The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant transformations in the social life due to the isolation itself and the effect of quarantine restrictions, which together affect the psychological health and well-being in different countries.

The aim of this study was to establish the emotional and behavioral students’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic, to assess the dominant coping strategies and the prevalence of neurotic states and stress level among students.

For this study, a specially designed questionnaire with a set of psychodiagnostic methods was used to diagnose the manifestations of neurotic conditions in students (Clinical questionnaire for the identification and evaluation of neurotic conditions by K.K. Yakhin, D.M. Mendelevich), the level of psychological stress and the main coping strategies (questionnaire " Coping strategies” by R. Lazarus). The sample consisted of 213 respondents, students of Kyiv Universities (119 female)

Among Ukrainian students, the dominant reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic are depressive disorders, anxiety and fears, a third of the students self-reported autonomic disorders. The stress level is moderate. Female reacted to the pandemic situation with more serious mental health disorders compared to male. The use of all coping strategies was recorded at a high level of tension, which indicates that students are already exhausting their adaptive potential and are actually maladapted in the current conditions.

The study confirms the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people. The available mental resources to overcome a difficult situation are exhausted, so students prefer to avoid and ignore stressful information. This gives rise to the need for psychological support and educational activities on health techniques.

None Declared

Since the start of the COVID19 pandemic, numerous patients have exhibited symptoms related to the viral infection once the acute phase has resolved. The most frequent are fatigue or weakness, cognitive difficulties, insomnia, and anxiety or depression. It has been observed that the persistence of these symptoms is more common in cases of severe infections.

We expose a case that exemplifies it; A 60-year-old man suffering from severe COVID19 infection during 2021, with bilateral pneumonia and secondary pneumothorax. Three months after the acute episode, he continues to present related symptoms, such as dyspnea, asthenia, arthromyalgia, nausea, hyporexia, memory lapses, anxiety and depressive mood with apathy, anhedonia and suicidal ideas.

The patient starts follow-up in Mental Health and antidepressant treatment with Vortioxetine 10mg. In the following months he presented significant improvement consisting in decrease of the asthenia, dyspnea, arthromyalgia and especially in anxious symptoms and depressive mood, disappearing the apathy, anhedonia and suicidal ideation. However, the persistence of memory failures draws attention, which remain in a similar degree or with slight subjective improvement.

The exploration and complementary test were the following:

• - Chest CT: Hydropneumothorax, parenchymal infiltrates, alveolar consolidations, left lamellar pneumothorax.

• - Head CT, complete analysis, microbiological and cytological studies without relevant resolution.

• - Assessment by the Rehabilitation and Neurology service.

This case exposes the existence of a post-COVID syndrome, where the symptoms related to the infection persist, including anxious-depressive symptoms of moderate-severe intensity. The different diagnoses that were considered were the following: Post-COVID syndrome, Adjustment disorder with mixed anxious-depressive symptomatology, Depressive episode.

We consider that in this case and in others that are similar, which are increasingly common in routine clinical practice, the etiopathogenesis of the syndrome is of interest. We found that it is difficult to discern the origin of the symptoms, not being able to differentiate an adaptive difficulty to the infection situation (added to the COVID pandemic context), versus a more organic affectation that improves when receiving pharmacological treatment, as in this case with antidepressants.

None Declared

Fear of sleep (nyctophobia), has been attributed to myriad conditions ranging from benign nocturnal panic attacks and Morvan’s syndrome (Ekambaram, 2021). Positional dependent hyposmia as an origin of nyctophobia has not heretofore been described.

Increase awareness for correlation between nyctophobia and hyposmia in individuals with COVID-19.

This 52-year-old woman presented with sudden onset of loss of smell and taste with COVID-19, which returned to 85% of normal. Five months prior to presentation she was reinfected with COVID-19, and her smell and taste dropped to 20-50% of normal which improved. However, her symptoms worsened when she would lie down, to 30% of normal, but would improve with standing, moving and sitting. Even reclining for a short nap caused her sense of smell to drop, requiring her to stand for hours before her sense of smell would return leading to her nyctophobia that forced her to move around all the time. She altered her lifestyle and assiduously avoided lying down. When so overwhelmed by tiredness she would sleep sitting up. Prior to her chemosensory problems she slept well without any fear of lying down or sleeping.

