Lukoševičiūtė-Barauskienė, Justė

Introduction. In Lithuania, the relationship between academic anxiety and social support among 11th–12th grade students remain insufficiently studied. Aim. To analyze the relationship between academic anxiety and perceived social support. Methods. The study involved 422 respondents (response rate 86%). Of these, 46% (n=194) were boys and 56% (n=228) were girls, with a mean age of 17.4 years (SD=0.56). A quantitative method was used – an anonymous questionnaire. Academic anxiety was assessed using the Academic Anxiety Scale (11 items), and social support was measured using HBSC subscales (14 items). Added sociodemographic questions were created by the authors. The study was conducted during class in schools from Kaunas, Marijampolė, and Panevėžys. Results. It was found that 40% of students experienced average or above-average academic anxiety. Girls and younger students reported significantly higher anxiety (p<0.001; p<0.001, respectively). It was found that most students received the greatest support from classmates and the least from teachers. Girls received the most support from friends and classmates (p<0.001; p<0.001, respectively). Older students reported more support from friends, family, and teachers mokytojų (p<0,001; p=0,010; p=0,002, respectively), while classmate support did not differ between age groups. The results revealed a statistically significant association between perceived social support and academic anxiety. Students who felt greater support from teachers and classmates experienced higher academic anxiety (p<0.001). Conversely, support from family and friends was negatively associated with anxiety (p<0.05). This means that students who felt greater support from family and friends experienced lower academic anxiety. Conclusions. Higher academic anxiety was characteristic of girls and younger students. Sources of social support varied according to age and gender: girls typically received support from classmates and friends, while older students received support from family, teachers, and friends. Support from teachers and classmates was associated with higher academic anxiety, while greater support from family and friends was associated with lower levels of anxiety.

Introduction. Scientific literature indicates that for women, engaging in sexual activity out of a sense of obligation may be associated with lower relationship satisfaction (RS). Research on sexual motives has primarily focused on student samples, while studies on relationship satisfaction often involve married couples. Therefore, it remains unclear how different sexual motivations (SM) relate to relationship satisfaction across genders and age groups. Aim. To examine the associations between sexual motives and relationship satisfaction. Methods. The study included participants aged 18 to 50 (n = 205) who had been in a romantic relationship for at least one year (regardless of whether they were cohabiting, married, or not living with their partner). The research was conducted via publicspace surveying across Lithuania. Data were collected through an anonymous questionnaire comprising the CSI scale (to measure relationship satisfaction), the SexMS scale (to assess sexual motives), and questions about socio-demographic variables. Data analysis was conducted using both univariate and bivariate methods. Results. Among participants aged 18–30, no significant associations between sexual motives and relationship satisfaction were observed (p > 0.05). However, among women aged 31–50, lower satisfaction was associated with External sexual motives or Amotivation, while higher satisfaction was associated with Intrinsic sexual motives (p < 0.05). In the same age group, men reported lower satisfaction when more strongly endorsing Introjected motives, and higher satisfaction when more strongly endorsing Identified, Intrinsic, or Integrated sexual motives (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Autonomous sexual motives (Intrinsic, Identified, Integrated) are associated with higher relationship satisfaction, while non-autonomous motives (External, Introjected, Amotivation) are associated with lower satisfaction. However, these associations were observed only within the 31–50 age group.

