This study investigated the level of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its association with the level of social support, stress coping strategies and resilience among a people living with HIV (PLWH) in a 1 year longitudinal study. We also controlled for age, HIV infection duration and the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). From the 290 participants, initially eligible for the study, 110 patients were recruited for the first assessment and 73 patients participated in a follow-up assessment. Participants filled out following psychometric tools: the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), the Mini-COPE Inventory, the Resiliency Assessment Scale (SPP-25) and the PTSD-F questionnaire. Received support and resilience were positively, whereas return to religion as coping strategy was negatively related to the PTG. Clinicians and researchers need to focus on potentially positive consequences of HIV infection, i.e. PTG, and factors that might promote it among PLWH.

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This article presents a study of relations between temperament traits and coping style, and intensity of trauma symptoms in HIV+ men and women. The study was run on 310 HIV + individuals (157 men and 153 women) in or not in the AIDS phase. Temperament traits were assessed with the Formal characteristics of behaviour - temperament inventory. Coping styles were assessed with the Coping inventory for stressful situations. Intensity of trauma symptoms was assessed with the Factorial version of the post-traumatic stress disorder inventory. Coping style had the greatest effect on intensity of trauma symptoms. Emotion-focused coping accounted for 13% of the variance of trauma symptom intensity in HIV + participants. Together, sensory sensibility, emotional reactivity and emotion-focused coping accounted for 26% of the variance of trauma intensity symptoms. Emotion-focused coping and emotional reactivity were conducive to increased trauma symptom intensity in HIV+ participants whereas sensory sensibility tended to reduce symptom intensity.

Burnout is conceptualized as a multidimensional syndrome consisting of physical and emotional exhaustion, a decreased sense of personal accomplishment, and a tendency to evaluate oneself and one's work negatively. This article examines the severity of burnout symptoms and their relationship to temperament traits and social support in a large sample (n = 200) of therapists, selected from professional organizations for Gestalt and cognitive-behavioral therapists in Poland. Participants filled out 3 questionnaires: the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, the Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory, and the Berlin Social Support Scale. The mean prevalence of particular burnout symptoms within the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory scales was calculated, the most frequent of which were "tired before work," "loss of commitment," "thinking about other jobs," and "lack of energy for work." The level of burnout symptoms among all therapists was related to temperament traits, briskness, and perseveration, as well as to perceived social support. Perseveration was associated with an increase in burnout symptoms, whereas perceived social support and briskness were related to a decrease in symptoms.

Secondary traumatic stress disorder (STSD) consists of identical symptoms as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but while PTSD originates from direct exposition to a traumatic event, STSD is a consequence of indirect exposure to trauma due to close personal contact with a trauma victim. This article examines the severity of STSD symptoms and their relationship to temperament traits and social support in a sample (N = 80) of trauma therapists in Poland. In our study, we controlled for demographic data, such as the therapist’s gender and age, and for work-related variables, such as the average number of years working as a trauma therapist, the average number of patients therapists worked with over the past 12 months, and whether therapists sought supervision for their therapeutic work. Participants filled out 3 questionnaires: the PTSD Questionnaire: Factorial Version; the Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory; and the Berlin Social Support Scale. The level of STSD symptoms among trauma therapists was related to temperament traits, emotional reactivity and sensory sensitivity, as well as to perceived social support. Emotional reactivity was positively associated with level of STSD symptoms, whereas sensory sensitivity and perceived social support were negatively related to level of STSD symptoms. There was no significant relationship between therapists’ demographic characteristics and work-related variables and intensity of STSD symptoms.

The aim of this study was to explore the level of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its relationship to the level of stress coping strategies, spirituality and social support among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (n = 250). The level of PTG was measured by the Polish adaptation of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Stress coping strategies were evaluated by the Polish adaptation of the Mini-COPE Inventory. Spirituality was measured by the Self-Description Questionnaire. Social support was assessed with the Berlin Social Support Scales. Stress coping strategies (return to religion, acceptance), spirituality and social support (need for support) were significantly related to the level of PTG among participants. Despite evidence of a beneficial relationship between PTG and the course of RA, little empirical attention has been paid to the factors associated with PTG among this patient group. Given the substantial health-related benefits associated with PTG among RA patients, it is important to further explore the phenomena of PTG among RA patients.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the degree of susceptibility to behavioral biases (the certainty effect, the sunk cost fallacy, and mental accounting) among people of various levels of expertise in market investments and to determine whether this susceptibility is correlated with certain personality traits (impulsivity, venturesomeness, and empathy). The study included 200 participants: 100 retail investors who regularly invest in the Warsaw Stock Exchange and 100 students of the Warsaw School of Economics who are casually involved in investing. In this study, employing a survey methodology, we conducted a laboratory experiment that allowed us to isolate behavioral biases and personality traits and measure their influence on investors' decision-making processes. The participants filled out questionnaires containing two parts: 1) three situational exercises, which assessed susceptibility to behavioral biases, and 2) the Impulsivity, Venturesomeness, Empathy Questionnaire (IVE) Questionnaire which measures three personality traits (impulsivity, venturesomeness, and empathy). Statistical analyses demonstrated that susceptibility to behavioral biases depends on the level of expertise in market investing such that expertise increases susceptibility to behavioral biases. Some personality traits influenced the participants' likelihood of displaying these biases.

The aim of the study was to explore gender differences in the level of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and coping strategies among people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (PLWH). In particular, the moderating role of participants’ gender on the relationship between coping strategies and HRQoL was explored, while controlling for socio-medical data. A total of 444 HIV-infected men and 86 HIV-infected women were recruited to participate in the study. This was a cross-sectional study with the HRQoL assessed by the World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and the coping strategies measured by the Brief COPE inventory. Although the HIV-infected men and HIV-infected women differed in terms of some HRQoL domains, these differences disappeared in the regression analysis after controlling for socio-demographic data (employment and higher education). In addition, several statistically significant interactions between participants’ gender and coping strategies in relation to HRQoL domains were observed. Future research on gender differences in HRQoL among PLWH should take into account unique differences between HIV-infected men and HIV-infected women across, not only in respect to socio-medical factors but also regarding psychosocial variables.