Physical health is not the only area affected by the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. There are also other consequences that have globally affected many millions at other levels, namely: Societal, political, economic, and cultural. This study aims to survey alcohol drinking throughout the pandemic so as to investigate those factors considered most relevant; i.e., sociodemographic and clinical. A longitudinal study was designed. The first (or initial) stage was completed between April 10–20 2020 on 443 subjects during the enforcement of the “Lockdown” in Poland. The second stage will be due in June 2020. As well as an in-house questionnaire, the study used: The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Brief COPE Inventory (Mini COPE). Alcohol was the most commonly used psychoactive substance (73%) identified. More than 30% changed their drinking habits because of the pandemic, with 16% actually drinking less, whilst 14% did so more. The former group was significantly younger than the latter. Amongst the stress-related coping strategies, it was found that current alcohol drinkers were significantly less able to find anything positive about the pandemic situation (positive reframing) and were mentally less able to cope. Those drinking more now were found to have been drinking more intensively before the pandemic started.

The presented research aimed to identify the impacts of the second wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on respondents’ mental health state and identify variables related to the respondents’ symptoms of anxiety and depression; 618 subjects participated in the research. A specially prepared survey and Polish adaptations of the following methods were used: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS 10), MINI-COPE Questionnaire (Brief COPE Inventory), Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Scale of Death Anxiety (SDA), The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Over 24% of the respondents reported having experienced suicidal thoughts since the start of the pandemic. Almost 16% drank alcohol in a risky or harmful way. The average value of perceived stress indicated its high and very high intensity. Over 20% had symptoms of anxiety disorders, and almost 19% had anxiety and depression symptoms. It means that almost 40% of the respondents probably have mental disorders. More women, younger people, and those with disorders prior to the onset of the pandemic were among those who manifested these disorders. They also used passive and avoidance stress coping strategies more frequently. In conclusion, the second wave of the pandemic negatively affected the mental health of the respondents. A high percentage of the respondents manifested anxiety and anxiety-depressive disorders and declared having of suicidal thoughts.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the mental state of Poles in the first weeks of the SARS-COV-2 epidemic. Methods: In the study, the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-18), The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Mini-Cope were used. Results: The study was conducted on a group of 443 individuals, including 348 women (78.6%) and 95 men (21.4%). There were more women (χ² = 6.42, p = 0.02) in the group of people with high results in the GHQ-28 questionnaire and the differentiating factors between those with sten scores above 7 (significantly deteriorated mental health) and those with average or low results (sten score below 7) turned out to be: treatment for mental disorders before the pandemic (χ² = 19.57, p < 0.001) and the use of psychotherapy during the pandemic (χ² = 4.21, p = 0.04) and psychiatric pharmacotherapy (χ² = 8.31, p = 0.01). The presence of suicidal thoughts since the appearance of the pandemic-related restraints and limitations significantly differentiates the compared groups (χ² = 38.48, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Every fourth person in the examined group (over 26% of the respondents) recorded results that indicate a high probability of mental functioning disorders. Approximately 10% of the respondents signalled the occurrence of suicidal thoughts since the beginning of the pandemic. The respondents complain mainly about problems in everyday life, lack of satisfaction from one’s own activities, tension, trouble sleeping, and feelings of exhaustion. Individuals with significantly reduced mental well-being use non-adaptive coping strategies, such as denying problems, emotional discharge, taking substances, discontinuation of action, and blaming themselves for the situation. The risk factors for the deterioration of the mental state of the respondents during the pandemic include psychiatric treatment before the beginning of the pandemic, the presence of suicidal thoughts during forced isolation, and the use of non-adaptive coping strategies (denial of the existence of problems, emotional discharge, use of psychoactive substances, discontinuation of action, and blaming oneself for the situation).

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a type of hypergonadotropic hypogonadism caused by impaired ovarian function before the age of 40. Due to the hypoestrogenism, women with POI experience a variety of health complications, including an increased risk of bone mineral density loss and developing osteopenia and osteoporosis, which poses an important problem for public health. Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the values of bone mineral density (BMD), T-score and Z-score within the lumbar spine (L1-L4) using the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry method. The dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans described in this original prospective article were performed at the time of POI diagnosis and after treatment with sequential hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Materials and methods: This study included 132 patients with a mean age of 31.86 ± 7.75 years who had been diagnosed with idiopathic POI. The control group consisted of 17 healthy women with regular menstrual cycles, with a mean age of 23.21 ± 5.86 years. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), 17-estradiol (E2), prolactin (PRL), testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (fT4), insulin, and fasting serum glucose were measured. Lumbar spine (L1-L4) BMD was assessed by means of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. DXA scans were performed at the time of diagnosis and following treatment with sequential hormone replacement therapy (HRT) comprised of daily oral 2 mg 17-β-estradiol and 10 mg dydrogesterone. The mean time of observation was 3 ± 2 years. Results: Patients in the POI group presented with characteristic hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. They had a significantly decreased mean lumbar spine BMD when compared to healthy controls (1.088 ± 0.14 g/cm²) vs. 1.150 ± 0.30 g/cm²) (p = 0.04) as well as a decreased T-score (0.75 ± 1.167 vs. −0.144 ± 0.82) (p = 003). There was a significant increase in BMD (1.088 ± 0.14 vs. 1.109 ± 0.14; p < 0.001), T-score (−0.75 ± 1.17 vs. −0.59 ± 1.22; p < 0.001), and Z-score (−0.75 ± 1.12 vs. −0.49 ± 1.11; p < 0.001) after the implementation of HRT when compared to pre-treatment results. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that patients with POI often have decreased bone mineral density and that the implementation of HRT has a significant and positive influence on bone mass. The implementation of full-dose HRT and monitoring of bone status is particularly important in these patients.

Background: Depression and osteoporosis are severe public health problems. There are conflicting findings regarding the influence of depression on bone metabolism. The aim of the presented study was to compare bone turnover markers and vitamin D levels between patients treated for depression and healthy controls. Patients and Methods: We determined a concentration of osteocalcin, carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (β-CTX), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ in 99 patients, aged 46.9 ± 11 years, treated for depression, as well as in 45 healthy subjects. Depressive status was determined with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS). Results: In patients treated for depression, we demonstrated significantly lower osteocalcin concentrations (p < 0.03) and higher concentration of β-CTX (result on the border of significance; p = 0.08). Those relationship were stronger in women. The level of 25OHD and 1,25(OH)₂D₃ did not differ significantly between the examined groups. We observed a negative correlation between the 25OHD and HDRS score after treatment in all patients treated for depression and in subgroups of women and subjects with recurrent depression. Conclusions: Our results indicate that depression is related to disturbances in bone metabolism, especially in women and patients with recurrent depression, suggesting its role in context of osteoporosis development.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge regarding a healthy lifestyle and prophylaxis during pregnancy among women from rural and urban areas and how this changed within a 5-year period. Analyses of the population of pregnant women in Poland were made using a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted in the years 2010–2012 and 2017. Questionnaires from 6128 pregnant women were collected. The statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS. The examined population was comprised of 41% women from rural areas and 59% women from urban areas. Alcohol consumption was lower among women from rural areas than among urban inhabitants in 2010–2012; in 2017 a trend of even lower consumption was observed. Folic acid supplementation was more broadly developed in the urban population; however, in 2017, higher percentage rates of both populations admitted taking folates before pregnancy. More women in urban than in rural areas performed physical activity during pregnancy, but the differences decreased in 2017. Knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and prophylaxis during pregnancy increased regardless of place of residence; however, the most evident change could be observed among women from rural areas.