness” — M = 94.39±19.71; “goals in life” — M = 30.80±7.75; “life process” — M = 26.93±6.66; “life performance” — M = 23.69±6.66; “locus of control — Me” — M = 19. 61±5.05; “locus of control — life” — M = 25.90±7.43. All PiLT scales had statistically significant negative correlations with depression, anxiety, and stress, except “life process,” which was not associated with anxiety (rxy = -0.215, p > 0.05).

In the COVID-19 pandemic, life meaningfulness, ability to manage life, and freedom of choice may be considered as predictors of emotional well-being among patients living with HIV. The method of the existential psychotherapy can be effective apply among this group of patients.

None Declared

People living with HIV are at risk to develop depression, anxiety, and stress. During the pandemic, their access to medical and social care has decreased. Baseline beliefs affect the experience of mental trauma.

The study aimed to determine the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress and assess the baseline beliefs among people living with HIV. In addition, the relationship of emotional reactions to baseline beliefs was analysed.

Data were collected from February 28 to July 11, 2021, using a Google form that we developed. Fifty-nine HIV-positive patients participated in the study. The DASS-21 was used to determine depression, anxiety, and stress levels, and the WAS-37 was used to examine baseline beliefs. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.

We found that 64 % of the respondents had no symptoms of depression, 61 % of patients reported no anxiety, and 71 % had no stress. Mean values on the scales of “Benevolence in the World” (M = 30.4±7.1) and “Justice” (M = 20.5±4.6) were below the mean normative values for the Russian population. In contrast, the scales of “Self-Image” (M = 30.1±5.4), “Luck” (M = 29.5±7.3), and “Controlling beliefs” (M = 27.1±4.4) were above the mean. Depression was associated with all types of baseline beliefs, anxiety was associated only with benevolence in the world (rxy = -0.309, p < 0.05), and stress was associated with benevolence (rxy = -0.281, p < 0.05) and luck (rxy = -0.258, p < 0.05).

During the COVID-19, beliefs about the world’s benevolence are associated with emotional well-being among people living with HIV.

None Declared

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to adapt to rapidly changing external conditions has increased dramatically. Predictors of successful adaptation can be the degree of development of individual self-regulation and its profile. The emotional state depends on successful adaptation.

The study aimed to examine the individual self-regulation of behaviour and emotional reactions among patients living with HIV in Russia.

The data were collected from February to July 2021 using a Google form developed by us. Fifty-nine HIV-positive patients participated in the study. To diagnose the development of individual self-regulation and its profile, we used the Self-Regulation Style Questionnaire, to study depression, anxiety, and stress — DASS-21 adapted for use in Russia.

We found that 10 % of respondents had a low overall level of self-regulation, 53 % had an average level, and 37 % had a high level. The average individual profile was as follows: predominance of planning (M = 6.24±1.90) over modelling (M = 5.69±1.90), programming (M = 5.93±1.66), and evaluating results (M = 5.78±1.60), which were approximately at the same level. Flexibility (M = 6.58±1.90) and autonomy (M = 5.56±2.08) scores were in the average normal range. Only two correlations were found: modelling was negatively associated with depression (rxy = -0.336, p < 0.01) and anxiety (rxy = -0.275, p < 0.05).

Awareness and adequacy of perceptions of changes in external and internal significant conditions contribute to a favourable emotional status among people living with HIV.

None Declared

Different areas of life quality are associated with emotional status. In pandemic conditions, the index of life quality may contribute to emotional stability. However, HIV-infected patients are at risk for affective disorders and are often characterized by a low life rate.

The study aimed to examine the relationship between life quality and emotional status among HIV-infected patients during the second wave of the pandemic.

Data were collected between February and July 2021 using a Google form we developed. Fifty-nine HIV-positive patients participated in the study. We used the WHOQOL-BREF to examine the quality of life and the DASS-21 to determine depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Both questionnaires were adapted for use in Russia.

