https://doi.org/10.5559/di.30.2.00 UZ TEMU Bolest Covid-19, koja je započela u prosincu 2019. u Kini, nevjerojatnom brzinom proširila se cijelim svijetom, pa je Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija 11. ožujka 2020. proglasila pandemiju. Društvene institucije zemalja diljem svijeta donijele su stoga epidemiološke mjere ograničavanja društvenih i gospodarskih interakcija kojima se nastoji spriječiti širenje bolesti. Mjere fizičkoga, pa samim tim i socijalnoga, distanciranja dovele su do promjene u svakodnevnom funkcioniranju, zatvorene su škole i fakulteti, ugostiteljski objekti, kulturne ustanove, ukinut je javni prijevoz, zabranjeno napuštanje mjesta prebivališta itd. Strah od zaraze, neizvjesnost, ograničenje kretanja, socijalno distanciranje, promjene u svakodnevnom funkcioniranju (rad i školovanje od kuće, nemogućnost obavljanja uobičajenih aktivnosti), informacije o velikom broju oboljelih i umrlih od posljedica bolesti, preopterećenost zdravstvenoga sustava, ekonomske štete ili gubitak zaposlenja čimbenici su koji pandemiju ovoga virusa označuju kao traumatski događaj i koji utječu na mentalno zdravlje ljudi. Kod ljudi se javio strah, tuga, osjećaj frustracije i bespomoćnosti, osamljenosti, nervoze, rasla je razina stresa, anksioznosti, depresivnosti, panike, opsesivnoga ponašanja, paranoje, nasilja u obitelji itd. Cilj je ovoga tematskog broja bio steći uvid u psihosocijalne aspekte pandemije Covid-19 na temelju istraživanja koja su provedena tijekom prvoga vala u proljeće 2020. Zatvaranje škola i prelazak na nastavu na daljinu zahtijevao je prilagodbu škola, nastavnika i učenika na nove uvjete rada. U istraživanju koje su provele Burić, Parmač Kovačić i Huić ispitivala se medijacijska uloga samoefikasnosti nastavnika u objašnjenju povezanosti transformacijskog rukovođenja školom i kvalitete poučavanja te moderacijska uloga digitalnih kompetencija u odnosima spomenutih varijabli. Pokazalo se da transformacijsko školsko vodstvo i nastavnička samoefikasnost mogu imati zaštitnu ulogu u opterećujućoj situaciji kakva je nastava na daljinu. Sorić, Burić i Penezić ispitivali su emocionalnu iscrpljenost ravnatelja u uvjetima nastave na daljinu te utvrdili da su najvažniji prediktori njihove vještine na području informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije i negativni afekti koje ravnatelji doživljavaju na svojem poslu. Ristić Dedić i Jokić ispitivali su doživljaj i zadovoljstvo učenika 7. razreda osnovne škole nastavom na daljinu. Pokazalo se da učenici u prosjeku nastavu na daljinu doživljavaju nepovoljnije od nastave u učionicama s obzirom na kvalitetu nastavnoga procesa i opterećenost učenika školskim zadacima te da su osrednje zadovoljni nastavom na daljinu. No mala skupina učenika (15 %) nastavu na daljinu doživljavala je kvalitetnijom od nastave u učionicama. Kako smo u vrijeme pandemije usmjereni na aktivnosti od kuće te smo u velikoj mjeri izloženi digitalnim tehnologijama, Kotrla Topić, Varga i Jelovčić ispitivale su obilježja upotrebe digitalne tehnologije, kvalitete spavanja i zadovoljstva životom te korelacije između ovih varijabli kod djece i roditelja tijekom restriktivnih mjera u Hrvatskoj. Pokazalo se da nema značajne povezanosti između upotrebe digitalnih tehnologija i kvalitete spa173 vanja kod roditelja, ali postoji pozitivna povezanost između trajanja upotrebe pametnih telefona i zadovoljstva životom. Kod djece je dulja upotreba pametnih telefona za zabavu negativno povezana s kvalitetom spavanja. Pandemija je utjecala na promjenu tjelesnih aktivnosti, stoga su Ćurković, Lukačin i Katavić ispitivale navike učenika osnovnih i srednjih škola vezane uz prehranu i tjelesnu aktivnost prije i uslijed socijalne izolacije te povezanost stavova roditelja o važnosti tjelesnih aktivnosti s motivacijom njihove djece za bavljenje tjelesnim aktivnostima. Rezultati su pokazali da je zbog socijalne izolacije kod maturanata i osnovnoškolaca došlo do osjetnoga smanjenja motivacije za tjelesne aktivnosti, posebno kod mladića, te povećanog broja obroka u danu. Utvrđena je i niska pozitivna povezanost roditeljskih stavova i motivacije njihove djece za bavljenje tjelesnim aktivnostima prije i tijekom socijalne izolacije. Živčić-Bećirević, Smojver-Ažić, Martinac Dorčić i Birovljević ispitivale su izvore stresa kod studenata tijekom pandemije Covid-19. Najsnažniji izvor stresa predstavljaju posljedice izolacije, zatim akademski izvori stresa, mogućnost zaraze te obiteljski izvori stresa. Djevojke doživljavaju intenzivniji stres, kao i studenti koji zbog studija ne žive u svojoj obitelji. Svi izvori stresa, osim moguće zaraze, značajni su prediktori depresivnosti, a depresivnost je značajan dodatni prediktor akademskoga funkcioniranja studenata. Kako je jedno od rizičnih ponašanja tijekom pandemije povećano uživanje droga i alkohola, upravo su utjecaj pandemije na ovom području u Sloveniji istraživali Sande, Šabić, Paš i Verdenik. Autori zaključuju da je tijekom pandemije Covid-19 u Sloveniji došlo do smanjenja uživanja ilegalnih droga i alkohola, osim povećanja učestalosti upotrebe marihuane. Smanjena je dostupnost određenih droga, ali i izvora podrške, pa se naglašava potreba promicanja