Psychiatric exam: speech: coherent, relevant without circumstantiality, normal pace and volume. Mood: normal. Oriented x 3. Able to remember 7 digits forward and 5 backwards. Able to recall 3/4 objects without reinforcement. Interpretation of similarities: normal. Proverbs: normal. Calculation: normal. Neuropsychiatric testing: Clock Drawing Test: 4/4 (normal). Animal Fluency Test: 22 (normal).

Nyctophobia, fear of positional dependent loss of smell, highlights the importance of smell to narcissistic perception of self. More than just one of senses, olfaction is important for mood regulation, memories and quality of life. Associated with chemosensory dysfunction, this is associated with 96% incidence of DSM-IIIR Axis I or II diagnoses, with the most common Axis I diagnosis being generalized anxiety disorder and dysthymia (Hirsch, 1996). This can be understood that the olfactory lobe is anatomically part of limbic system (MacLean, 1973). Smell fascilitates socialisation as well as maintaining interelationships; sexual dysfunctioning is seen in 17% of the population with olfactory loss (Hirsch, 1998). Deposition of memory engrams are facilitated as manifest with olfactory evoked nostalgia seen in 84% of the general population (Hirsch, 1992). Quality of life is reduced in 68% of patients who demonstrate smell loss (Deems, 1991). The importance of smell is thus intrinsic to an individual’s wellbeing, and the threat of loss of such sensation with change in position with sleep, was the precipitating event leading to nyctophobia in this subject. Assessing for fear of loss of smell in those with nyctophobia, especially with past COVID-19 infection, allows for increased understanding of etiology and indicates potential treatment approaches.

None Declared

The introduction of the covid 19 vaccine was a long-awaited event. However, many concerns accompanied this vaccine and the decision to be vaccinated was conflicting, especially among the most vulnerable population at that time, the health care workers.

Evaluate the decisional conflict among health care workers concerning the launch of the covid19 vaccination campaign.

This is a descriptive study conducted by a questionnaire posted on social networks using Google Forms targeting groups of health professionals before the launch of the vaccination campaign in Tunisia from January 16, 2021 to March 6, 2021.

We collected sociodemographic data and the attitudes of health care workers about COVID 19 vaccination. We used SURE score to screen the decisional conflict related to COVID 19 vaccine.

Our study included 168 health care workers represented mainly by medical personnel (81% of the respondents). The average age was 34 ±10 years and sex ratio was 0.22.

Sixty percent (60%) of population were hesitant about the COVID 19 vaccine. Scientific sources were consulted by 61% and non-scientific sources were referred to by 19%. Seven percent (7%) did not use any information source.

The SURE decisional conflict score: the mean was 2.26 ± 1.35. The majority of our population (74.4%) had SURE scores in favour of a decisional conflict. We found that decisional conflict was significantly related to information sources. This conflict was highest amoung health care workers who did not use scientific information sources to inquire about the vaccine.

The announcement of the covid 19 vaccination campaigns raised a significant decisional conflict among the health care workers. Screening for decisional conflict among this population is important. Specific interventions to reduce this conflict are recommended by incorporating decision support tools (Decison Aids) and the shared decision making approach.

None Declared

The covid 19 pandemic was a period of uncertainty. This uncertainty was sustained even after the advent of the vaccine against covid 19. Several concerns have emerged related to the vaccine and health care workers were at the centre of this uncertainty.

Study intolerance of uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy among health care workers in relation to covid 19 vaccination

This is a descriptive study conducted by a questionnaire posted on social networks using Google Forms targeting groups of health professionals before the launch of the vaccination campaign in Tunisia from January 16, 2021 to March 6, 2021.

We collected sociodemographic data and the attitudes of health care workers about COVID 19 vaccination. We used Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale short form (IUS 12) to evaluate the intolerance of uncertainty related to COVID 19 vaccine

Our study included 168 health care workers represented mainly by medical personnel (81% of the respondents). The average age was 34 ±10 years and sex ratio was 0.22.

Sixty percent (60%) of population were hesitant in front of the COVID 19 vaccine.

This hesitancy was explained in 90% of cases by the insecurity of the new COVID19 vaccine. Thirty-seven percent (37%) doubted the efficacy of these vaccines and 22% trivialized COVID19 by expressing the worthlessness of preventing this disease.

