RT Journal Article SR Electronic 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 FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP 428 OP 435 DO 10.1136/jim-2021-001942 VO 70 IS 2 A1 Katarzyna Warchoł-Biedermann A1 Paweł Bugajski A1 Łukasz Budzicz A1 Michał Ziarko A1 Aleksandra Jasielska A1 Włodzimierz Samborski A1 Przemysław Daroszewski A1 Krzysztof Greberski A1 Grażyna Bączyk A1 Jacek Karoń A1 Ewa Mojs YR 2022 UL http://hw-f5-jim.highwire.org/content/70/2/428.abstract AB 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 (X2 diff (7)=14.155, p<0.05 and X2 diff (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.