Long-lasting effects of World War II trauma on PTSD symptoms and embodiment levels in a national sample of Poles.

The main aim of this study was to investigate the long-lasting influences of World War II (WWII) trauma in a national sample of Poles, based on Danieli's (1998) survivors' post-trauma adaptational styles (fighter, numb, victim) and their link with current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and embodiment level among participants. We also sought to investigate whether the level of knowledge about WWII trauma among ancestors could moderate that association. The study was conducted among a representative sample of 1598 adult Poles obtained from an external company. Participants filled out the Danieli Inventory of Multigenerational Legacies of Trauma, the knowledge about traumatic World War II experiences in the family questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale-5, and the Experience of Embodiment Scale. We observed a positive relationship between all survivors' post-trauma adaptational styles and current levels of PTSD symptoms among participants. In addition, PTSD level mediated the relationships between those adaptational styles and embodiment intensity; that mediation was additionally moderated by a lack of knowledge about WWII trauma among ancestors in our participants. Our study adds to the literature on intergenerational trauma by highlighting the importance of evaluating embodiment in understanding the mechanisms of trauma transmission. Furthermore, it highlights the moderating effect of knowledge of family history in this mechanism and the need to share family histories with subsequent generations.

Exposure to self-reported traumatic events and probable PTSD in a national sample of Poles: Why does Poland's PTSD prevalence differ from other national estimates?

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies on trauma exposure and PTSD prevalence in Poland on representative samples. Available data from studies on convenient samples show very high rates of probable PTSD compared with relevant estimates in other countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the exposure to self-report traumatic events (PTEs) and to estimate the current rate of prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in accordance with DSM-5 criteria in a population-based sample of Poles. Additionally, the link between PTSD intensity and level of life satisfaction was investigated. METHOD: A representative sample of 1,598 adult Poles was recruited. Probable PTSD was assessed with the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale for DSM-5 (PDS-5) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was also used. RESULTS: The findings showed that 60.3% of Poles had experienced at least one PTE and 31.1% of those who had been exposed to trauma reported symptoms of PTSD. At the level of the entire sample, the obtained rate for probable PTSD was 18.8%. The traumatic events with the highest probabilities of PTSD symptoms were child abuse and sexual assault. Levels of life satisfaction were significantly lower in the group of participants with probable PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the current prevalence of probable PTSD in Poland is intriguingly high relative to rates reported in comparable representative samples from other countries across the world. Possible mechanisms are discussed, including a lack of social acknowledgement of WWII and other traumas as well as poor access to trauma-focused care. We hope that this research may inspire more studies investigating cross-national differences in PTSD and trauma exposure.

Coping profiles, depression, and body image anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic: Comparative analysis of females with thyroid diseases and a non-clinical sample.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare profiles of coping among females with thyroid disorders and females from a healthy control group regarding depression levels and body image anxiety. We also wanted to check whether subjectively experienced Covid-19-related psychological distress moderated the above-mentioned association in both groups of participants. METHOD: The study sample comprised 564 females, of which 329 were diagnosed with a thyroid disease and 235 formed the healthy control group. Participants filled out paper-and-pencil or online versions of psychometric questionnaires to assess coping strategies, depression, and body image anxiety. RESULTS: In general, we observed higher depression intensity and a higher level of body image anxiety among females with thyroid diseases than among the healthy control group. Latent profile analysis revealed adaptive vs. maladaptive coping profiles from both study samples. Depression symptoms were significantly higher if coping was maladaptive in both the clinical and control groups. Still, there were no significant differences in body image anxiety between participants with adaptive and maladaptive coping profiles. Covid-19-related distress did not moderate the link between coping profiles, depression, and body image anxiety in either group. CONCLUSION: Greater focus should be placed on the role of body image in females struggling with thyroid diseases. Bodily therapy may help these patients to cope better with co-occurring thyroid diseases and mental disorders, whose relationship is still not fully understood.

Trajectories of burnout and psychological well-being among psychotherapists during the Covid-19 pandemic: Results of a 1-year prospective study.

The main goal of this study was to investigate the trajectories of the changes in burnout and subjective well-being (SWB) among psychotherapists in relation to social support, self-efficacy, sociodemographic, and work-related factors, with additional control for the subjectively experienced Covid-19 related distress. This study was carried out over a 1-year period during the critical time of the Covid-19 pandemic. We reached 226 Polish psychotherapists, of which 207 psychotherapists (91.6%) participated in all three measurements. The participants completed the following measurements: the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a questionnaire regarding sociodemographic, work-related factors and Covid-19 related distress. Several trajectories were observed for both burnout and SWB, which were differently associated with the level of social support, self-efficacy, and sociodemographic and work-related factors. We did not find a significant relationship between Covid-19 related distress and the inclusion of either burnout or SWB trajectories. This study calls for greater interest in the psychological health of psychotherapists. More specifically, our findings may entail some implications for the practice of psychotherapy by creating customized intervention programs to reduce burnout and enhance well-being in this specific occupation.