internetskih intervencija i održavanja kontakta s korisnicima. U istraživanju koje su proveli Uzelac, Ćepulić i Palić na uzorku od 84 080 ispitanika iz 29 zemalja pokazalo se kako stanovnici država s višim BDP-om po stanovniku u prosjeku doživljavaju niži stres te imaju više povjerenja u institucije. U Hrvatskoj su utvrđene nešto više razine stresa, ali i nešto više povjerenje u vladine mjere. Autori zaključuju kako je ekonomska razvijenost jedan od društvenih faktora povezanih s kvalitetom nošenja s pandemijom koronavirusa. U istraživanju koje su proveli Choi i Park istraživala se uloga digitalne tehnologije u olakšavanju javne komunikacije i formuliranju percepcije javnosti o upotrebi maski tijekom pandemije COVID-19 u SAD-u i Južnoj Koreji. Ova studija daje uvid u sve veći prijepor povezan s nošenjem maski za lice tijekom pandemije COVID-19, istodobno pružajući informacije zdravstvenim djelatnicima koji oblikuju strateške komunikacijske poruke. Studija koju su proveli Grah, Dimovski, Penger, Colnar i Bogataj nastoji razviti aktuarski model kojim bi se utvrdila kvalitetna zdravstvena politika, potrebna za osiguranje održivosti zdravstvenoga sustava u smislu definiranja potrebnoga broja kvalificiranih medicinskih sestara, koje će moći udovoljiti povećanoj potražnji zdravstvenih usluga sve većega broja osoba starije životne dobi u društvu koje stari i zbog globalne pandemije te upozorava na trenutačni manjak broja medicinskih sestara, što će se i nastaviti ako se ne poduzmu dodatne mjere. Tokić, Gusar i Nikolić Ivanišević utvrdile su da se zadovoljstvo poslom i mentalno zdravlje zdravstvenih djelatnika tijekom pandemije Covid-19 174 ne mogu objasniti promijenjenim radnim okolnostima, ali su značajni prediktori bile osobne karakteristike (sagorijevanje na poslu i otpornost). Zdravstveni djelatnici kojima je zadovoljstvo poslom u pandemiji poraslo ili ostalo isto ujedno su otporniji na stres, manje su iscrpljeni i otuđeni, viših su razina mentalnoga zdravlja u odnosu na one kojima je zadovoljstvo poslom u pandemiji opalo. Osim navedenoga, zaposlenici kojima je zadovoljstvo poslom raslo imali su i prosječno najviše prekovremenih sati i češće su radili s Covid pozitivnim i suspektnim pacijentima u odnosu na sudionike čije je zadovoljstvo poslom opalo ili je ostalo isto. Na kraju, Antičević u svojem radu prikazuje sadašnja saznanja o učincima pandemije na psihološke potrebe i mentalno zdravlje ljudi. Rezultati konzultiranih istraživanja pokazuju da strah od zaraze sebe i bližnjih, posljedice mjera socijalne distanciranosti i ekonomske posljedice pandemije mogu imati značajan učinak na mentalno zdravlje svih ljudi. Posebnu ranjivost pokazuju: (a) ljudi koji su bili izravno ili neizravno u kontaktu s virusom; (b) ljudi s ranijim psihijatrijskim problemima; (c) zdravstveni djelatnici i (d) ljudi koji stalno slijede vijesti o pandemiji. Najčešći problemi mentalnoga zdravlja jesu anksioznost, depresija, simptomi posttraumatskoga stresa i zlouporaba psihoaktivnih tvari. Znanstvenici diljem svijeta vrlo su se brzo uključili u istraživanje raznih aspekata pandemije. O angažmanu hrvatskih psihologa govori Izvješće Vulić-Prtorić o istraživanjima prezentiranima na 22. Danima psihologije, održanima u Zadru u listopadu 2020. Nakon prvoga vala u proljeće 2020. i početnoga šoka, naučili smo dosta o virusu te se prilagođavamo. Razvijeno je i nekoliko cjepiva protiv toga virusa. Državne institucije balansiraju s protuepidemijskim mjerama ovisno o epidemiološkoj situaciji i tako živimo zadnjih godinu dana. Znanstvenici su pomogli u identificiranju rizičnih čimbenika i ranjivih skupina (oboljeli od Covid-19/bolesni, zdravstveni djelatnici, mladi, stari, migranti, žene itd.), kao i zaštitnih čimbenika (socijalna podrška, zdravstvena pismenost, otpornost) mentalnoga zdravlja. Neki autori predviđaju pandemiju mentalnih poremećaja nakon završetka pandemije Covid-19. Međutim, znamo da se ljudi različito suočavaju s kriznim situacijama, ovisno o njihovim resursima za suočavanje. Većina se dobro suočava i prođe bez simptoma mentalnih poremećaja, kod dijela ljudi dođe do poboljšanja funkcioniranja te se razviju novi mehanizmi suočavanja (posttraumatski rast). Tek se kod manjega dijela populacije očekuju simptomi nekog od mentalnih poremećaja. Trauma ne mora nužno imati oslabljujuće učinke, većina ljudi otporna je, čak i napreduje nakon traume; štoviše, otpornost je najčešći ishod traumatskoga događaja. Kako je u praksi cilj umanjiti efekte rizičnih čimbenika i jačati zaštitne čimbenike mentalnoga zdravlja ljudi, treba i dalje pratiti efekte pandemije na mentalno zdravlje ljudi, posebice ranjivih skupina, a društvene institucije trebaju primijeniti znanstvene spoznaje s ciljem uspješne borbe protiv pandemije Covid-19. Slavica Šimić Šašić 175 THE THEME The COVID-19 disease, which started in December 2019 in China, spread with incredible speed all over the world, and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. The social institutions of countries around the world have enacted strict epidemiological measures to limit social and economic interaction, seeking to prevent the spread of the disease. Measures of physical, and thus