We aimed to determine differences in mental health outcomes for the adult population depending on their personal experience during the first months of the war in Ukraine. The study involved 1,257 respondents (32.3% male and 67.7% female, aged 18–61+ years). We used the Brief Resilience Scale, the Professional Hardiness Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory—Expanded, the Short Screening Scale for DSM– IV post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the Giessen Subjective Complaints List. The obtained data showed high pressure of physical complaints and high levels of PTSD symptoms in adult Ukrainians. We found that positive mental health outcomes were significantly higher in adults with ‘Active’ personal experience during the first months of the war in Ukraine, which was shown by their significantly higher levels of four positive mental health indicators (resilience, general level of professional hardiness, self-efficacy and level of post-experience change). Negative mental health outcomes were significantly higher in adults with ‘Passive’ experience, which was shown by their significantly higher levels of two negative indicators (pressure of physical complaints and manifestations of PTSD symptoms). Our findings indicate a high need for psychological support and assistance for the Ukrainian population and show the direction of possible interventions.

‘Return to nature’ has become a buzzword in both scientific and public discourse. The growing interest in this phenomenon calls for the development of reliable tools for scientific research, for example the adaptation of various connectivity to nature (CN) scales developed by researchers from other cultural circles and other countries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Polish version of the AIMES scale for multidimensional assessment of CN as conceptualized by Ives et al. (2018). Validation studies were conducted using a survey administered on Prolific, an online platform, with a sample of 516 Poles (56% of them women) aged 18-66. The Polish version of AIMES showed high internal consistency (α = .92). Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the scale structure consists of a unified second-order factor with five first-order factors: attachment, identity, materialism, experiential, and spiritual. Relevance analysis showed significant positive associations of CN with perception of nature and silence, pro- environmental attitude and behaviour, psychological well-being, gratitude/awe, forgiveness, spirituality, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, and a marginal positive association with openness to experience. The results strengthen the psychometric qualities of the AIMES scale, indicating its applicability to the study of CN in Polish contexts.

The aim of the article is twofold: to introduce a Polish adaptation of the Self-Talk Scale (STS) by Brinthaupt et al. (2009), including psychometric properties of the method, and to present some empirical results focusing on relationships between inner speech and other variables, like temperamental and personality traits, selected features of characteristic adaptations, and the self. In a Polish sample of 1,321 participants (770 women) aged 18–70 years ( M = 26.62, SD = 8.30), the internal structure of the scale consisting of self-criticism, self-reinforcement, self- management, and social assessment was confirmed with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which showed an acceptable fit of the four-function model to the empirical data. However, according to EFA, two functions, self- management and social assessment, constituted one common factor. Internal consistency of the total score was high, α = .87 and .88, in two samples, as well as for particular functions, from .73 to .85. Validity of the STS was confirmed with the Internal Dialogical Activity Scale – Revised (Oleś et al., 2020). Moreover, STS results corresponded with traits like endurance and neuroticism; characteristic adaptation, like love for life; characteristics of the self, like reflection and rumination; and slightly with tolerance for ambiguity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through reducing psychopathology, improving quality of life, and developing psychological skills (psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and ego-resiliency). The study was quasi-experimental in the form of a four-week ACT intervention; three measurements were obtained (baseline, one week after training, one month after training). It involved 60 participants divided into three groups: two criteria groups (ACT in the off-line form, N=20, ACT in the on-line form, N=20), and one control group (N=20). The results showed a significant improvement in the area of quality of life and the level of psychological skills among parents participating in the ACT training, and this improvement was maintained both a week and a month after the end of the training. The form of participation in the training did not differentiate the groups, which may indicate their equivalence. In addition, significant intergroup differences were shown between participants from the criterion groups and those from the control group, as the subjects who did not participate in the training were characterized by lower quality of life and lower level of psychological skills, and higher intensity of psychopathological symptoms. The results can be used both in designing further scientific research and in clinical practice, especially in the psychological care of families of persons diagnosed with ASD, with special focus on the area of developing psychological skills and the use of short-term therapeutic methods.

The presented article consists of two studies (correlation and experimental) on the importance of self-esteem for the perceived value added by a brand to a consumer’s self-image. Both studies were conducted online, using the snowball method, controlling for participants’ gender and product categories. The correlation study showed that consumers, with an increase in self-esteem understood as a trait, look for more positive traits in brands and fewer negative traits to incorporate into their self-image by purchasing the brand. In addition, they confirmed that brand preference is mainly related to the qualities possessed, which the consumer can confirm by purchasing the brand. The experimental study showed that people with lowered self-esteem perceive more positive traits in brands that they can incorporate into their self-image by purchasing the brand, and there were no differences in confirming positive traits and avoiding negative traits that are associated with the brand. The new measurement of the perceived value of a brand to a consumer’s self- image, used, allowed the identification of specific areas of brand image sensitive to a consumer’s self-esteem.

Background. For many years virtual reality (VR) has been used to support therapy in many clinical contexts. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of VR as an intervention to reduce distress and increase patient comfort during chemotherapy. Participants and Procedure. Twenty-six adult patients of the Haematology Clinic participated in the between-group design study. The experimental group used a VR application during three chemotherapy sessions, while the control group underwent treatment as usual.
Participants' task in VR was to locate and destroy cancer cells using drug particles emitted from a virtual weapon. Several self-report measures were used, measuring attitudes towards the chemotherapy session, experiences during the session, items related to using visualization techniques, and questions related to evaluating the VR application.
Results. We found a significant difference between groups regarding the experience of the session. Participants in the experimental group reported more sense of control over the treatment process, higher levels of physical comfort, and relaxation. We discuss the implications of these results in various contexts, including gender differences, age, and time between chemotherapy sessions.
Conclusions. Virtual Reality applications can effectively influence the experience of the chemotherapy session positively. Its use can also affect the psychological aspects of a patient's treatment process.

The Klein et al. Unidimensional Target neutral (K.U.T.) commitment measure is a promising short self-report measure forming a counterpoint to the popular multidimensional approach to the assessment of commitment. The goals of the present study were to examine the construct reliability, convergent, discriminant, an incremental validity; and the measurement invariance (sex, education, job position) of the Polish version of K.U.T. The scale was evaluated using a sample of adults working for Polish organizations. Confirmatory factor analyses confirm original structure of the K.U.T.-PL and its measurement reliability and validity. Moreover, performed analysis showed that K.U.T.-PL was invariant across sex, education, and job position group. In conclusion, the findings confirm that the Polish adaptation of the K.U.T. presents solid psychometric properties and initial evidence of validity.