Tikslas – nustatyti poroje kartu praleidžiamo laiko ir pasitenkinimo santykiais (PS) sąsajas bei pagal pastebėtas svarbiausias idėjas planuoti ateities tyrimus. Tyrimo dalyviai. Žvalgomajame tyrime dalyvavo 59 suaugusieji, bent metus gyvenantys su partneriu, 59,3 proc. moterų, 40,7 proc. vyrų. Vidutinis tiriamųjų amžius – 38,4 metų (SN = 15,36). Tyrimo metodai. PS įvertinti naudotas 16 teiginių porų pasitenkinimo indeksas (angl. couple satisfaction index, CSI-16). Tiriamieji žymėjo atsakymus pagal Likerto skalę nuo 0 iki 5. Porų laikui kartu tirti naudoti 4 originalūs klausimai. Tiriamųjų prašyta pateikti socialinius ir demografinius duomenis (lytis, amžius, santykių trukmė ir kt.). Tyrimo rezultatai. Vidutinis PS – 60,90 iš 80 (SN = 13,49). Ilgesni santykiai (p = 0,019, rho = –0,30) ir vyresnis amžius (p = 0,003, rho = –0,38) buvo susiję su mažesniu PS. Poros buvo kartu vidutiniškai 4,81 val. (SN = 3,28) darbo dienomis, 11,91 val. (SN = 3,76) savaitgaliais. Daugiau nei pusė tiriamųjų įvardijo, kad poroje kalbasi (52,5 proc.), tvarko namus (66,1 proc.), leidžia laiką prie ekranų (59,3 proc.) ar aktyviai ilsisi (54,2 proc.). PS stipriausiai koreliavo su laiku, praleistu kartu savaitgaliais (p = 0,009, rho = 0,34). Laikas, praleistas su partneriu darbo dienomis, su PS nebuvo susijęs (p = 0,137, rho = 0,196). Tiriamieji, turintys vaikų, patyrė didesnį PS, jeigu jie pažymėjo, kad kartu prižiūri vaikus (p = 0,006, U = 174,5). Kitos veiklos su PS nebuvo susijusios. Apibendrinimas. Vyresni ir ilgesnius santykius turintys tiriamieji patyrė mažesnį PS. Darbo dieną partneriai kartu praleido vidutiniškai 5 val., savaitgalio dieną – 12 val. Daugiau laiko kartu praleido trumpesnius santykius puoselėjantys žmonės. Dažniausiai tiriamieji pažymėjo, kad kartu su partneriais kalbasi, užsiima namų ruoša, veiklomis prie ekranų ir aktyviai ilsisi. Poros kartu praleidžiamas laikas buvo susijęs su PS, nepriklausomai nuo veiklos pasirinkimo. Tačiau vaikų priežiūra buvo susijusi su didesniu PS.

Background: Subjective health assessment in adolescents often reflects a person's health status quite accurately and also could predict their health condition in adulthood. In period of 2002–2022, Lithuanian adolescents’ self-rated health assessment had an improving trend until 2014 but then it started to deteriorate. Healthy lifestyle choices could be related to perceived health.

Objective: To analyze self-rated health and its associations with lifestyle choices among Lithuanian adolescents.

Method: Data were collected during the national HBCS surveys in Lithuania: 2014 (n=5730), 2018 (n=4191), and 2022 (n=5209). Students were from 5th, 7th, 9th grades. Surveys were conducted at schools during the lessons (all rounds in spring semester). The self-reported paper-pencil questionnaires were used to examine indicators such as self-rated health, vegetable consumption, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, sleep difficulties, alcohol consumption, smoking, gender, grade, and family affluence. Data analysis was conducted using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Girls consistently reported worse self-rated health compared to boys; similarly, 9th grade students, and adolescents from the lower FAS group evaluated their health as poorer (p<0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that from the analysed lifestyle factors for lower self-rated health, the most significant (p<0.001) was sleep difficulties (OR=2.42–3.28). Trends analysis (2014–2022) disclosed that irregular vegetable consumption, electronic cigarette use, and conventional cigarette smoking at the same time became relevant factors for self-rated health assessment (p<0.001), while present alcohol consumption became non-significant (p>0.05).

Conclusions: Poorer self-reported health consistently associated with worse lifestyle indicators such as sleep problems, insufficient physical activity, unhealthy eating behavior, and present smoking.

Background: Evaluating adolescents' subjective health assessment is crucial because it serves as a significant predictor of their overall well-being and life satisfaction. Recognizing how adolescents perceive their health can help identify those at risk for mental and physical health issues, enabling timely support and intervention.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze self-rated health and its associations with mental health indicators among Lithuanian adolescents.

