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Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia, two types of ruminations (intrusive and deliberate) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms for two groups of emergency workers working in Poland: paramedics and emergency call centre operators. Material and methods: The research project was conducted the Wielkopolskie voivodship in Poland. The participants were paramedics (n = 72; 54 men, 18 women) and dispatchers (n = 66; 35 men, 31 women). The following Polish versions of standardized tools were used: the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), and the Event Related Rumination Inventory (ERRI). Results: Analysis of the correlation with Spearman's test demonstrated a statistically significant relationship in both groups between the symptoms of PTSD and ruminations and alexithymia and intrusive ruminations. The correlation between intrusive ruminations and PTSD was stronger for the paramedic group. Also, in the paramedic group, ruminations acted as a mediator for the relation of alexithymia and the intensity of post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: The results of the study provide some evidence that paramedics present more PTSD symptoms than emergency call centre operators. The important individual features which increase PTSD are emotional-cognitive aspects of mental processing: ruminations and alexithymia. The paramedics' direct participation in traumatic events is more overloading for them than the indirect participation in traumatic events for dispatchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of health care workers' stress levels during the COVID-19 virus pandemic, and whether there is a relationship between health care workers' stress levels and mental health in the context of coping with stress. One hundred and seventy professionally active health care workers took part in the study: doctors (n=41), nurses (n=114) and paramedics (n = 15). On average, study subjects were 37 years old and had 14 years of work experience. The following were used in this questionnaire-based study: General Health Questionnaire (GHQ–28), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Mini-COPE – Coping Inventory. The research group experienced high levels of stress. Nurses experienced the most acute stress. Increasing stress levels are accompanied by an intensification of psychopathological symptoms (insomnia and depression). Older individuals and those with more years worked at work experienced less psychopathological symptoms. Non-adaptive stress coping methods (e.g. use of psychoactive substances) resulted in deteriorating mental health within the research group. Habitual use of non-adaptive strategies may bring relief in the short term in the form of reduced negative consequences of stress transactions and facilitate mobilisation or just sufficient performance at work. However, in the longer term, it may lead to deteriorating health. The obtained data shows that positive reinterpretation, age and length of work track record constitute protective factors against deteriorating health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the stress outcomes in health-care staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the role of coping in the relationship between stress outcomes and mental health dimensions with Preacher & Hayes's mediation analysis.Subjects and Methods: One hundred seventy participants including physicians (n = 41; 24.1%), nurses (n = 114, 67.1%), and paramedics (n = 15, 8.8%) with a mean age of 37.69 ± 12.23 years and an average seniority of 14.40 ± 12.32 years were administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Emotional Processing Scale, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. The data were analyzed by estimation of simple correlation coefficients and a Preacher and Hayes's mediation procedure.Results: Participants reported elevated levels of stress (7-8 sten on the sten scale developed for the PSS-10 questionnaire). Statistically significant differences in the stress levels between nurses, paramedics, and physicians could not be determined. In contrast, significant association between mental health outcomes and the occupational category could not be found.Conclusion: Our observations support the assumption about a controlling role of coping in the relationship between work-related stress, alexithymia, emotional processing loneliness and positive/negative affect in medical staff working amid pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]