Introduction. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disorder significantly impairing the somatic, emotional, and psychological functioning of its sufferers. Previous research has shown that affected individuals are characterized by an increased level of anxiety and depression. Currently, there are two main treatment schemes for RA; the first uses anti-inflammatory drugs, and the second utilizes biologic agents. This begs the question whether sufferers differ in intensities of pain, anxiety, and depression depending on the type of treatment and what the determinants of these affective states in patients treated using different methods are. Methods. The study comprised 85 patients affected by RA (including 57 receiving biologically inactive medication). Research participants filled out a set of questionnaires measuring levels of anxiety and depression, intensity of experienced pain, strategies of coping with pain, and ego resiliency. Results. The collected data was analyzed through intergroup comparisons, calculating simple correlation coefficients, developing and solving regression equations. The results imply that the choice of treatment differentiates the intensity of pain experienced by patients. Those receiving biologic agents reported lower levels of pain compared to those taking anti-inflammatory medication. It has also been noted that there are distinct configurations of conditions conducive to anxiety and depression in both anti-inflammatory and biologic agent groups. Discussion. The observed constellation of dependencies between variables indicates that the choice of treatment scheme differentiates pain levels. This confirms the assumption that pain intensity, coping strategies, and ego resiliency depend on the severity of anxiety and depression.

Aim: The main purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between alexithymia, stress at work, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in impact emergency call center operators working in Poland (province of Greater Poland). The risk of exposure to critical life events was also considered. Methods: Data were collected using self-report questionnaires administered after dispatchers’ shifts. The emergency call center operators (N = 66) completed the Impact of Event Scale—Revised, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Workplace Perceived Stress Questionnaire, and a questionnaire measuring the frequency and intensity of potentially traumatic events faced by emergency operators (a questionnaire developed by the authors). Results: Twenty of the most frequent events (e.g., child sexual harassment, rape, etc.) were identified. Results indicated that post-traumatic stress positively correlated with (a) work-related stress and (b) one aspect of alexithymia: difficulty expressing feelings. Additionally, work-related stress was identified as a mediator for the relation between alexithymia and the intensity of post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that emergency operators are a high-risk group for the development of PTSD. The study results suggest that performing the work of an emergency dispatcher is not only demanding but also inherently involves participation in potentially traumatic events (as encountered through emergency calls).

Childhood experiences of violence can lead to severe psychological consequences. One of them is an increased risk of abnormal personality development. It can manifest as rigid negativistic beliefs about the self, others, and the surrounding world, which some specialists term early maladaptive schemas. The conducted study aims to provide a possible explanation of the role dissociation plays in the process of forming early maladaptive schemas. The study was conducted on 342 adult women whose biographies contained one or more episodes of potentially traumatic experiences of violence in childhood. Three questionnaires were used: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Dissociative Experiences Scale, Young Schema Questionnaire. The results show that experiences of violence are linked with dissociative disorders and the intensity of early maladaptive schemas. Mediation analysis confirmed that the relationship between experiencing violence and early maladaptive schemas is exacerbated by the presence of dissociative symptoms resulting from the violence experienced. The mediation analysis results suggest that if an experience of violence is followed by the emergence of dissociative symptoms, its impact on personality is more severe. This confirms earlier notions regarding the role that dissociative symptoms play in personality changes stemming from traumatic events.

The article examines sexual functioning as a promising domain for identifying outcome indicators in psychotherapy research for personality disorders. Contemporary dimensional models, such as the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders and the ICD-11, consistently identify impairments in emotion regulation, identity, and interpersonal functioning as central features of these disorders. Despite sexuality being profoundly linked to these core areas, both conceptually and clinically, it remains largely neglected in personality disorders psychotherapy research. The article begins with a review of empirical evidence demonstrating associations between personality pathology and various sexual difficulties, including dysfunctions, impulsivity, and relational problems. The degree to which established psychotherapeutic approaches – transference-focused psychotherapy, mentalisation-based treatment, dialectical behaviour therapy, and schema-focused therapy – address sexual functioning, whether explicitly or through their broader mechanisms of change, is then examined. Building on Bancroft’s developmental model of sexuality, a structured framework of sexuality-related outcome indicators is proposed for integration into future psychotherapy research. These indicators are aligned with key therapeutic targets in personality disorder treatment, including improvements in self-concept, affect regulation, and interpersonal functioning. It is argued that including sexual functioning as an outcome measure in research on the effectiveness of psychotherapy for personality disorders will allow for a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of its therapeutic potential. The article presents the theoretical and empirical foundations of this proposal and discusses its possible applications in research design.

BACKGROUND Opening the Western labour markets for Poles, a result of Poland’s accession to the European Union, led to mass economic emigration of thousands of Poles. Immigrants chose mostly the following English-speaking countries: Ireland, England and Scotland. Moving house and changing job is a challenge that needs to be dealt with. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE This study involved 239 people who emigrated to England, Scotland and Ireland. It was aimed at answering the following question: Do Polish immigrants in various countries experience varied stress levels and use varied strategies to cope with stress? RESULTS The conducted study showed differences in stress levels, depending on immigrants’ target country. There were also significant differences between strategies used to handle stress. Additionally, the study indentified factors influencing stress levels. Immigrants’ high stress levels were accompanied by stress management strategies focused on stressor avoidance, blaming as well as sense of one’s ineffectuality. CONCLUSIONS European English-speaking countries presents various challenges to immigrants. Observed dissimilarities in stress levels might stem from difference in size of cultural gap between the target and home country. Seeing that, cultural factors may significantly influence stress level perceived by immigrants, thus a question for further studies arises: what are specific cultural features significant in experiencing stress among immigrants? Answering to that question will give an unprecedented insights to demands of emigration and may lay a basis for future community support programs.