Burnout and Psychological Wellbeing Among Psychotherapists: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: The general aim of this systematic review is to synthesize, analyze, and critically review existing studies concerning the relationship between sociodemographic, intrapersonal, and work-related factors and burnout, as well as psychological wellbeing among psychotherapists. Methodology: We performed a structured literature search utilizing the PRISMA framework in the following databases: Web of Science, Scopus, MedLine, PsyARTICLES, ProQuest, and Google Scholar. The most relevant inclusion criteria were quantitative and peer-reviewed articles published in English. Results: After the selection process, we accepted 52 articles for further systematic review. Thirty-eight studies examined burnout among psychotherapists, while the other 14 studies focused on psychological wellbeing in this sample. Conclusions: Burnout and wellbeing among psychotherapists are related to numerous sociodemographic (e.g., age, gender), intrapersonal (e.g., coping, personality), and work-related characteristics, including work settings and professional support in this profession (e.g., supervision or personal therapy). However, the high heterogeneity observed between studies in terms of burnout and wellbeing operationalization and measurement warrants more consistent and advanced methodological models of these theoretical constructs in the future in this specific sample.

Burnout among psychotherapists: a cross-cultural value survey among 12 European countries during the coronavirus disease pandemic.

The aim of this study was to examine cross-cultural differences, as operationalized by Schwartz's refined theory of basic values, in burnout levels among psychotherapists from 12 European countries during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We focused on the multilevel approach to investigate if individual- and country-aggregated level values could explain differences in burnout intensity after controlling for sociodemographic, work-related characteristics and COVID-19-related distress among participants. 2915 psychotherapists from 12 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Great Britain, Serbia, Spain, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland) participated in this study. The participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey, the revised version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire, and a survey questionnaire on sociodemographic, work-related factors and the COVID-19 related distress. In general, the lowest mean level of burnout was noted for Romania, whereas the highest mean burnout intensity was reported for Cyprus. Multilevel analysis revealed that burnout at the individual level was negatively related to self-transcendence and openness-to-change but positively related to self-enhancement and conservation values. However, no significant effects on any values were observed at the country level. Male sex, younger age, being single, and reporting higher COVID-19-related distress were significant burnout correlates. Burnout among psychotherapists may be a transcultural phenomenon, where individual differences among psychotherapists are likely to be more important than differences between the countries of their practice. This finding enriches the discussion on training in psychotherapy in an international context and draws attention to the neglected issue of mental health among psychotherapists in the context of their professional functioning.

Subjective well-being among psychotherapists during the coronavirus disease pandemic: A cross-cultural survey from 12 european countries.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the amount of the total variance of the subjective well-being (SWB) of psychotherapists from 12 European countries explained by between-country vs. between-person differences regarding its cognitive (life satisfaction) and affective components (positive affect [PA] and negative affect [NA]). Second, we explored a link between the SWB and their personal (self-efficacy) and social resources (social support) after controlling for sociodemographics, work characteristics, and COVID-19-related distress. METHODS: In total, 2915 psychotherapists from 12 countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, Great Britain, Serbia, Spain, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland) participated in this study. The participants completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form (I-PANAS-SF), the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS: Cognitive well-being (CWB; satisfaction with life) was a more country-dependent component of SWB than affective well-being (AWB). Consequently, at the individual level, significant correlates were found only for AWB but not for CWB. Higher AWB was linked to being female, older age, higher weekly workload, and lower COVID-19-related distress. Self-efficacy and social support explained AWB only, including their main effects and the moderating effect of self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight more individual characteristics of AWB compared to CWB, with a more critical role of low self-efficacy for the link between social support and PA rather than NA. This finding suggests the need for greater self-care among psychotherapists regarding their AWB and the more complex conditions underlying their CWB.

Profiles of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), and subjective well-being in a sample of adult children of alcoholics.

OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to examine the heterogeneity of a sample of adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) within the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-11 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) as well as DSM-5 PTSD diagnoses regarding the participants' subjective well-being (SWB). In addition, the construct validity of the ICD-11 CPTSD was assessed, and the ICD-11 and DSM-5 PTSD diagnoses among participants were compared. METHOD: The sample consisted of 609 ACOAs. Participants filled out the PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X), and the Children of Alcoholics Screening test (CAST-6). RESULTS: We observed many fewer PTSD cases when we followed the ICD-11 criteria compared to cases of PTSD diagnosed based on DSM-5 criteria among participants. In addition, latent profile analysis (LPA) did not provide evidence of the construct validity of CPTSD. Finally, we found heterogeneity of ACOAs sample in terms of PTSD/CPTSD profiles, which were differently related to their SWB. CONCLUSIONS: Further research is needed to establish to what extent CPTSD and PTSD are separate and discrete disorders and why such discrepancy in PTSD level is observed when we follow either DSM-5 or ICD-11. In addition, the person-centered approach may provide more insight than variable-centered methods and thus, undermine the "uniformity myths" about ACOAs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).