social, distancing have led to a change in daily functioning: closure of schools, universities, hospitality and catering facilities, and cultural institutions; discontinuation of public transport; prohibition on leaving one’s place of residence, etc. Fear of infection, uncertainty, restriction of movement, social distancing, changes in daily functioning (work and schooling from home, inability to perform normal activities), information on the large number of sufferers and consequent deaths, overload of the health system, economic losses or job loss are factors that characterise the coronavirus pandemic as a traumatic event and affect people’s mental health. People have experienced fear, sadness, feelings of frustration and helplessness, loneliness, nervousness, increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, panic, obsessive behaviour, paranoia, domestic violence, etc. The aim of this thematic issue is to gain insight into the psychological aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the basis of research conducted during the first wave, in the spring of 2020. The closure of schools and the transition to distance education has required the adaptation of schools, teachers and students to the new working conditions. The research conducted by Burić, Parmač Kovačić and Huić examines the mediating role of teacher self-efficacy in explaining the connection between transformational school management and teaching quality, and the moderating role of digital competences in the relationships among these variables. It has been shown that transformational school leadership and teacher self-efficacy can play a protective role in a taxing situation such as distance education. Sorić, Burić and Penezić examine the emotional exhaustion of head teachers in the conditions of online education, and determine that the most important predictors of their skills lie in the field of information and communication technology and in the negative affect that heads experience at work. Ristić Dedić and Jokić examine the experience of, and satisfaction with, distance education in year-7 elementary-school students. Students, on average, are shown to perceive distance education as less favourable than classroom teaching, given the quality of the teaching process and the students’ burden of homework, and reported to be moderately satisfied with distance education. However, a small group of students (15%) experience distance education to be of higher quality than classroom teaching. Since, in this time of pandemic, we are oriented towards activities from the home, and we are largely exposed to digital technologies, Kotrla Topić, Varga and Jelovčić examine the characteristics of use of digital technology, quality of sleep, and life satisfaction, and the correlations between these variables in children and parents, 176 during the restrictive measures in Croatia. It has been shown that there is no significant connection between the use of digital technologies and quality of sleep in parents, but there is a positive association between the duration of smartphone usage and life satisfaction. In children, prolonged use of smartphones for entertainment is negatively associated with quality of sleep. The pandemic has affected a change in physical activities, so Ćurković, Lukačin and Katavić examine the habits of elementaryand high-school students relating to nutrition and physical activity before and as a result of social isolation, and the connection between parents' attitudes to the importance of physical activity and their children's motivation to engage in such. The results show that, due to social isolation, in high-school graduates and elementary-school students, there is a significant decrease in motivation to engage in physical activity, especially in male youths, and an increase in the number of meals per day. A low positive correlation is also found between parents' attitudes and their children's motivation to engage in physical activities before and during social isolation. Živčić-Bećirević, Smojver-Ažić, Martinac Dorčić and Birovljević examine sources of stress in students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The consequences of isolation represent the most vigorous source of stress, followed by academic sources of stress, the possibility of infection, and family sources of stress. Female youths experience more intense stress, as do students who do not live with their families because of their studies. All sources of stress except the possibility of infection are significant predictors of depression, and depression is a significant additional predictor of academic functioning of the students. As one of the risky behaviours during the pandemic is the increased use of drugs and alcohol, the impact of the pandemic in this domain in Slovenia has been investigated by Sande, Šabić, Paš and Verdenik. The authors conclude that, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia, there has been a decrease in the use of illegal drugs and alcohol, except for an increase in the frequency of marijuana use. The availability of certain drugs, as well as sources of support, have been reduced, and the need to promote online interventions