"On the Stage of Life": Exploring the Existential Resources for the Resilience of Professional Actors

This poster was presented at the 6th Annual FETE Conference “Wisdom in Practice: From Existential Training to Therapeutic Encounter”, held in Rome (May 21–23, 2025). It summarizes key findings from a reanalysis of the author's doctoral research, focusing on the mediating role of existential abilities in the relationship between acting-related stress and resilience, using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Models 6 and 7). The full results will be published separately. This poster is accompanied by an extended supplement (see Extended_Notes_Poster_Dobreva-Hristova_2025). Abstract Today, the acting profession presents a unique landscape characterized by high-pressure environmentsand demanding processes. The nature of life "With and In Arts" consists of an inherent encounter withspecific life-professional challenges. Actors frequently encounter restrictions in the 'proposedcircumstances' both on stage and in daily life. These challenges test one's resilience and demand thoughtfulinner consent regarding the opportunities they choose in their life. This poster presentation briefly summarizes an empirical study seeking answers from an existential-analytical perspective on the question: What can help those who have chosen this professional path to beresilient and manage stress effectively “on the Stage of life”? The study aims to evaluate the mediating role of basic existential abilities (self-distance (SD), self-transcendence (ST), freedom (F), and responsibility (R)) as conceptualized in Alfried Längle's model ofexistential fulfillment in mitigating the negative impact of stress on the resilience of professional actors. A total of 144 (86 female and 58 male) Bulgarian professional actors and acting students, aged 18 to 85years (average 33.7 years), were assessed using Existence Scale (ES), Connor–Davidson ResilienceScale (CD-RISC), and Acting-related Stress Questionnaire (ARS). The findings show that when abilities forexistential self-realization are mobilized, it significantly reduces the negative impact of acting-related stresson actors' resilience. For the first time, personal abilities for existential fulfillment were examined as mediators in managing theacting-related stress of professional actors and their resilience. Intending to integrate the theoreticalframework of Alfred Längle's Existential Analysis into an academic research context, this research providesevidence-based support for applying contemporary existential analysis methods in psychological support foractors and other creative individuals.