INTRODUCTION:The importance of mental and physical health is crucial, as it not only affects the quality of individual life, but also influences their behavior and performance at work. The role of burnout and depression is of particular importance in research. Burnout is most often associated with helping occupations, such as healthcare. METHOD:We used a questionnaire method. Burnout was measured using the BAT-C and BAT-S questionnaires, and depression was measured using the Beck Depression Scale and the Male Depression Risk Assessment Scale, so both types of depression could be examined. RESULTS:According to our N=254 sample, the reliability and validity indicators of the BAT questionnaire in a healthcare sample proved to be adequate. Burnout and depression are positively correlated with each other. Women are more likely to experience emotional suppression, exhaustion, and symptomatic appearance of burnout. Decreased emotions and psychological symptoms predict depression. Masculine depression is also characterized by somatic symptoms. CONCLUSION:Burnout is closely related to depressive symptoms and various dimensions of burnout. Burnout not only causes mental and physical exhaustion, loss of motivation and concentration difficulties, but can also be accompanied by sleep disorders, anxiety, somatic complaints (e.g. headache, stomach and muscle pain), and these are already a pre cursor to depression. Regular screening with burnout and depression questionnaires is important for prevention and intervention, especially in those who have problems expressing emotions, suppressing emotions, and increased psycho logical or somatic symptoms.
INTRODUCTION:Several studies have found a link between nightmares, coping styles and personality traits. Based on these findings, the present research aims to investigate a possible function of nightmares and the relationship between dreams and personality traits in a Hungarian sample. We hypothesized that nightmares will be positively re lated to emotion-oriented coping and negatively related to resilience, when examined from the perspective of personality traits. METHODS:Our hypothesis was tested quantitatively using online self-administered tests. Our self-report, cross-sectional study included 100 healthy subjects: 27 men and 73 women. The age of the respondents ranged from 18 to 69 years (M=32.1 years, SD=15.1 years). The sleep quality of the respondents was assessed by the Sleep Quality Questionnaire (Kovács, Vargha, Ali, and Bódizs, 2010), and their resilience level by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Questionnaire (Járai, Vajda, Hargitai, Nagy, Csókási, and Kiss, 2015), coping style was measured with the Folkman and Lazarus Coping Questionnaire (Koop and Skrabski, 1995), while personality traits were measured with the TCI-55 (Szántó, Susánszky, and Martos, 2016). RESULTS:Our findings demonstrate a positive association between nightmares and neuro ticism, and a negative association between nightmares and resilience. Our results also support contextualization and simulation models of nightmares, suggesting that nightmares are a possible form of emotion-oriented coping. The limitation of our study is the small number of items and the poor reliability of the scale measuring emotion-oriented coping. A complicating factor for the generalizability of the results is that we could not take into account all of the factors which are influencing the constructs under study. Our future objective is to eliminate these limiting factors and to further develop the study paradigm. CONCLUSIONS:Given the obtained correlations, the presence of nightmares have high clinical relevance when planning therapeutic interventions.
In the following, we attempt to map the narrative and psychological moments of suicide in the multifaceted document compiled by Michel Foucault. Pierre Rivière murdered his mother, sister, and brother in 1835, and later, after writing his memoirs, committed suicide in prison. In the analysis, we examine the documents from the perspective of suicide: after an introduction, where we explain our method, we attempt to analyze Pierre Rivière's memoirs from these perspectives and then summarize. Keywords: suicide; psychiatry; psychology; narrative; Pierre Rivière.