and maintain contact with users is emphasised. The survey conducted by Uzelac, Ćepulić and Palić on a sample of 84,080 respondents from 29 countries shows that residents of countries with higher GDP per capita have experienced lower stress, on average, and have more trust in institutions. In Croatia, slightly higher levels of stress have been identified, but also somewhat more confidence in government measures. The authors conclude that economic development is one of the social factors associated with the quality of coping with the coronavirus pandemic. The study conducted by Choi and Park explores the role of digital technology in facilitating public communication and formulating public perception of the use of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and South Korea. This study provides insight into the growing controversy associated with wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the same time providing information for health professionals who shape strategic communication messages. The study conducted by Grah, Dimovski, Penger, Colnar and Bogataj seeks to develop an actuarial model to determine the quality 177 health policy that is needed to ensure the sustainability of the health system in terms of defining the required number of qualified nurses who will be able to meet the increased demand for health services due to the global pandemic, and from an ever-increasing number of older people in an ageing society, and points out the current shortage of nurses, which will also continue into the future unless additional measures are taken. Tokić, Gusar and Nikolić Ivanišević determine that job satisfaction and mental health of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be explained by changed working circumstances, but personal characteristics (burnout at work and resilience) are significant predictors. Those healthcare professionals whose job satisfaction in the pandemic has increased or remained the same are also more resistant to stress, are less exhausted and alienated, and have higher levels of mental health than those whose job satisfaction in the pandemic has declined. In addition to the above, employees whose job satisfaction has grown have also had, on average, the most overtime hours and worked more often with COVID-positive and -suspected patients than participants whose job satisfaction has declined or remained the same. Finally, in his work, Antičević presents the existing findings regarding the effects of the pandemic on people’s psychological needs and mental health. The results of the research consulted indicate that the fear of infecting oneself and one’s friends and relatives, the consequences of measures of social distancing, and the economic consequences of the pandemic can have a significant effect on the mental health of all people. Particular vulnerabilities are shown by: (a) people who have been in direct or indirect contact with the virus, (b) people with previous psychiatric problems, (c) health professionals and (d) people who continuously follow the news on the pandemic. The most common mental-health problems are anxiety, depression, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychoactive-substance abuse. Scientists around the world have very quickly become involved in research on various aspects of the pandemic. The involvement of Croatian psychologists is spoken of in the report by Vulić-Prtorić on research presented at the 22nd Psychology Days, held in Zadar in October 2020. Since the first wave, in the spring of 2020, and the initial shock, we have learned much about the virus, and we are adapting. Several vaccines have also been developed against the corona virus. Government institutions are balancing anti-epidemic measures, depending on the epidemiological situation, and we have been living so for the past year. Scientists have helped identify risk factors and vulnerable groups (COVID-19 sufferers/sick people, health professionals, young people, the elderly, migrants, women etc.), as well as protective factors (social support, health literacy, resilience) of mental health. Some authors predict a pandemic of mental disorders after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we know that people confront crisis situations differently, depending on their coping resources. Most people cope well and emerge without symptoms of mental disorder; some people improve their functioning and develop new coping mechanisms (post-traumatic growth). Symptoms of mental dis178 order are expected only in a small part of the population. Trauma does not necessarily have to have debilitating effects; most people are resilient and even progress after trauma. Moreover, resilience is the most common outcome of a traumatic event. Since, in practice, the goal is to reduce the effects of risk factors and strengthen the protective factors of human mental health, it is necessary to continue monitoring the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of people, especially vulnerable groups, and social institutions should apply scientific knowledge with the aim of successfully combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. Slavica Šimić Šašić 179