Method: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee for LSMU Biomedical Research (No. BEC-M-05). Data were collected from Lithuanian schools in April–June 2022 during the national survey in Lithuania. The self-reported paper-pencil questionnaire was used to examine indicators such as self-rated health, well-being, loneliness, happiness, anxiety, health complaints, self-efficacy, gender, grade, and family affluence (FAS). The study sample comprised 6628 participants (aged 14.2±2.23 years) from 5th, 7th, 9th, and 11th grades (51% boys). Data analysis was conducted using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Girls consistently reported worse self-rated health compared to boys; also, higher-grade students had worse self-rated health. Girls, 9th grade students, and adolescents from the lower FAS group evaluated their health as poorer (p<0.001). The multivariate analysis showed (p<0.001) that lower self-rated health is was more likely in school-children with lower well-being (OR=2.43), somatic (OR=2.36), psychological (OR=1.99) complaints, lower happiness (OR=1.90), higher loneliness (OR=1.44), higher anxiety levels (OR=1.56), lower problem-solving abilities (OR=1.43), and difficulties in achieving personal goals (OR=1.41).

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate poorer self-reported health in girls and higher-grade students. Poorer subjective health consistently associates with worse mental health indicators and frequent health complaints.

Introduction. This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and illness perception in cancer patients, an area with limited prior research. Methods. Data was collected via surveys from January to March 2024 at Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos and an affiliated Oncology Hospital, using the Emotion Rating Scale, and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, alongside clinical and sociodemographic data. Data were analyzed using univariate and bivariate analyses with Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, ANOVA F criteria, Student’s t-test, Pearson’s and Spearman correlations. Results. Results indicated that participants had relatively high EI (118.9 ± 19.88). Higher EI was observed in newly diagnosed (U = 4182.5; p = 0.034) and younger patients (ρ = –0.21; p = 0.003). The overall disease perception score was 42.1 ± 11.20, suggesting a moderately threatening perception of cancer. Younger patients (ρ = –0.19; p = 0.006) and those in rural area (t = 2.10; p = 0.022) perceived the disease as more threatening. Patients with higher EI perceived their illness as less threatening (ρ = –0.33; p < 0.001), evaluating consequences, duration, and knowledge of their illness more positively, with reduced worry and emotional impact. Conclusions. EI is related to illness perception, with both constructs linked to socio-demographic and clinical variables in cancer patients.

Introduction. As academic demands increase and student mental health declines, understanding the factors related to academic success becomes increasingly important. While academic anxiety and social support have been studied to some extent, their associations with academic outcomes such as grades and exam planning have not been thoroughly explored, especially in Lithuania. The aim of this study was to examine how academic anxiety and perceived social support relate to academic achievement among 11th–12th grade students. Methods. A quantitative research design was applied using an anonymous questionnaire survey. Academic anxiety was assessed using the 11-item Academic Anxiety Scale (AAS). Perceived social support from family, teachers, classmates, and friends was measured using the HBSC social support scales. Additional socio-demographic questions were created by the author. The final sample consisted of 424 students (response rate 86%), with 45% males and 55% females. The mean age was 17.4 years (SD = 0.56). Results. Academic anxiety showed no statistically significant correlation with either the number of planned school-leaving exams (r = 0.05; p = 0.304) or the average of recent grades (rho = –0.05; p = 0.302). In terms of social support, only teacher support demonstrated a significant association with academic performance. Students who perceived teacher support had significantly higher grade averages (Md = 8.0 vs. Md = 7.0; U = 26369.5; p < 0.001) and planned to take more school leaving exams (M = 4.9 vs. M = 4.7; t = –2.29; p = 0.022). Support from family, classmates, and friends showed no significant associations with academic outcomes. Conclusions. Academic anxiety was not significantly related to grades or exam planning. However, teacher support emerged as a key factor associated with higher academic achievement, highlighting the importance of educator involvement in fostering students’ academic confidence and engagement.