INTRODUCTION:Test anxiety impacts approximately 25-50% of university students' psychological wellbeing and academic achievement, yet support options remain limited. Despite rising demand for mental health services, many students face barriers in accessing help. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) could provide accessible support; however, their effectiveness in alleviating test anxiety has not been systematically evaluated. This review aimed to assess how effectively DMHIs reduce test anxiety in students and to identify key features of these interventions. METHOD:The protocol was preregistered on OSF (July 21, 2025) and adhered to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and ClinicalTrials.gov in August 2025. Eligible studies involved higher education students, utilized a DMHI, reported validated test anxiety outcomes, and employed experi mental designs. Risk of bias was assessed using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. RESULTS:Eight studies with a total of 813 students met inclusion criteria, including six randomized controlled trials. Inter ventions utilized multicomponent, mindfulness-based, or serious game formats delivered through web or app platforms. All studies reported reductions in test anxiety post-intervention; however, only three found statistically significant improvements over controls. Multicomponent programs showed the most consistent benefits. Most studies assessed test anxiety with a bidimensional measure, though emerging models highlight the importance of a multidimensional perspec tive to distinguish components. CONCLUSION:DMHIs hold promise for reducing test anxiety, especially when integrating cognitive or dialectical behavioral therapy with study skills or mindfulness. Further research, including follow-ups and multidimensional assessments, is essential to establish their full efficacy.
Between 1985 and 2024, Hungary's annual suicide rate gradually decreased from approximately 46 per 100000 people to approximately 17 per 100 000 people (i.e., by approximately 63 percent), while the number of patients receiving medication for depression increased twelvefold. Studies confirm that more widespread and effective treatment of depression has played a key role in this significant decline in suicides. There have been two periods of stagnation in the decline in suicide rates over the last 40 years: the first was between 2007 and 2011, while the second has been ongoing since 2019. These two periods were characterized by suboptimal functioning of psychiatric care and reduced access to care. Keywords: Hungary; suicide rate; suicide; antidepressants.
The concept of body colonization refers to the social, cultural, and political process by which the human body becomes subject to external forces-such as systems of power, economy, medicine, or technology-often at the expense of autonomy and freedom. This study reviews historical and anthropological forms of bodily transformation, as well as the spectrum of contemporary body modifications. Particular attention is given to body image and eating disorders as strategies of self-control and adaptation, to male dominance over the female body, and to the excesssive examples of medicine and the health industry. The extreme forms of bodily control seen in elite sports, as well as the exploitation of labor, illustrate how the body is treated as a primary site of performance, while transhumanism opens a new dimen sion in the technological conquest of the body. The role of civilization and consumer society is also central in sustaining control over the body. Finally, the paper outlines possibilities for the liberation of the body, emphasizing the necessity of critical body awareness and cultural reflection. Keywords: body colonization; civilizational disorders; sociocultural factors; external control; internalization.
INTRODUCTION:Children of parents with substance use disorders often develop dependent, dysfunctional roles within the family system to adapt and maintain its fragile balance. While these coping mechanisms may provide short-term relief, they can significantly disrupt identity formation and the development of a stable sense of self in the long term. METHODS:The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of adults who grew up with substance-dependent parents, with particular attention to how this environment shaped their identity and how it influences their self-perception in adulthood. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 participants, and the data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Three main themes were identified: Main Theme 1: "I Pretended Nothing Was Wrong"; Main Theme 2: "The Question of the Right to Exist"; Main Theme 3: "The 'Homeless' Inner Child." The findings highlight the long-term psychological effects of growing up in a family affected by addiction, including difficulties in self-acceptance, boundary-setting, and autonomy. CONCLUSION:The study underscores the therapeutic potential of "inner child" work in processing unresolved losses-collectively referred to as the "loss of childhood"-and in strengthening self-identity. A deeper understanding of these processes may contribute to the development of targeted interventions for adult children of parents with substance use disorders.
The efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions remains limited for many mental disorders, particularly in cases involving comorbidities and histories of childhood trauma. Traditional diagnosis-specific protocols often fail to address patients' underlying transdiagnostic mechanisms, which may hinder therapeutic success. Algorithm-Based Modular Psychotherapy (MoBa) is a personalized, mechanism-focused treatment model that integrates empirically supported therapeutic modules selected through a decision-making algorithm tailored to each patient. This article reviews the theoretical background of MoBa, key international findings, the structure of the modular approach, and its core transdiagnostic targets (e.g., rejection sensitivity, emotion dysregulation, impaired social cognition). Special emphasis is placed on the potential implementation of MoBa in the Hungarian mental health system, including clinical and institutional challenges. The authors provide practical recommendations for adapting MoBa in Hungary and outline directions for future research. Keywords: algorithm-based psychotherapy, MoBa, transdiagnostic approach, depression, personalized treatment, psychotherapy modules.
BACKGROUND:Anxiety disorders are often diagnosed in adolescents (7%) and children (6.5%), yet most of them do not receive adequate psychotherapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a proven effective first-line treatment for anxiety disorders. Our aim was to develop an eight-session group CBT intervention adapted for adolescent population with anxiety symptoms, focusing on reducing cognitive distortions and avoidance behaviours and associated physical symptoms. METHODS:The participants (N= 51, age group: 15-20 ys.) were diagnosed with anxiety and comorbid mood disorders. Groups of 8-12 patients were formed to apply group CBT. To assess the effectiveness of CBT, the following questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention: BDI, STAI-S, RSES-H, BHS, CERQ, FNE-8, Non-productive Thought Q. (NPTQ-C). Paired-sample and independent sample t-test were used for statistical analysis of the results. RESULTS:Anxiety (t(50)=3.82; p<0.001), depressive symptoms (t(49)=4.09; p<0.001) and fear of negative appraisal (t(50)=3.15; p=0.001) were significantly decreased after therapy. In addition, there were reductions in unproductive thoughts (t(49)=3.47; p<0.001), hopelessness (t(50)=1.69; p=0.049), while self-esteem increased (t(49)=-1.76; p=0.042). Baseline levels of depressive symptoms differed significantly between anxiety-only and comorbid groups (t(48)=-2.016; p=0.049), while not between final scores. CONCLUSION:In our country, we were the first to examine brief, group CBT to reduce anxiety disorders in adolescents. We found that group CBT reduced patients' anxiety, depression, self-esteem and hopelessness, and the presence of comorbid disorders did not reduce the effectiveness of the intervention. These findings support the method's broader application in Hungary.
Csontvary (1853-1919), the great Hungarian painter was retrospectively diagnosed by psychiatrists as having paraphrenia expansiva or schizotypal personality disorder, respectively. He conducted a double life: beside his regular, productive artistic and private life, he also had a long lasting, secrectly kept mystical connection with higher powers, in his own words "perhaps God". However, his handwritten diary drafts suggest that he was suffering eventually from an affective disorder. We analyzed the 400 pages of this diary as well as 200 pages of an antology with testimonies of his contemporaries. Using the data of some of the Csontvary literature comprising over 500 references, we analysed his life events focusing on the data and episodes, looking for putative psychopathological, including affective manifestations. We could define a total of 39 events relative to our topic. 6 episodes turned out to be just normal. In 4 cases we could not define their exact nature, because of insufficient data. 29 out of the 39 events, along with 24 testimonies of contemporaries seemed to be pathological, demonstrating clearly the features of an affective disorder, such as elevated mood, euphoria; ego- diastole; impulsive behaviour; rapid thinking and speech; a tendency to logorrhea and graphomania; increased mental and psychomotor activities; megalomania; a decrease in judicial faculty but no complete loss of it; and occasionally some tendency to incoherence. Our results suggest the presence of sporadic and minor affective manifestations . However, we found only one questio nable episode of a depression. This can be due to the fact that for long periods of time the painter lived in isolation thus hiding an eventual depression. This new approach, the possibility of an affective disorder in the painter's history can help us to better understand some open questions concerning his life and work. However, it also seems clear that his pathological manifestations did not significantly impact his dominantly integral mental health nor the extraordinary high level of his artistic achievement. Keywords: analysis of life events; testimonies of contemporaries ; a dominantly integral mental health ; rare and minor affective manifestations; remarkable artistic achievement.
