Marcin Sękowski

The Maria Grzegorzewska University · Department of Psychology

Despite the impact of the COVID‐19 outbreak being largely negative on parents and children, for some families, lockdown could also bring about some positive effects, for example, increased emotional closeness, and more time for joint activity. The aim of the current study was to investigate cross‐sectionally the most important correlates of the pos...

Objectives: We examined associations between the severity of symptoms of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and depression and recent suicidal ideation among bereaved family members. Methods: Individuals who survived the death of a family member 1-8 year earlier (N = 225) were surveyed using self-report measures in the cross-sectional study. Regress...

Earlier studies have shown that self-criticism is a robust correlate of suicidal behavior (SB) and suicidal ideation (SI). However, research results regarding the relationship between dependency and SB/SI are mixed. Several studies have also shown that depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between dependency and/or self-criticism and SB/SI....

Insecure attachment style and borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms are related to the severity of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and can also complicate its course and treatment. We propose a theoretical model of relationships between adult attachment style and BPD and AUD symptom severity in which the sense of identity is a mediator. The aim...

Several studies report that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a risk factor for suicidality in adults. However, this issue requires further research in adolescents, as it is not clear which individual BPD symptoms are significant correlates of suicidality in this age group. The main aim of the current study was to test which symptoms of BPD...

Objective: While the relationship between attachment anxiety and avoidance and the severity of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) has been well-studied, less is known about the relationship between disorganized attachment and PGD. We test the associations between disorganized attachment and the interaction between it and attachment avoidance and anxie...

Objectives Prior studies have shown that pre-loss closeness and conflict with a deceased person are associated with the severity of symptoms of prolonged grief and/or depression. Nevertheless, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. We propose a theoretical model in which past closeness and conflict are related to prolong...

Background Several studies have shown that interpersonal dependency is a risk factor for prolonged grief disorder (PGD), a disorder that has been recently approved by the American Psychiatric Association Assembly for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders—5—Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Nevertheless, it remains unclear w...

The research on nonclinical samples reports the effect of a weak sense of identity on the use of psychoactive substances, but there has been no research to date on sense of identity in individuals with substance use disorder. The aim of the study was to test differences in sense of identity (SoI) in male patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD; n =...

Given the high mortality of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), having severe COVID-19 may be a life-threatening event, especially for individuals at high risk of complications. Therefore, in the article we try to answer two questions that are relevant to public mental health: Can we define groups who are at higher risk of developing pandemic-...

Although Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is a mental disorder introduced into both the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5-Text Revision (DSM-5-RT) and the International Classification of Diseases 11 th Revision (ICD-11), the list of symptoms of this disorder in the two classifications differs slightly. In PGD research, the sever...

Uzależnienie od substancji psychoaktywnych zwiększa nasilenie zachowań samobójczych, stąd potrzeba poszukiwania intrapsychicznych czynników ryzyka samobójczego u osób uzależnionych od alkoholu. Bazując na teorii biegunowości doświadczenia Blatta i doniesieniach z wcześniejszych badań, celem badań uczyniono przetestowanie, czy i jak osobowość depres...

Purpose: Numerous studies suggest that infection with coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes acute respiratory distress syndrome and COVID-19 illness, can lead to changes in the central nervous system (CNS). Consequently, some individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection may also present the symptoms of neuropsychological disorders. The goals of this litera...

Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic people experience higher levels of negative emotions, as well as face many negative and intense emotions felt by others. Thus, it is important to look for risk and protective factors that allow and help individuals to regulate these negative emotions and adapt to the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. Obj...

We examined the psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Quality of Relationships Inventory—Bereavement Version (QRI-B) in a sample of 241 persons bereaved after the death of a family member from 0.5 to 8 (M = 3.36, SD = 2.02) years before the survey. A good fit of the original two-factor (Closeness and Conflict) model of the QRI-B was...

Based on the research on continuing bonds (CB) with a deceased person to date, the reports of clinicians, and the contemporary theory of attachment, two dimensions of CB were distinguished: (i) a concrete CB, essentially characteristic of unresolved and prolonged grief, and (ii) a symbolic CB, specific to grief resolution. The psychometric properti...

Previous studies have demonstrated positive associations between identity disturbances and suicidality in adolescents; however, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. The authors propose that borderline features and various internalizing disorders may mediate these relations. The aim of this study was to test a multiple...

Background Previous studies carried out in different countries have indicated that young adults experienced higher levels of emotional distress, in the form of depressive and anxiety symptoms, than older age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about which pandemic-related difficulties and factors may contribute to these fo...