The mean score for intolerance of uncertainty was 26.57 ± 9.68 and a median of 26. The minimum score was 10 and the maximum score was 50. We found a significant association between intolerance of uncertainty and vaccine hesitancy (p=0.034). Subjects with higher uncertainty intolerance scores were less hesitant in front of COVID19 vaccination.

Intolerance of uncertainty is a consideration when introducing a new covid 19 vaccine to health care workers and in a pandemic context

None Declared

During the course of COVID-19 pandemic, the respiratory system is the most commonly affected while many neuropsychiatric manifestations of the disease have been observed.

Emphasize the importance of detecting psychiatric symptoms in patients infected with Covid 19.

Presentation of case report

A 44-year-old woman with no personal history of chronic diseases and with no psychiatric family history. About her experience with covid 19, her mother died as a result of covid 19 infection and our patient had been hospitalized for 17 days for pulmonary infection covid 19, during her hospitalization in COVID 19 unit she presented insomnia and anxiety without behavioural disorders. She had a good evolution of the respiratory symptoms and she was discharged under corticotherapy and anticoagulants.

She was admitted in our department after 45 days of her covid 19 infection for acute behavioural disorders.

On physical examination: she was hemodynamically stable and well oriented. Neurological examination was with no abnormalities. Cerebral CT scan was normal and lumbar puncture was indicated and the analysis of the CSF did not reveal any anomalies. At the psychiatric interview she was extremely agitated, anxious and hallucinated, she had disorganised speech with derailment and neologisms, she was disinhibited and her mood was exalted. She presented also a delusion of grandeur and delusion of persecution.

In individuals presenting with COVID-19 infection, consideration should be made for psychiatric manifestations because COVID-19 diagnosis predispose vulnerable patients to psychosis.

None Declared

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant psychological and physical impact throughout the world. Indeed, the rapid increase in the number of cases of infection created stressful situations and an anxiety-inducing climate that significantly affected the mental health of the world’s population, particularly that of healthcare workers (HCWs) who were massively mobilized to deal with the crisis.

To assess the frequency of anxiety-depressive disorders in HCWs who have contracted the SARS-Cov2 virus.

Cross-sectional descriptive study interested the HCWs of the Charles Nicolle Hospital of Tunis having had COVID-19 during the period from September 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. The psychological impact was studied through the HAD questionnaire (anxiety and depression assessment scale), administered to hospital workers at the time of the medical visit to return to work.

The study population consisted of 531 Hcws. The mean age was 40 years with extremes ranging from 24 to 63 years. A female predominance of 76.6% was noted. The average professional seniority was 10 years [one year-37 years]. Nurses were the main professional category (32.4%). The study population belonged mainly to the departments of gynecology (8.3%), general surgery (7.2%), internal medicine (6.4%), and emergency (5.5%). A pathological history was found in 89.6% of cases, 7.2% of which were psychiatric. Anxiety (total score >10) was noted in 36.5% of patients. On the other hand, a certain depression (total score “depression” >10) was found in 33.3% of HCWs.

The COVID-19 pandemic induced a significant psychological impact on the HCWs placed in the first line in the management of this health crisis. As a result, long-term psychological follow-up of healthcare workers is essential in order to preserve health at work in care settings.

None Declared

The COVID-19 pandemic had deeply altered the social and professional lives of people with SARS-COV2. The anxiety of being contaminated by the virus during the first waves had created avoidance behaviors and established a climate of rejection towards healthcare workers (HW) with COVID.

The aim of this study was to assess stigmatization among healthcare workers with COVID-19

This is a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out on HWs in a university hospital in Tunis who were affected by COVID-19 and who consulted the occupational medicine department. The study was conducted between March 2021 and June 2021. Data collection was based on pre-established forms. The questionnaire assessing stigmatization was inspired by the questionnaire assessing stigma in AIDS patients

The study included 100 health personnel. The sex ratio (M/W) = 0.29. The average age was 39.22 ± 9.3 with extremes ranging from 24 to 58 years. The average professional seniority was 11.39±9.4. Nurses were the most represented professional category (26%). The psychiatric history was: Depressive disorder (14%) and anxiety disorder (10%). Eighty HW were infected with SARS-COV2 for the first time. Contamination was intra-hospital in 50% of cases. Eighteen HW had been rejected. Verbal abuse towards HW with COVID was noted in 8% and physical abuse in 11%. Twenty-six HW had lost their friends and 36 of them no longer had as much social activity as before. In the workplace, rejection was noted in 21% cases, 10 health personnel reported a discriminatory orientation for the care of patients with COVID and 19 HW felt useless at work.

