Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. It was once thought to be a disorder affecting only children, but in those undiagnosed in childhood, symptoms do not disappear with age. There is now a growing recognition of the late diagnosis and treatment of adults with ADHD. The first-line drug in pharmacotherapy is methylphenidate, and information about its adverse effects, when used by adults, has not been as extensively described as in children. The aim of this article was to review the literature describing the risks of methylphenidate therapy for adults with ADHD. A total of 19 articles—15 clinical trials and 4 case reports presenting rare side effects resulting from methylphenidate therapy, such as reversible ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and psychotic episodes, were analyzed. The analysis from clinical trials included 3458 adult patients with ADHD and described the most common side effects, psychiatric adverse events, effects of methylphenidate treatment on sleep, laboratory results, body mass, and cardiovascular symptoms. Methylphenidate treatment is well tolerated, with side effects described, according to severity, as mild to moderate. We conclude that pharmacotherapy is not risk-free and methylphenidate, due to its side effects, may not be the first drug of choice for every patient.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of social media use on users’ subjective feelings of loneliness and the occurrence of anxiety symptoms, taking into account demographic variables such as age and education level.Material and methods: A total of 220 patients of the Mental Health Outpatient Clinic participated in the study and completed a self-administered survey questionnaire including demographic data, social media use patterns and assessment of experienced psychological symptoms.Results: Statistical analyses showed that younger users spend more time online, which correlates with higher feelings of loneliness and severity of anxiety symptoms, while higher levels of education are associated with less time online and better awareness of the dangers of excessive social media use.Conclusions: Social media leads to an increased sense of isolation. Excessive use of these platforms is associated with decreased sleep quality, decreased self-esteem, increased levels of stress and anxiety and an overall deterioration in users’ mental health. The experience of digital loneliness varies according to the characteristics of users - young people, women and people with limitations are the most vulnerable to the negative effects of excessive social media use.

Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to assess the level of acceptance of the disease and attitudes towards pharmacological treatment in patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry departments and to analyze the relationship between these variables and the length of hospitalization. Materials and methods: The study included 121 patients hospitalized in forensic psychiatry wards. The Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) and the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI) were used. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric tests, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results: The mean AIS score was 28 points, indicating moderate to good disease acceptance. A positive attitude toward pharmacological treatment was demonstrated by 74% of respondents. There was no significant correlation between disease acceptance and attitudes toward treatment (p = 0.70), nor was there any effect of hospitalization length on attitudes toward pharmacotherapy (p = 0.317). Conclusions: Patients of forensic psychiatry wards demonstrate a medium or high level of acceptance of the disease and a mostly positive attitude towards pharmacotherapy; the lack of significant correlations between these variables and the independence from the length of hospitalization indicate the need for individualized therapy.