Introduction. Graduates experience a lot of stress, which can also worsen their psychological well-being. Aim of this study was to determine the relationship between academic anxiety and psychological well-being of 12th grade students. Methods. Participants were 12th grade students of Alytus, Kaunas and Taurage participated in the study (n = 262). The research used an anonymous questionnaire survey. To determine the psychological well-being, Lithuanian Psychological Well-Being Scale for Youth (LPGS-J) was used. Cassady Academic anxiety scale was used to determine the academic anxiety. Socio-demographic indicators were also evaluated. Statistical data analysis was performed using the SPSS for Windows 29.0 statistical package, univariate and bivariate analyses were performed. Results. A third (31%) 12th grade students felt average or above average (34%) academic anxiety. Girls had statistically significantly higher academic anxiety than boys (mean ranks 145.5 and 99.7, p < 0.001). Students living in urban area (big or average city) were found to experience higher academic anxiety than students living in a rural area (small town or village) (mean ranks 139.2 and 119.3, p = 0.031). Level of psychological well-being of the graduates was higher than average (3.5 ± 0.64 out of a possible 5 points). The expression of psychological well-being in certain aspects of it differs between gender (p < 0.05). Moreover, as the academic anxiety of 12th grade students increases, the psychological well-being in the analyzed aspects decreases (p < 0.05). In the sample of girls, the relationships between these two analyzed constructs were more pronounced than in the sample of boys (ρ = –0.67; ρ = –0.54, p < 0.05). Conclusions. The findings indicate that a significant proportion of 12th grade students experience average to above average levels of academic anxiety, with notable differences between genders and living environments. Moreover, as academic anxiety increases, elements of psychological well-being tend to diminish, particularly in female students.

Įvadas. Vienišumas ir mirties nerimas tarp vyresnio amžiaus žmonių tampa vis aktualesniais visuomenės sveikatos iššūkiais, kadangi jie yra susiję su neigiamomis fizinėmis ir psichologinėmis sveikatos pasekmėmis. Pagrindinė problema ta, kad Lietuvoje trūksta empirinių tyrimų, analizuojančių šių reiškinių sąsajas, o užsienyje atliktuose tyrimuose pateikiami prieštaringi rezultatai. Taigi, šiuo tyrimu siekta ištirti vienišumo ir mirties nerimo sąsajas tarp vyresnio amžiaus žmonių.Metodika. Tyrime dalyvavo 209 tiriamieji (atsako dažnis 73,3 proc.; amžius –72,1±7,05 metų). Iš jų 55 proc. moterų, 45 proc. vyrų. Taikyta anoniminė anketa, apklausiant asmenis iš bendrosios populiacijos. Anketą sudarė socialiniai-demografiniai klausimai, Vienišumo klausimynas (angl. Loneliness Measure) ir Mirties Nerimo Inventorius (angl. Death Anxiety Inventory-Revised; DAI-R). Vienmatėje duomenų analizėje skaičiuotos medianos ir tarpkvartiliniai intervalai. Dvimatėje duomenų analizėje naudotas Mann-Whitney, Kruskall-Wallis kriterijai bei Spearman koreliacijos koeficientas.Rezultatai. Tiriamųjų vienišumo mediana –2,5 balo (skalėje nuo 1 iki 5). Patiriamas vienišumas tarp vyrų ir moterų šiame tyrime nesiskyrė (p=0,858), nors literatūroje randami prieštaringi rezultatai. Pastebėta, kad našliai ir išsiskyrę žmonės jautė stipresnį vienišumo jausmą, palyginus su partnerį(-ę) turinčiais tiriamaisiais (p<0,001), ką patvirtina ir užsienio tyrėjai, partnerį laikydami svarbiausiu asmeniu vyresniame amžiuje. Su amžiumi jaučiamas vienišumas didėjo (rho=0,35, p<0,001). Vertinant mirties nerimą, jo mediana siekė 47,0, skalėje nuo 17 iki 85. Didžiausią nerimą kėlė nepakankamas susitaikymas su mirtimi, o mažiausią -mintys apie mirtį. Skirtumai tarp lyčių nenustatyti (p=0,825), tačiau aukštesniu mirties nerimu pasižymėjo našliai, palyginus su partnerį(-ę) turinčiais tiriamaisiais (p=0,002), kas galimai kilo iš turėtos artimojo mirties patirties. Su amžiumi jaučiamas mirties nerimas didėjo (p=0,006), nors kiti mokslininkų darbai neranda sistemingų sąsajų. Analizuojant vienišumo ir mirties nerimo sąsajas nustatytas reikšmingas vidutinis teigiamas ryšys (rho=0,669, p<0,001). Taigi, stipriau išreikštas vienišumas buvo susijęs su aukštesniu mirties nerimu.Išvada. Tyrimo dalyviai pasižymėjo vidutiniškai išreikštu vienišumu ir kiek aukštesniu mirties nerimo lygiu. Šie rodikliai nepriklausė nuo lyties, bet buvo stipriau išreikšti tarp vyresnio amžiaus senjorų. Stebėta, kad mirties nerimas būdingesnis labiau vienišiems senjorams.