Socio-professional stigmatization should help us to understand the vulnerability and psychological impact of this health crisis on health workers. Control and prevention strategies need to be established.

None Declared

A delusion is a fixed false belief based on an inaccurate interpretation of an external reality despite evidence to the contrary. The diagnosis of a delusional disorder is made when a person has one or more non-bizarre (situations that are not real but also not impossible) delusional thoughts for one month or more that cannot be explained by any other condition. In patients with delusional disorder, delusions(s) do not impact the functionality and the patient’s behavior is not overtly bizarre. Although delusional core themes tend to be the same throughout different epochs (i.e., persecution, grandiosity, guilt, religion, hypochondria, love, or jealous), clinicians commonly notice how delusions tend to rapidly incorporate popular hot topical issues. Hence, delusions are dynamic and often represent a combination of psychopathology and external events.

The COVID-19 outbreak has affected millions of people globally and it also has a huge psychological impact. The objective of this case report is to outline the possible effect of the COVID-19 pandemic to delusional disorder in patients with healthy person.

The 40-year-old gentleman, a drum major (field commander), married, living with his wife and daughter (4,5 years old). He’s current complaints started when he did not want to have the Covid vaccine in April 2021 and therefore was exposed to mobbing at work. It is understood that the patient had irrevocable ideas about vaccine and PCR testing (radioactive lights were coming out from the PCR rod in a video he watched). For this reason, it is understood during the clinical interview that the patient was exposed to social restrictions at work and in his social life (he could not travel by public transport, plane, bus, and enter social facilities because he did not have a vaccination card or did not have a PCR test).He was admitted to our ward for the purpose of arranging his diagnosis and treatment.

On our ward, the patient showed poor insight with persistence of delusions. The impression was delusinal disorder. He was treated with olanzapine up to 5 mg/day and sertraline up to 100 mg/day, with a progressive resolution of symptoms.

There are other case reports on COVID-19 delusional themes in patients with schizophrenia and patients with no history of mental illness, which means that this phenomenon is not exclusive to affective disorders. In this case, different from the literature, the patient has never had covid. An area of clinical concern is the potential of the pandemic’s psychological context to trigger psychotic disorders and influence their symptomatology. A review of contemporary epidemics and pandemics psychosis research found no evidence of changes in the form and content of psychotic symptoms. Further research should examine those biopsychosocial COVID-related factors that predispose to, precipitate, and perpetuate psychosis.

None Declared

Neurologic complications in patients with COVID-19 are common in hospitalized patients. More than 80 percent of hospitalized patients may have neurologic symptoms at some point during their disease course. Rates vary by geographical location and patient characteristics.

Τhe aim of this research is to evaluate the frequency of neurological complications in patients with covid-19.

A literature review was made using the Pubmed Platform and the keywords: neurological symptoms, Covid-19 pandemic

Myalgias, headache, encephalopathy, and dizziness may be most common, occurring in approximately one-third of patients in China, Europe, and the United States. Neurologic symptoms such as dysgeusia or anosmia may be less common, but accurate ascertainment of symptoms may be limited in patients with severe cognitive or cardiorespiratory dysfunction. Stroke, movement disorders, motor and sensory deficits, ataxia, and seizures appear uncommon

Reports of severe neurological involvement such as encephalitis, encephalopathy, status epilepticus, ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes and severe neuropathies (Guillain-Barré syndrome) in COVID-19 are increasing, which makes this problem particularly relevant to neurological critical care therapy.

None Declared

SARS-CoV-2 is a virus with a multisystem effect, and it can cause numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, both in the acute phase of infection and in the period after the disease has passed. According to Nalbandian et al. (2021), post-acute COVID-19 syndrome is a condition of persistent symptoms and/or delayed long-term complications caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection lasting longer than four weeks after the onset of symptoms.