Childhood experiences play a decisive role in shaping long-term physical and mental health as well as overall well-being in adulthood. In recent years, alongside adverse childhood experiences, increasing attention has been directed toward positive childhood experiences, which not only compensate negative effects, but also independently contribute to resilience and to maintaining mental health. This paper reviews how these experiences support adult well-being, outlines the theoretical frameworks that help in understanding their diversity and impact mechanisms, and highlights potential measurements in science and intervention practice. Special emphasis is placed on the importance of strengthening positive, protective and compensatory experiences in the fields of prevention, health promotion, and clinical interventions. Our aim is to demonstrate how positive childhood experiences can open new perspectives in understanding and supporting well-being. Keywords: adverse childhood experiences, positive childhood experiences, protective and compensatory experiences, resilience, well-being, mental health, developmental assets, supportive relationships, health promotion, trauma-informed approach.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Depression, as part of mental health issues among professionals working in the field of education, is associated with burnout and several personal protective and risk factors in relatin to their work environment. Considering gender distribution of the profession, investigation of female educators should get special attention, partly due to their substantial overrepresentation, partly due to their elevated involvement. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze risk and protective factors (burnout, work motivatons, teacher resilience and well-being) of depressibe symptomatology in a sample of female educators. METHODS:Participants of our online, anonymous, cross-sectional survey were Hungarian female teachers (N = 520). We applied the following scales for measuring variables: Center of Epidemiologic Studies - Depression Scale; The Mini Oldenburg Burnout Inventory; Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire; The Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale; Teachers' Resilience Scale. Data analysis was conducted with the help of SPSS, using descriptive statistics, correlation, and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS:Thirty-five percent of the sample demonstrated depressive symptoms based on the CES-D scale. Risk factors were identified with logistic regression analysis including dimensions of burnout, especially exhaustion, and amotivation. Teacher well-being, intrinsic and identified motivation, personal and social resilience emerged as protective factors. CONCLUSIONS:The novelty of our research is the involvement of occupational factors in relation to mental health. Our findings highlight the great risk of depressive symptoms among female teachers, which has been strongly linked to exhaustion dimension of burnout and amotivation. Screening for depression in due time would be important among teachers as well as strengthening protective factors and detecting workplace stressors, and managing risk factors.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a chronic, life-threatening psychiatric disorder that typically begins in adolescence and imposes a considerable psychological and socioeconomic burden on atients, families, and healthcare systems. Although biological, psychological, and social factors have been identified, the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of AN remain only partially understood. This review examines the role of dissociation, childhood maltreatment, and early attachment patterns in the pathogenesis of AN. Evidence from the literature indicates that dissociative phenomena are particularly prevalent among eating disorder patients and are strongly associated with emotional abuse, and insecure attachment. These findings suggest that both dissociation and attachment disturbances contribute to the development, and maintenance of AN symptom, where impaired emotional regulation may play a mediating role. Recognizing and addressing these mechanisms in psychotherapy may play a crucial role in facilitating recovery and improving therapeutic outcomes in individuals with severe and chronic forms of AN. Keywords: noexia nervosa, dissociation, childhood trauma, emotional abuse, early attachment, emotion regulation, psychotherapy.