To investigate firefighters' multidimensional attitude toward death and psychological distress, 60 firefighters completed the Death Attitude Profile-Revised and the General Health Questionnaire-28. As predicted, fear of death and escape acceptance were positively related to severe depression and anxiety/insomnia. However, contrary to predictions, n...

Podstawy teoretyczne. Strukturalny model poziomów organizacji osobowości Ottona F. Kernberga jest szeroko wykorzystywaną przez klinicystów koncepcją, weryfikowaną w badaniach z udziałem grup klinicznych i nieklinicznych. Koncepcja ta skupia się na wyjaśnianiu źródeł i patomechanizmów leżących u podłoża zaburzeń psychicznych w kategoriach patologicz...

Some authors suggest the existence of links between the mechanisms of defense and attitude toward death, however, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. The objective of the present research was to investigate whether psychosocial ego development is a partial mediator in the association between mechanisms of defense and...

Objective: Several researchers and clinicians have focused on the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children and parents. However, we may suppose that some families may also experience positive aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown such as increased emotional closeness and more time for free play and creativity in parent-child relations...

Background Previous studies demonstrated positive relations between various forms of maltreatment and suicidal ideation; however, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. We propose that the experience of maltreatment in childhood may lead to high levels of generalized guilt and shame, resulting in an increase of depressiv...

Background. Previous studies carried out in different countries indicated that young adults experience higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than older age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little is known about which epidemic-related difficulties and factors may contribute to these forms of emotional distress in various age...

Given the high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality, this disease may be a life-threatening event, especially for individuals at high risk of complications. Therefore, in the article we try to answer two questions that are relevant to public mental health: Can we define groups who are at higher risk of developing pandemic-related PTSD? How...

The aim of the article is to design a conceptual framework within the theory of psychosocial ego development that will allow for a better understanding and explanation of attitude toward death in the life cycle. The main weaknesses of previous studies on death attitude were examined; Erikson’s concept may help exceed these limitations. The use of t...

Traumy przywiązaniowe to urazy interpersonalne doświadczane w kontekście relacji przywiązania, prowadzące do dysregulacji procesów przystosowawczych na poziomach behawioralnym, emocjonalnym, fizjologicznym i reprezentacji umysłowych własnej osoby i innych osób. W rozdziale omówiono pozabezpieczne style więzi, będące skutkiem nieresponsywnej opieki...

The main objective of the book is to discuss the issue of attitude toward death in the human life cycle in a comprehensive way and on the basis of various materials. In order to meet this objective, an attempt was made to explore the topic in three different ways. Firstly, in-depth theoretical studies were conducted, aimed at including the most imp...

The problem of relations between religiosity and attitude towards death is a relatively frequent subject in the field of psychology of death. Researchers obtain conflicting results in this area and there are still no clear conclusions about the link between these two constructs. It seems that the question of the relationship of religiosity and atti...

The objective of the present research was to investigate whether wisdom is a mediator in the association between the religious meaning system and the attitude toward death in the period of late adulthood. The study included 315 persons aged 60–75. Three measures were used: Religious Meaning System Scale (RMSS), Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS...

The goal of the presented research was to investigate if wisdom plays a mediating role in the relationships between meaning in life and the attitude toward death in the period of middle and late adulthood. A study was carried out that included 567 persons aged 40 to 75 years. Three measures were used: Personal Meaning Profile, Three-Dimensional Wis...

Instrukcja Proszę wskazać przy każdym z poniższych zdań, z jaką częstotliwością dane stwierdzenie odnosi się do Pana/i, wstawiając obok niego odpowiednią cyfrę: 0, 1, 2 lub 3. Proszę zaznaczyć "0", jeżeli stwierdzenie nie odnosi się do Pana/i nigdy. Proszę zaznaczyć "1", jeżeli stwierdzenie odnosi się do Pana/i tylko sporadycznie lub rzadko. Proszę...

The article presents the results of work on the Polish adaptation of the Death Attitude Profile—Revised by Wong, Reker, and Gesser (1994). The psychometric properties of the Polish version of the tool have been described. The results are consistent with the original version of the questionnaire and confirm that the Polish version of Death Attitude...

Zob. Brudek, P., Sękowski, M., Steuden, S. (2018). Polish Adaptation of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R-PL). OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying [online first]. DOI: 10.1177/0030222818754670

Psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives. The article discusses the basic notions of psychodynamic psychotherapy for people in the second half of their lives, that is for people in their mid- and late adulthood. The topic is of current interest due to the rapid ageing of the society, but even so it remains neglected....