REVIEW PAPER
Occupational vulnerability profiles in the Polish workforce: a narrative review of AVEM-based research
			
	
 
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				1
				Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
(Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences with the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine)
				 
			 
						
				2
				University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic
(Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education)
				 
			 
										
				
				
		
		 
			
			
		
		
		
		
			
			 
			Online publication date: 2025-11-04
			 
		 		
		
		 
	
							
										    		
    			 
    			
    				    					Corresponding author
    					    				    				
    					Ivana  Mašková   
    					University of West Bohemia, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Univerzitní 22, 301 00 Plzeň, Czech Republic
    				
 
    			
				 
    			 
    		 		
			
												 
		
	 
		
 
 
		
 
 
    HIGHLIGHTS
    
    	
    	    	- Polish populations display increased vulnerability to occupational health issues.
 
    	    	- Professionals in people-centered occupations and women are among the most vulnerable.
 
    	    	- Having an additional job and living in smaller towns or villages are risk factors.
 
    	    	- Having a hobby and better perceived material standing are protective factors.
 
    	    	
     
 
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ABSTRACT
The inventory Work-related Coping Behavior and Experience Patterns (Arbeitsbezogenes Verhaltens- und Erlebensmuster – AVEM) serves as a valuable preventive tool for the early identification of individuals at risk of burnout and occupational health issues by evaluating their work-related patterns, which may be either health-promoting or indicative of increased health risk. The aim of this narrative review was to map and synthesize research on AVEM conducted in Poland across occupational groups. A structured search of selected databases and search engines was performed, resulting in the identification of 29 sources whose findings were synthesized and compared with international evidence. The results showed that the overall proportion of Polish participants assigned to risk patterns was significantly higher than in the international context, particularly among teaching and healthcare professionals, indicating greater vulnerability to burnout and occupational health issues in these occupations. Beyond people-centered professions, women, older workers, individuals with an additional job, those living in smaller towns and villages, and those experiencing mobbing also emerged as highly vulnerable groups. These individuals also tended to be extrinsically motivated and exhibited higher levels of neuroticism, elevated stress, and poorer mental and physical health. In contrast, having a hobby and a better perceived material standing were mainly associated with healthy patterns. Individuals assigned to healthy patterns tended to be intrinsically motivated and reported higher job satisfaction, greater levels of fluid and emotional intelligence, and more adaptive personality traits. There is a clear need for targeted workplace interventions across professions in Poland to address the heightened risk of occupational health issues. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2025;38(5)