The psychobiographical analysis of John Berryman's life story aims to bridge the gap between his life's work and his life story; to shed light on the psychological background of his dream songs and other poems, to make his confession intelligible, and to explore whether his psychiatric-dictatorial illness contributed to the genesis and thematic content of his works. It was also questioned whether his literary activity influenced his illness in any direction. The compulsive recollection of his father's suicide was a significant source of motivation for the creation of many of his poems. He was in conflict with his mother over the death of his father. His attachment phobia was due to the traumatogenic influence of his parents; he was unable to dissolve with his wife in any of his three marriages. Although his poetry became more precise as he grew older, his poetry did not contribute to an effective elaboration of early trauma. Part of the reason for this was that he saw literary creation as an escape from his personality, not as an expression of himself. His personality was characterised by a fatal attraction to self-destruction. The dichotomy of the boisterous and the quiet Berryman runs through his biography, until at the end of his life his boisterousness gradually disappeared. From the life history data, the dynamics of a progressive, increasingly severe alcoholism emerge. Alcohol helped him to escape from his personality and to maintain the proximity to death that drove his creativity. His alcoholism and his poetry grew out of the same roots, drinking and writing dream songs were two manifestations of the same compulsion. Her illness was dominated by the self-destructive triad (trait-aggression, bipolar illness, addiction) observed in Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell and Ann Sexton. At the end of his life, he was converted in AA and came closer to the image of God he had constructed. He only got to the fourth of the twelve steps of AA. His unresolved traumas, alco holism and the lyricism of near death contributed to his suicide. Berryman's literary self-revelations shared with his readers behaviours, fantasies and biographical events that are usually surrounded by a sense of shame. In this sense, many of his poems can be seen as confessional.
INTRODUCTION:The global coronavirus outbreak posed a threat to healthcare providers. This study explored how psychiatric nurses (PNs) perceived their redeployment experiences. METHODOLOGY:Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with PNs deployed to care for COVID-19 patients. FINDINGS:Our findings suggest that three themes emerge from the data: (1) Awareness of the mental health perspective, as a reference (2) Operating inside the community as opposed to maximizing functioning (3) Professional understanding of evidence. CONCLUSIONS:To enhance future healthcare responses, it's vital to recognize psychiatric nurses' expertise in managing mental health crises, delirium, and altered mental states, ensuring comprehensive emergency care.
INTRODUCTION:Several studies supported the effectiveness of schema therapy in personality disorders, especially in borderline personality disorder. The goal of our methodological pilot study is to examine the reliability measures of the Hungarian version of the Group Schema Therapy Rating Scale - revised (GSTRS - R) created by Zarbock and colleagues (1) using a Hungarian sample. The scale makes it possible to assess the attitudes and working skills of group schema therapy psychotherapists, so that by evaluating therapeutic work in a clinical setting schema therapy could be further developed. METHODS:In the current study five independent coders (university students of psychology) trained in the coding of the Group Schema Therapy Rating Scale examined of ten video-taped sessions of schema group therapy taking place at the Psychiatric Clinic at Semmelweis University, Budapest. They evaluated the adherence and competence of the two participating schema therapists using various criteria described in the Group Schema Therapy Rating Scale. We have used Cronbach-alfa measure to evaluate the inner consistency of the two subscales (General and Specific subscale), and used Cohen's kappa and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to measure reliability of the scales and inter-rater reliability between coders. RESULTS:Based on our results regarding competence the inner consistency of the General subscale proved to be excellent, whereas regarding adherence the reliability was high on both subscales. Regarding competence reliability of the General subscale was excellent. CONCLUSIONS:Based on our study of the reliability measures of the Hungarian version of GSTRS - we can state that they proved to be excellent. One limitation of our study is that we could not test fully the adherence and competence of the two schema therapists. In order to complete this, and other validity measures of the GSTRS, further studies are necessary.
Social media platforms are becoming increasingly popular for discussing health-related topics. Our research focused on analyzing autism-related posts on the Reddit platform, including the r/autism, r/aspergers, and r/AutismIn - Women subreddits. We employed multiple approaches in our investigation: we conducted word frequency and sentiment analysis, defined symptom-based categories, and explored their interrelations. For the analyses, we used machine learning models in a Python environment, including BERT and DistilRoBERTa. Final statistical analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4. Our findings indicate that the discussions primarily focus on challenges related to emotional regulation, social relationships, and sensory issues. In the textual data analysis, emotional expressions prominently featured fear beyond the neutral category, while expressions of joy were less prevalent. The results of our study highlight the distinctive characteristics of online conversations about autism. These insights can help professionals and healthcare providers better understand the everyday challenges and needs of individuals with autism, enabling them to offer more effective and targeted support.