To indicate the possible role of the SARS-COV 2 virus in the development of long-term neuropsychiatric and cognitive consequences of COVID-19.

We undertook a search of the available medical literature in the period after 2020 with the keywords COVID 19 and neuropsychiatric complications

Results: Case report: Female patient, 40 years old, unemployed, married, mother of two children. She was admitted for the first hospital treatment at the Psychiatry Clinic of the UCC of Niš due to psychological disturbances in the form of experiencing her own body changes and changes in the environment, moodiness, anxiety, the conviction that she is suffering from incurable diseases, the experience of being centered and existentially threatened, insomnia. In 2020, one month after the recovery from COVID-19, she was treated at the Neurology Clinic of the UCC of Niš for a crisis of consciousness, diagnosis at discharge: encephalitis, encephalopathy. At the end of the treatment, cognitive-mnestic deficits remain. In April 2021, after reinfection with the SARS-COV2 virus, a depressive-interpretive syndrome developed, which is the reason for the current hospitalization. Depersonalization and derealization phenomena, time disorientation, hypochondrial delusions, ideas of self-accusation, cenesthetic hallucinations, impaired volitional-instinctual dynamism and deficits in cognitive-mnestic functioning are observed during hospitalization. NMR of the endocranium with contrast shows changes in the form of encephalomalacia, porencephaly, which indicates a condition after a cerebrovascular insult. She was treated with low doses of haloperidol (2 mg pd), antidementia and vasoactive therapy, which led to a reduction of psychotic symptoms as well as an initial improvement in cognitive-mnestic functioning.

This case report confirms the neurotoxicity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and it is in accordance with the available literature. The neuropsychiatric and cognitive complications that accompany COVID-19 are different and have a significant impact on the health of people who recovered from COVID-19. It is necessary for the health system to recognize this problem in time and provide organized neuropsychiatric and cognitive monitoring to patients suffering from COVID-19.

None Declared

Earlier ways of being in touch with each other have been turned into nostalgia the way COVID-19 did and continues to shake the world. There has been an enormous move under COVID-19 to move towards zoom, telephones, etc. to do online psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. Audio and video have taken exceptional agential forms by replacing physical hearing and seeing. Physical touch is replaced by a virtual touch. The virtual has extended the meaning of the body, feelings, sensations, and relations.

The aim of this paper lies in understanding, demystifying, and de-alienating the relationship between distance and psychoanalysis. It is to understand what ‘virtual turn’ entails in therapy. This paper theorizes the ‘and’ between distance and psychoanalysis.

This research used primary sources like books and articles to elucidate the possibilities and challenges of distance therapy.

In-office analysis, analysis with the video, and telephone analysis bring their own unique ways of communication and understanding. “Talking cure” and “chimney sweeping” come closest to the domain of telephone analysis where voice again becomes the foreground. Technology and distance therapy’s relation to the analytic position is understood critically as what they mean for both the therapist and the patient in such times of shared social crisis.

International Psychoanalytic Association (IPA) has authorized telephone and virtual analysis, which is a commendable step as this makes analysis far more accessible than it has ever been to people who live outside major cities along with breaking the hierarchy between the patient and the analyst.

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

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

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

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

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

Conspiracy theories complicating public reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic inspired quantitative research on conspiracy theories, mostly using survey-based, correlational designs. Data from similar studies may, however, be unreliable due to low temporal stability (Graham, 2021).

We examine the temporal stability of a popular survey measure of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs (CCBs).

CCBs were measured by a popular set of items developed in the first months of the pandemic, addressing the beliefs that COVID-19 was a hoax (CCH) and that it was artificially created for evil purposes (CCC) (Imhoff & Lamberty, 2020), in 179 students of medicine. In March 2022, CCBs were measured twice using the same set of questions presented once with a numeric (N1 measure) and once with a Lickertian (L1 measure) scale, with filler questions in between. The same Lickertian items were presented to the same sample in May 2022 (L2 measure).

The mean agreement with CCBs did not differ between March and May 2022 and previous survey on a similar sample in January 2021. The temporal stability of CCBs expressed as the correlation between the L1 and L2 measurement was poor (r = .57 for CCC, r = .67, for CCH). The difference between L1 and L2 was positively correlated with agreement with CCBs (r =.21, p < .01 for CCH; r = .44; p < .001 for CCC). Out of 18 respondents reporting agreement with CCC in March and 5 respondents reporting agreement with CCH, only 8 still reported agreement with CCC and 1 reported agreement with CCH in May.

