TY - JOUR T1 - Relationship between stress and alexithymia, emotional processing and negative/positive affect in medical staff working amid the COVID-19 pandemic JF - Journal of Investigative Medicine JO - J Investig Med DO - 10.1136/jim-2021-001942 SP - jim-2021-001942 AU - Katarzyna Warchoł-Biedermann AU - Paweł Bugajski AU - Łukasz Budzicz AU - Michał Ziarko AU - Aleksandra Jasielska AU - Włodzimierz Samborski AU - Przemysław Daroszewski AU - Krzysztof Greberski AU - Grażyna Bączyk AU - Jacek Karoń AU - Ewa Mojs Y1 - 2021/11/22 UR - http://hw-f5-jim.highwire.org/content/early/2021/11/22/jim-2021-001942.abstract N2 - The psychological burden of the COVID-19 pandemic may have a lasting effect on emotional well-being of healthcare workers. Medical personnel working at the time of the pandemic may experience elevated occupational stress due to the uncontrollability of the virus, high perceived risk of infection, poor understanding of the novel virus transmission routes and unavailability of effective antiviral agents. This study used path analysis to analyze the relationship between stress and alexithymia, emotional processing and negative/positive affect in healthcare workers. The sample included 167 nurses, 65 physicians and 53 paramedics. Sixty-two (21.75 %) respondents worked in COVID-19-designated hospitals. Respondents were administered the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, Emotional Processing Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. The model showed excellent fit indices (χ2 (2)=2.642, p=0.267; CFI=0.999, RMSEA=0.034, SRMR=0.015). Multiple group path analysis demonstrated physicians differed from nurses and paramedics at the model level (X2diff (7)=14.155, p<0.05 and X2diff (7)=18.642, p<0.01, respectively). The relationship between alexithymia and emotional processing was stronger in nurses than in physicians (difference in beta=0.27; p<0.05). Individual path χ2 tests also revealed significantly different paths across these groups. The results of the study may be used to develop evidence-based intervention programs promoting healthcare workers’ mental health and well-being.Data are available upon reasonable request. ER -