Background: The global outbreak of COVID-19set new challenges and threats for every human being. In the psychological field it is similar to deep existential crises or a traumatic experience that may lead to the appearance or exacerbation of a serious mental disorder and loss of life meaning and satisfaction. Courtney et al. (2020) discussed deadly pandemic COVID-19 in the light of TMT theory and named it as global contagion of mortality that personally affected every human being. Such unique conditions activate existential fears as people start to be aware of their own mortality. Objective: The main aim of this study was to test the mediating effect of existential anxiety, activated by COVID-19 and life satisfaction (SWLS) on the relationship between PTSD symptoms and post-traumatic growth (PTG). We also examined the moderated mediating effect of severity of trauma symptoms on life satisfaction and existential anxiety and its associations with PTG. Method: We conducted an online survey during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Poland. The participants completed existential anxiety scale (SNE), life satisfaction scale (SWLS), IES-R scale for measuring the level of PTSD symptoms and post-traumatic growth inventory (PTGI). Results: The effect of PTSD on PTG was found to be mediated by existential anxiety and life satisfaction. We also confirmed two indirect effects: (1) the indirect effect of PTSD on PTG via existential anxiety and life satisfaction tested simultaneously; (2) the indirect effect of life satisfaction on PTG through severity of trauma symptoms. An intermediate or high level of PTSD level was related to less PTG when low and full PTSD stress symptoms strengthened PTG experiences. Conclusions: A therapeutic intervention for individuals after traumatic experience should attempt to include fundamental existential questions and meaning of life as well as the severity of PTSD symptoms. The severity of traumatic sensations may affect the relationship between life satisfaction and post-traumatic growth.

Background: The Internet has many positive sides, but it can also have a negative impact on human emotional-cognitive and behavioral functioning, especially during adolescence. To the most common consequences, the authors add addiction of the teenager to the Internet. This addiction is related to many negative physical and mental problems, including depression, substance abuse and social isolation. Methods: In the study, SSBS (Student School Burnout Scale) was used to measure the level of burnout, and the level of Internet addiction was measured using PUI (Internet Addiction Test). The research was carried out among 230 individuals aged 17–20 years. Results: The results of the research showed that higher level of school burnout is related to higher Internet addiction indicators, and connection was stronger in the male group. Gender significantly predicted Internet addiction and moderated the link between school burnout and Internet addiction. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses confirmed different predictors of Internet addiction for male and female students. However, for both groups, higher burnout due to parents was a significant predictor of Internet addiction (IA). Discussion: Internet addiction was predicted by school burnout, appearing as a result of parental pressure for high school achievements. In addition, school burnout and school-related characteristics have greater prediction power of Internet addiction and its indicators in a male group.

It is well known that student burnout is a serious mental health problem, caused by chronic stress related to the educational area. However, in the COVID 19 pandemic, young people have to struggle with additional threats that affect their overall functioning and perception of the world. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effects of existential anxiety and academic fears on the relationship between academic burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. The findings confirmed that academic burnout, existential anxiety, and academic fear were significantly associated with higher posttraumatic symptoms. Existential anxiety and academic fear played a mediating role in the association between academic burnout and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. In conclusion, it is considered that student burnout and anxiety indicators are important risk factors for the trauma experienced by students and may increase its symptoms.

Nowadays, a growing increase in depression and school burnout is being observed in students. The research aim is to test the mediating effect deviation from balanced time perspective, gender, and subjective sense of family network acceptance on the relationship between depression and school burnout. The sample consisted of 355 students (61.6% girls, 48.4% boys) from the third grade of high school in the south of Poland (mean age 18.5). The student school burnout scale for youth, Time Perspective Inventory, and Depression Scale for youth were used in the survey. Results showed significant relationships between the time perspective indicators, depression, and school burnout as well as a mediation effect of the past time perspective and the fatalistic present time perspective towards depression through school burnout. The findings confirmed that the focus of a person on immediate hedonistic goals becomes significant for the severity of depression only after accounting for the level of school burnout. Conclusions comprised the design of psychological interventions aimed at the group of young people experiencing depression and school burnout considering the time perspective development.

This study aimed to apply latent profile analysis (LPA) to (a) empirically identify adolescents’ profiles based on their time perspective (TP), using a person-centered approach; (b) outline the identified profiles across student burnout, depression, and perceived family acceptance; and (c) establish differences between pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 students. Cross-sectional data were collected through an online survey of 668 adolescents. The participants completed the Kutcher Adolescent Depression Scale (KADS), Student School Burnout Scale (SSBS), Time Perspective Inventory (TPI), and Perceived Family Acceptance (PFA) items. Five subtypes of TP were found: hedonistic youth focused mainly on the present time; hedonistic youths focused on the present and future time; fatalistic youths focused on the present and negative past time; future-oriented youths with a positive perception of the past; and hedonistic youths focused on the present with a mild past-negative time perspective. These five profiles were compared for the variables of student burnout, depression, and perceived family acceptance. Scores from SSBS, KADS, and PFA showed a statistical difference across the five subtypes, with the most intensive mental health, social, and educational problems in profile 5. The level of SSBS was significantly different in the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 samples; however, no significant differences were found in KADS and PFA. Thus, perspective should be emphasized in adolescents with burnout and depression symptoms.

Student engagement and burnout have become the latest focus of attention among researchers and practitioners. This is because both are seen as the main factors connected with the meaningful and purposeful educational activities that lead to high learning outcomes and better physical and mental health. Specifically, burnout decreases, and engagements heightened these characteristics. The aim of the present study was to explore the relationships between alienation, engagement and burnout in an educational context. Additionally, the mediation role of school engagement on the association between alienation and burnout was tested. The study was conducted among 109 early adolescents, aged 13–15 years (NFemale=52). ESSBS (Elementary Student School Burnout Scale), PAI (Alienation Inventory – Short Form) and SSEM (Student School Engagement Scale) were used to measure the levels of burnout, alienation and engagement, respectively. The results indicated that higher alienation was associated with lower engagement and with higher school burnout. Student engagement, productivity and belonging significantly mediated the links between alienation total score, normlessness, powerlessness and school burnout. The path analysis revealed that normlessness significantly predicted student engagement (-.44) and school burnout (-.20). The model explained 31% of the variances for school engagement, and 46% of the variances for school burnout. In conclusion, alienated students – especially those suffering from normlessness – feel disconnected and overwhelmed by school duties. In addition, to diminish the risk of alienation and burnout in a school context of students, educational practitioners should include school engagement (especially belonging and productivity) improvement as one of the most significant protective factors.