Finally, participants were split based on their L1 CCC score into groups of “mainstreamers”, “undecided”, and “conspirators”. For “mainstreamers”, there was no difference between their CCC score recorded in N1, L1, and L2. For “undecided”, there was a difference between L1 versus N1=L2, suggesting random effects (regression to the mean). For “conspirators”, the scores recorded in March were equal, while their agreement with CCC was lower in May, suggesting that the scores recorded in March were not random and the difference between March and May is better explained by situational factors.

Temporal stability of survey-reported CCBs is low, particularly among those reporting agreement with CCBs: When a respondent reports agreement with a CCB in a survey, they are more likely to disagree than agree with the same CCB two months later. The low temporal stability seems to be affected not only by incorrect or random answers, but also by situational factors. Implications: First, survey measures of CCBs may inflate the spread of conspiracy theories in population. Second, correlations of CCBs with other variables measured by surveys may be inflated via common method bias, distorting our understanding of the predictors and consequences of CCB.

None Declared

Telework is a work organization in which a task that could have been performed on the employer’s worksite is performed by an employee outside of these offices, using information and communication technologies. COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened digitalization as the result of social distancing and lockdown. However, teleworking can lead to different risks for employees mental health.

Evaluation of the psychosocial impact of telework during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia

Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from17 to 22 May 2021. It included workers who teleworked during the first lockdown. The data collection was performed with a self-administered online questionnaire specifying the socio-medical, occupational and psychosocial characteristics.

A total of 612 teleworkers were included. The mean age was 33±6.9 years. Sex ratio (M/F) was 0.32. The main sectors of activity were telecommunications and information technology (31.6%), legal and financial services (19%) and administration and organizations (16.5%). The teleworkers were operating in the private sector in 91.6% of the cases. Teleworking had been practiced before the health confinement by 55.6% of the cases and 86.3% had never received teleworking training. Psychosocial repercussions were noticed among 92.2%. During confinement, teleworkers reported a mood sadness in 36.4%, persistent anxiety in 27.8% and constant exhaustion in 43.3%. Sleep disorders were reported by 65.5%. They were difficulty in getting to sleep in 42.5% and a difficult morning awakening in 51.8%. The absence of work organization was significantly correlated with mood sadness (p<0.001), chronic anxiety (p=0.01), sleep disorders (p=0.03), and constant exhaustion (p=0.001). Spending breaks in front of the television and on social networks was significantly correlated with sadness of mood (p=0.04), anxiety (p=0.009), and sleep disorders (p=0.04).

Psychological impact of teleworking during health confinement at the COVID-19 pandemic was significant. Therefore, the role of the occupational physician is important in the detection and the prevention of health consequences.

None Declared

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was described among patients with COVID-19, health professionals (HP), and the population at large. HP were in the front-line managing this pandemic which put them at a higher risk to develop such trouble.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of work circumstances on the mental health of HP.

Cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out. It included HP at Abdurrahman Mami Hospital who had a positive RT-PCR test of SARS-CoV-2 on a nasopharyngeal swab over the 10-month period from January to October 2021. Data collection was performed three months after the resumption using the PCL-5 questionnaire .

Seventy six HP was included in our study. PTSD incidence was 30%. Age average was 41 ± 9 years. Women represented 84%. Seventy eight percent of the HP were married and 71% were living with their children. The average number of persons in the family was 4 ± 1. Intensive care unit was the department of origin for 17% of the HP, the laboratory in 8% of the cases, the emergency room in 3% and the Covid-19 hospitalization services in 24%. The most affected occupational category was nurses (39%), laboratory technicians (14%), and physicians (8%). General difficulties with tasks usually performed was found in 35% of HP suffering from PTSD (p=0.012). It appears that limiting the time spent at work had a protective role for PTSD with an OR of 0.25 (p=0.002).

Handling COVID-19 health issues was the concern of all medical departments. This study highlights the impact of work circumstances on the mental health of workers. PTSD was prevalent among HP according to our study. PTSD may have an impact on work ability, which should be further explored by other studies. Other psychiatric disorders should also be investigated.

None Declared