INTRODUCTION:The non-litigation legal proceeding, known as "judicial review" is intended to ensure that people receiving psychiatric treatment in Hungary are not subject to any discrimination and that their freedom is restricted only within the limits of the law. At the same time, this proceeding constitutes the legal framework for involuntary psychiatric treatment of patients who, as a result of their acute mental disorder, exhibit so-called "direct threatening behavior". The vast majority of complaints about psychiatric care are understandably related to the judicial review and the resulting treatment or the lack thereof. Over the past decade, the problems with the judicial review have attracted particular attention from the Hungarian psychiatric profession, the courts, and NGOs dealing with patients' rights, resulting in complaints to, and subsequent investigations by the Ombudsman. The authors assessed the staff provision and the current practice of the judicial review in acute psychiatric wards providing involuntary treatment in Hungary. METHODS:The authors sent a 23-item questionnaire on all aspects of the practice of the judicial review to all acute psychiatric wards (n=48). RESULTS:Thirty-three (77%) of the 48 psychiatric wards returned the completed questionnaires. The survey revealed a need for change and standardization in a number of areas, including staffing conditions and the whole practice of the judicial review. CONCLUSIONS:The high response rate and the comments on the local characteristics of the judicial review indicate the high level of professional interest of the Hungarian psychiatric community in the judicial review of involuntary treatment and the expressed need for change resulting in its modernization and standardization. The authors set out the steps to be taken by all parties (psychiatric profession, courts, legislators) to ensure that the judicial review can fully achieve its objective: the protection of the fundamental rights of psychiatric patients and the possibility of their lawful treatment.
The Avoidant-restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was included in the fifth edition of the DSM in 2013 and in the BNO-11 diagnostic manual in 2019. Prior to this, the problem was often unrecognised or diagnosed as an eating disorder not otherwise specified or feeding and eating disorders of infancy or early childhood. The new diagnosis allows for better targeting of patients who have not been diagnosed earlier, as well as for the diagnosis of patients over the age of six. The authors, in their review, describe the diagnostic features and symptom profile of ARFID, and they discuss the role of the main etiological factors involved in its development, such as sensory hypersensitivity, congenitally strong aversive and neophobic reactions, cognitive rigidity, high levels of anxiety, relative insensitivity to interoceptive cues of hunger, and characteristic taste and smell preferences. Different treatment options are also discussed. Although there are still gaps in evidence-based treatments due to the short history of the diagnosis, some existing therapies with some modifications or newer approaches may be well suited to treat ARFID. In addition to cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, and family-based treatment approaches with modifications, the importance of psychoeducation of parents and a family-tailored treatment plan is emphasised. The authors highlight that effective approaches to ARFID are often counter-intuitive, making it of paramount importance to gain the trust and cooperation of parents.
INTRODUCTION:Autism is a unique pathway of human development, rooted in the atypical development and functioning of the neurocognitive system. Its lifelong nature affects not only the individual but also the lives of family members. Although an increasing number of studies address the experiences of parents raising autistic children, the fathers' perspective - particularly in the context of adult autistic children - remains underexplored. This study aims to explore the experiences and meaning-making processes of fathers raising autistic children, from early childhood through adulthood. METHODS:This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with ten fathers whose sons had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and had reached the age of 18. The interview data were analysed using the method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). RESULTS:Four main group experiential themes were identified, revealing experiences that deeply influenced participants' parental roles and identities: (1) Dual control: A revolving cycle around losing and regaining control; (2) Crossing boundaries: accep ting and adapting; (3) Being in the world as a father: experiences of eternality and liminality; and (4) Personal growth through pervading experience. CONCLUSION:Fathers' experiences were fundamentally shaped by the unpredictability of the future and the lack of systemic support. Our findings may inform the development of support services that are sensitively attuned to the specific needs of fathers raising autistic children.