Įvadas.Nepaisant augančio akademinio spaudimo mokyklose ir prastėjančios moksleivių psichikos sveikatos tendencijų, Lietuvoje akademinio nerimo ir jaučiamos socialinės paramos sąsajos tarp 11–12 klasių moksleivių dar nėra išsamiai ištyrinėtos. Todėl šio tyrimo tikslas buvo išanalizuoti akademinio nerimo ir jaučiamos socialinės paramos sąsajas.Metodai.Tyrimui pasirinktas kiekybinis metodas, anoniminė anketinė apklausa. Akademinis nerimas buvo matuojamas 11 teiginių Akademinio nerimo skale AAS (Cassady, 2020), jaučiama socialinė parama iš tėvų, mokytojų, bendraklasių ir draugų buvo matuojama pasitelkiant tarptautinio HBSC tyrimo skales (viso 14 teiginių; Inchley ir kt., 2018). Papildomai buvo užduodami tyrimo autorės sukurti klausimai (socialiniai-demografiniai rodikliai). Šiame tyrime dalyvavo 424 respondentai (atsako dažnumas 86 proc.). Iš jų anketas užpildė 45 proc. (n=198) vaikinų ir 55 proc. (n=242) merginų. Dalyvių amžiaus vidurkis buvo 17,4 metai (SN=0,56).Rezultatai.Nustatyta, kad 40,3 proc. tiriamųjų patyrė didesnį nei vidutinį akademinį nerimą. Merginos (Md=3,0) dažniau jautė aukštesnį akademinį nerimą nei vaikinai (Md=2,0; U=30183,0; p<0,001). Taip pat jaunesni (16–17 m.) tiriamieji (Md=3,0) jautė didesnį nerimą nei vyresni (18–19 m.; Md=2,0; U=17094,0; p<0,001).Socialinę paramą iš draugų jautė 58,8 proc., šeimos –60,2 proc., mokytojų –45,7 proc., bendraklasių –78 proc. tiriamųjų. Lyties atžvilgiu merginos dažniau jautė draugų paramą (χ²=8,68; p=0,003), vaikinai –šeimos paramą (χ²=4,20; p=0,040). Vyresni moksleiviai (18–19 m.) dažniau jautė draugų (p=0,002), šeimos (p=0,003) ir mokytojų (p=0,009) paramą nei jaunesni.Moksleiviai, nejaučiantys socialinės paramos iš draugų (U=18604,5; p=0,002), šeimos (U=15433,0; p<0,001), mokytojų (U=15656,5; p<0,001) ir bendraklasių (U=10229,5; p<0,001), pasižymėjo aukštesniu akademinio nerimo lygiu.Išvados.Aukštesnis akademinis nerimas būdingesnis merginoms ir jaunesniems (16–17 m.) moksleiviams. Socialinės paramos suvokimas priklauso nuo lyties ir amžiaus: merginos labiau jaučia draugų paramą, o vaikinai –šeimos. Vyresni moksleiviai jaučia didesnę socialinę paramą. Aukštesnis akademinis nerimas statistiškai reikšmingai siejasi su žemesniu socialinės paramos lygiu.