High Prevalence of Mental Disorder Symptoms Among Medical and Other Health Specialty Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic was first identified in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, and spread across the world in a fast and disordered manner. Because of the pandemic, health professionals, including residents in medicine and other health specialties, began working under intense physical and psychological pressure daily and were exposed to a greater risk of developing mental disorders and psychological distress. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the prevalence of symptoms indicative of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress among postgraduate students who were residents in medicine and other health specialties during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and identified possible associated predisposing factors. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study that included postgraduate students in medical and other health residency programmes in Brazil. The recruitment period was from July 29 to September 5, 2020. Epidemiological and clinical data, including evaluations of psychological and affective aspects, following a predefined protocol, were collected after the participants filled out an electronic form via the Microsoft Forms platform. RESULTS In total, 1,313 medical and other health residents participated in the study. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) identified depression, anxiety and stress in 51.3%, 53.4% and 52.6% of the participants, respectively. Based on the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), 61.9% of the participants had low resilience. A total of 60.9% of the residents had high scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item depression module (PHQ-9). CONCLUSIONS We found a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among medical and non-medical residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Mental disorders are complex in nature, and the particular academic environment of residency, altered by the need to care for patients with COVID-19, can be a potential stressor and be associated with the high prevalence of these symptoms among residents. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/24298

Managing clients and patients: Exploring the experience of client-based incivility in veterinary practice

Background: Interactions with clients have been identified as a key potential stressor within veterinarian work. However, there is a lack of research investigating the experience, and impact, of specific behaviours such as incivility. The current study aimed to address this literature gap by investigating veterinary perceptions of client-based rudeness. Method: Telephone interviews were used to gather qualitative data regarding veterinary perceptions of client-based rudeness. This encompassed the potential causes of incivility, the impact on the veterinarian, and coping strategies.Results: Thematic analysis produced 16 themes relevant to client-based rudeness, and one over-arching theme. The over-arching theme suggested that vets consider client management, and patient care, two distinct aspects of their role. Key themes included the perception of client worry as a key causal factor of rudeness, the utilisation of empathy as a client management technique and the potential for rudeness to have an adverse impact on mental health. A supportive practice was considered vital for enabling successful coping.Conclusion: It is important that veterinary practices are aware of the potential for client rudeness to adversely impact vet wellbeing. Practices should seek to develop guidelines detailing appropriate responses to rudeness, alongside developing a supportive culture to maximise vet coping strategies.

Plastics everywhere: first evidence of polystyrene fragments inside the common Antarctic collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus

There is evidence and serious concern that microplastics have reached the most remote regions of the planet, but how far have they travelled in terrestrial ecosystems? This study presents the first field-based evidence of plastic ingestion by a common and central component of Antarctic terrestrial food webs, the collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus . A large piece of polystyrene (PS) foam (34 × 31 × 5 cm) covered by microalgae, moss, lichens and microfauna was found in a fellfield along the shores of the Fildes Peninsula (King George Island). The application of an improved enzymatic digestion coupled with Fourier transform infrared microscopy (µ-FTIR), unequivocally detected traces of PS (less than 100 µm) in the gut of the collembolans associated with the PS foam and documented their ability to ingest plastic. Plastics are thus entering the short Antarctic terrestrial food webs and represent a new potential stressor to polar ecosystems already facing climate change and increasing human activities. Future research should explore the effects of plastics on the composition, structure and functions of polar terrestrial biota.

