[The feeling of threat and stress: the mediating role of social ties in the workplace on the example of the mine rescuer occupation]

Academic Teachers about Their Productivity and a Sense of Well-Being in the Current COVID-19 Epidemic

This article looked at the situation of university teachers in Poland during the COVID-19 epidemic as a result of their need to work remotely. The study was conducted in the first stage (I) on 21 academicians and in the second stage (II) on 18 academicians. The study was conducted to determine the level of productivity of the study group in their online learning competencies in relation to their well-being, as well as during the height, and weakening of the epidemic. The results of the survey conducted, especially during the height of the epidemic, indicated varying levels of self-evaluation of their productivity in relation to their digital competencies linked to the need for them to work remotely, which also affected their psychological well-being. Several cases of respondents indicated a negative assessment of their own productivity, and thus their quality of work life and sense of psychological well-being. However, some respondents, on the contrary, showed a desire to work, the need for self-improvement, and to continue their mission of teaching.

Resilience and Subjectively Experienced Stress Among Paramedics Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Paramedics play a vital role in the healthcare system by providing professional support in situations of direct threat to patient health and life. They experience numerous difficulties during their work, which result in occupational stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their work has become even more demanding. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of resilience in the subjective experience of stress among paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was carried out in two phases, in October-November 2019 (N = 75) and in May-June 2020 (N = 84), using the Sense of Stress Questionnaire (Skala Poczucia Stresu) and the Resilience Scale (Skala Pomiaru Prężności).

RESULTS

Paramedics exhibited higher intrapsychic stress before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tolerance of failure and treating life as a challenge were higher during the pandemic, in contrast to optimism and the ability to mobilize in difficult situations. Paramedics who were in contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. Perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences and sense of humor, as well as competences and tolerance of negative emotions were revealed to play a key part in mitigating subjectively experienced stress.

CONCLUSION

Paramedics' subjectively experienced stress was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paramedics who were in direct contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. They had sufficient psychological resources, in the form of resilience (perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences, sense of humor, and competences and tolerance of negative emotions), which allowed them to cope with the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Work safety climate. Comparison of selected occupational groups

Implementation of effective programs to improve occupational safety should be linked to an understanding of the specific nature of the given job. The aim of the research was to compare occupational groups with different job-related specificities: industrial production line workers, retail workers and mine rescuers, in terms of their assessment of the work safety climate. The survey covered 2,995 respondents with diversified demographic characteristics. The study used an abridged version of the Safety Climate Questionnaire by Znajmiecka-Sikora (2019) to assess 10 separate safety climate dimensions. The results of the MANOVA multivariate analysis, Wilks' multivariate F-tests and univariate F tests prove that there is a statistically significant difference between the respondents representing the three occupational groups collectively in terms of global assessment of all work safety climate dimensions, and also indicate significant differences between workers belonging to the three occupational groups in terms of their assessment of the individual dimensions of the work safety climate, except the organization's occupational health and safety management policy as well as technical facilities and ergonomics, which may be due to the universality of the requirements set for organizations with regard to these two aspects of safe behavior. The differences observed in the assessment of the remaining work safety climate dimensions induces one to promote more differentiated and individualized activities, taking into account the work specificity and the nature of the threats occurring in the respective working environment of the representatives of the different occupations. The difference in assessment of the work safety climate found in the research encourages one to create practical programs for safety, not only in the procedural and technical dimension, but also in the social and psychological one.