Background: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) are designed to identify quickly and differentiate between the symptoms of depression and anxiety in the non-clinical population. Different versions (original and short) were validated in many cultures. Nevertheless, there are no data of factorial validity of the different versions of this scale in Polish culture. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and internal consistency of DASS-42 (original version) and two short versions (DASS-21 items and DASS-12 items) in the Polish population.Methods: The DASS-42 was administered to a non-clinical sample, broadly representative of the general Polish adult population (n = 1,021) in terms of demographic variables. The DASS-21 and DASS-12 version used in this study comprise seven and four items from each of the following corresponding three subscales of the Polish version of DASS-42.Results: There were two models that fitted best for DASS-42: (a) modified three correlated factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) with cross-loadings and (b) second order (general factor of psychological distress) and three factors with cross-loadings. There were also two models that fitted best for DASS-21 and DASS-12: (a) modified three correlated factors (depression, anxiety, and stress) and (b) second order (general factor of psychological distress) and three factors.Conclusions: All three versions of DASS appear to have an acceptable factorial structure. However, the shorter versions (DASS-21 and DASS-12) may be more feasible to use in general medical practice and also be less burdensome to participants.

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Introduction and objective. A nationwide survey, carried out in Poland in 2013, showed that 42% of an examined group of doctors reported occupational burnout syndrome (OBS). The phenomenon of OBS among medical personnel shows a relationship with perceived stress scale (PSS) scores. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of OBS in a group of Polish doctors, and the relationship with selected risk factors and personal resources. Materials and method. A cross-sectional study using quantitative methodology was used with the application of a questionnaire method and correlation design. Questionnaires were administered to 318 doctors (42 different specialties) working in medical facilities in Poland. All participants in the study completed two standardized questionnaires: Link Burnout Questionnaire (LBQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and responded to the questions on a proprietary questionnaire. ANOVA variance analysis and analysis of regression was performed. Results. The results of the measurement of four aspects of occupational burnout: psychophysical exhaustion (PE), commitment to relationships with patients (CP), effectiveness in performed work (EW), and existential expectations (EE), were in the medium and high levels range. Every second medical doctor who participated in the research declared a high degree of occupational burnout in each of the aspects of OBS. The high level of PSS scores, the large number of duties per month, the short work experience (years of employment) and the low number of holiday leaves, were the predictors of occupational burnout in the group of doctors taking part in the study. Conclusions. The prevalence of the signs of OBS among Polish doctors is consistent with the results of research in other countries. Failures in the interventions taken to reduce stress seem to co-exist with the severity of signs of burnout.

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International research has demonstrated that emergency call operators face unique risks to their mental health, in particular job stress, and occupational burnout syndrome. There is already wide knowledge about the relationship between stress, burnout and employee personal resources, which has practical application in preventing mental health. However, more research into the subtle relationships between variables is needed. The aim of the study was to check the moderation effect of differences in the intensity of latent variables on the relationship between perceived stress, self-efficacy and professional burnout. The participants were 546 call-takers and dispatchers from 14 public-safety answering point in Poland aged between 19 and 65 years. The Link Burnout Questionnaire, the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and an independent questionnaire were used to gather information. The method of path analysis was used. The study confirmed the existence of negative relationships between perceived stress (assessment of the current situation) and self-efficacy (a personal trait). Taking into account the moderating effect of latent variable: psychological comfort revealed a hidden relationship between stress and burnout. The stress-burnout relationship occurred only among participants with low level of psychological comfort, so it was not a proportional relationship. In the case of participants with a high level of second latent variable: power-to-affect, the hypothesis that a high level of this variable should weaken the relationship between stress and burnout was not confirmed. The level of latent variables did not affect the self-efficacy relationship with occupational burnout. Taking into account the differences in the intensity of latent variables showed their moderating effect, which often turned out to be different from the assumed one and obtained in the research of other authors. This allowed to discover the relationships that might otherwise have been overlooked and not included in burnout prevention. The results showed a high level of occupational burnout in the ECD’s group during the COVID-19 pandemic: 32% of the responders reported emotional exhaustion, 53% loss of professional effectiveness.