The Sociocultural Barriers of Work-From-Home Arrangement Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in Asia: Implications and Future Implementation

<p>The rapidly escalating COVID-19 pandemic entails many unprecedented life circumstances, including in the way people work. The social distancing policy has forced companies to adopt work-from-home (WFH) arrangement to maintain business sustainability amidst both health and economic crises. While in many developed countries, WFH arrangement has been a common practice, this is not the case in some Asian countries, particularly in countries where high power distance emphasizing heightened supervision and punishment among workers are still a preferred managerial style, such as Indonesia, China, India, and Thailand. For companies with such a power-reliance managerial style, WFH could be seen as a threat towards productivity as face-to-face supervision cannot be performed. On the other hand, not all workers have a positive attitude and a sense of readiness towards implementing WFH and having involuntary WFH arrangement adds as a potential stressor on top of those caused by management demands and lack of trust. While acknowledging that WFH is considered as beyond an option in this pandemic period, this commentary paper aims to critically identify key barriers of WFH implementation in some Asian countries, particularly in autocratic societies, using both theoretical and contextual approach. The paper concludes by discussing recommendation for future studies and proposing strategic implications for companies and workers to effectively adopt WFH arrangement, especially in societies where WFH is still a new practice or is involuntarily held. </p>

The Sociocultural Barriers of Work-From-Home Arrangement Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in Asia: Implications and Future Implementation

<p>The rapidly escalating COVID-19 pandemic entails many unprecedented life circumstances, including in the way people work. The social distancing policy has forced companies to adopt work-from-home (WFH) arrangement to maintain business sustainability amidst both health and economic crises. While in many developed countries, WFH arrangement has been a common practice, this is not the case in some Asian countries, particularly in countries where high power distance emphasizing heightened supervision and punishment among workers are still a preferred managerial style, such as Indonesia, China, India, and Thailand. For companies with such a power-reliance managerial style, WFH could be seen as a threat towards productivity as face-to-face supervision cannot be performed. On the other hand, not all workers have a positive attitude and a sense of readiness towards implementing WFH and having involuntary WFH arrangement adds as a potential stressor on top of those caused by management demands and lack of trust. While acknowledging that WFH is considered as beyond an option in this pandemic period, this commentary paper aims to critically identify key barriers of WFH implementation in some Asian countries, particularly in autocratic societies, using both theoretical and contextual approach. The paper concludes by discussing recommendation for future studies and proposing strategic implications for companies and workers to effectively adopt WFH arrangement, especially in societies where WFH is still a new practice or is involuntarily held. </p>

(Un)receptiveness in interactions with professionals: experiences of parents of children with retinopathy of prematurity

OBJECTIVE To analyze the influence of health professionals' receptiveness on parental care of children with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). METHOD A qualitative study developed under the theoretical framework of Symbolic Interactionism and using a narrative research methodology. Six women and three men, being parents of children with retinopathy of prematurity were individually interviewed in depth. RESULTS From the scope of information, emotions and their rights, the parents experienced receptiveness from some professionals and unreceptiveness from others. The predominance of unreceptive attitudes in the parental narratives originated the following analysis themes: Informational (un)receptiveness, Emotional (un)receptiveness, and (Un)receptiveness of rights. CONCLUSION The study supports human and comprehensive healthcare in the context of retinopathy of prematurity by pointing out the interactive process with health professionals as a potential stressor of parental care. The results signal a nuclear of attitudinal changes and reinforce challenges to the child and family-centered approach.

Tako-tsubo Cardiomyopathy following Bronchial Asthma Attack

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy(TCM) is a reversible cardiomyopathy characterized by left ventricular dysfunction due to transient left ventricular apical hypokinesia or akinesia and basal hyperkinesis following some trigger factors like physical or emotional stressful events and may mimic myocardial infarction especially in middle age females. Pathophysiology of TCM is not clear but it is associated with excessive adrenergic stimulation[1-3]. TCM is usually precipitated by acute physical and emotional stresssors, use of exogenous <br />catecholamines or exacerbation of chronic illnesses like asthma attack. We report a case of TCM after an asthma attack as a potential stressor. This is an interesting association between asthma attack and TCM.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy: A New Perspective in Asthma

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is an entity of reversible cardiomyopathy known for its association with physical or emotional stress and may mimic myocardial infarction. We report an exceedingly rare case of albuterol-induced TCM with moderate asthma exacerbation. An interesting association that may help in understanding the etiology of TCM in the asthmatic population. Although the prognosis of TCM is excellent, it is crucial to recognize beta agonists as a potential stressor.