We found that 64 % of the respondents had no symptoms of depression, 61 % of the patients reported no anxiety, and 71 % had no detectable stress. We found that physical and psychological well-being was associated with depression (rxy = -0.318, p < 0.05) and anxiety (rxy = -0.308, p < 0.05), microsocial support was associated with depression (rxy = -0.430, p < 0.01) and anxiety (rxy = -0.330, p < 0.05), social well-being with depression (rxy = -0.375, p < 0.01), anxiety (rxy = -0.448, p < 0.01) and stress (rxy = -0.362, p < 0.01).

During the second pandemic wave, the social well-being was most strongly associated with emotional well-being among patients living with HIV. This indicates that different types of social support are essential for this group of patients. Therefore, state authorities should pay special attention to the social welfare of this group of patients.

None Declared

Since the literature investigating the stigmatising attitudes of psychiatrists is scarce, this is the first study which examines the phenomena across Europe. The Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers (OMS-HC) is a widely used questionnaire to measure stigma in healthcare providers towards people with mental illness, although it has not been validated in many European countries.

A cross-sectional, observational, multi-centre study was conducted in 32 European countries to investigate the attitudes towards patients among specialists and trainees in general adult and child psychiatry. In order to be able to compare stigma scores across cultures, we aimed to calculate measurement invariance.

An internet-based, anonymous survey was distributed in the participating countries, which was completed by n=4245 psychiatrists. The factor structure of the scale was investigated by using separate confirmatory factor analyses for each country. The cross-cultural validation was based on multigroup confirmatory factor analyses.

When country data were analysed separately, the three dimensions of the OMS-HC were confirmed, and the bifactor model showed the best model fit. However, in some countries, a few items were found to be weak. The attitudes towards patients seemed favourable since stigma scores were less than half of the reachable maximum. Results allowed comparison to be made between stigma scores in different countries and subgroups.

This international cooperation has led to the cross-cultural validation of the OMS-HC on a large sample of practicing psychiatrists. The results will be useful in the evaluation of future anti-stigma interventions and will contribute to the knowledge of stigma.

No significant relationships.

Many people think that people with mental disorders might be dangerous or unpredictable. These patients face various sources of disadvantages and experience discrimination in job interviews, in education, and housing. Mental health-related stigma occurs not only within the public community, it is a growing issue among professionals as well. Our study is the first that investigates the stigmatising attitude of psychiatrists across Europe.

We designed a cross-sectional, observational, multi-centre, international study of 33 European countries to investigate the attitude towards patients among medical specialists and trainees in the field of general adult and child and adolescent psychiatry.

An internet-based, anonymous survey will measure the stigmatising attitude by using the local version of the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers. Data gathering started in July this year and will continue until December 2020.

This study will be the first to describe the stigmatising attitude of psychiatric practitioners across Europe from their perspectives.

The study will contribute to knowledge of gaps in stigmatising attitude towards people with mental health problems and will provide with new directions in anti-stigma interventions.

No significant relationships.

The importance of clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in childhood is due to the timely detection of ASD and the appropriate early start of patient care, depending on the form of ASD. The experience of multidisciplinary collaboration between medical psychologists and clinicians in child psychiatric practice allows us to more accurately determine the depth and severity of autistic manifestations, determine the dynamics of child development, and provide personalized effective care.

Develop diagnostic, clinical and psychological approaches to the diagnosis of ASD.

Clinical-psychopathological, clinical-dynamic, clinical-catamnestic, and psychological methods were used. 254 patients aged 4-17 years (average – 7.3 years) with different forms of ASD were examined.

From the clinical and pathopsychological positions, profiles of six main forms of ASD are identified. Each of the selected profiles corresponds to a specific type of cognitive dysontogenezis. A distorted view of cognitive dysontogenezis in Asperger’s syndrome (F84. 5) and childhood autism dysontogenetic (F84.0). Distorted or deficient types of cognitive dysontogenezis in children’s psychosis (F84. 02). Deficient type of cognitive dysontogenezis in Kanner syndrome (F84. 01). Defecating type of cognitive dysontogenezis in atypical autism syndromal (F84. 11), deficient and regressive-defecating types of cognitive dysontogenezis in atypical child psychosis (F84.12).

A three-dimensional model is obtained that allows the most accurate diagnosis of various forms of ASD and the development of personalized routes for patient care and rehabilitation, taking into account the type of cognitive dysontogenezis and based on the zone of the child’s immediate development.