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.