Emotional distress, psychosomatic symptoms and their relationship with institutional responses: A survey of Italian frontline medical staff during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract Epiphany is a literary device bringing forth an experience of sudden wisdom or insight and is particularly applied to literature from the romantic era. However, epiphanies are also present within contemporary autobiographical patient stories (pathographies) expressing something that is difficult and perhaps otherwise left unspoken. Kristian Gidlund’s pathography I kroppen min. Resan mot livets slut och alltings början (2013) deals with the author’s experience of having severe cancer. Gidlund was a non-religious person but at the end of his life, his blogposts included epiphanies or visionary moments regarding his afterlife. In this article the author shows how the use of epiphanies can be a subtle means of expressing thoughts and feelings when facing severe illness. Knowing how to identify and interpret epiphanies in pathographies can improve the abilities of relatives and medical staff to communicate with patients about existential matters and emotional distress. KAKA I would like to thank Rachael Reynolds and Paul Farmer for their most conscientious proofreading, and Dr. Christopher Oscarson for the accurate translation of the quotes from Kristian Gidlund’s book.

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Care for Imminently Dying Cancer Patients: Family Members' Experiences and Recommendations

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2009.23.2793 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 142-148 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Takuya Shinjo ◽

Tatsuya Morita ◽

Kei Hirai ◽

Mitsunori Miyashita ◽

Kazuki Sato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Emotional Distress ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Family Members ◽

Nationwide Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dying Patients ◽

The Family ◽

High Level ◽

Bereaved Family

Purpose The aim of this study was to clarify the level of emotional distress experienced by bereaved family members and the perceived necessity for improvement in the care for imminently dying patients and to explore possible causes of distress and alleviating measures. Methods A cross-sectional nationwide survey was performed in 2007 of bereaved families of cancer patients at 95 palliative care units across Japan. Results Questionnaires were sent to 670 families, and 76% responded. Families reported their experiences as very distressing in 45% of cases. Regarding care, 1.2% of respondents believed that a lot of improvement was needed, compared with 58% who believed no improvement was needed. Determinants of high-level distress were a younger patient age, being a spouse, and overhearing conversations between the medical staff outside the room at the time of the patient's death; those reporting high-level necessity of improvement were less likely to have encountered attempts to ensure the patient's comfort, received less family coaching on how to care for the patient, and felt that insufficient time was allowed for the family to grieve after the patient's death. Conclusion A considerable number of families experienced severe emotional distress when their family member died. Thus, we propose that a desirable care concept for imminently dying cancer patients should include relief of patient suffering, family advisement on how to care for the patient, allowance of enough time for the family to grieve, and ensuring that family members cannot overhear medical staff conversations at the time of the patient's death.

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Perceptions of a patient-staff-caregiver group among inpatients in a radiotherapy unit

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951514000789 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 953-960

Author(s):

Inbal Mitnik ◽

Daniela Zalman ◽

Marina Vorobeichik ◽

Michal Gurevich-Halevi ◽

Liron Eliasov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emotional Distress ◽

Therapeutic Intervention ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Illness Perception ◽

General Satisfaction ◽

Significant Aspect ◽

Coping With Cancer ◽

Community Meeting ◽

Caregiver Group ◽

Perceived Relationships

AbstractObjective:Coping with cancer and its treatments has significant psychological implications for patients, and hospitalization can lead to emotional distress. Based on a community meeting (CM), a common therapeutic intervention in psychiatric wards, a unique patient–staff–caregiver group is held weekly on the radiotherapy unit of our hospital. The goals are to strengthen patient coping abilities and prompt open communications. The present study aimed at quantitatively estimating the effect of the community meeting by gauging the perceptions with respect to several therapeutic aspects.Method:A questionnaire was developed for patients who participated in CMs during their hospitalization based on four theoretical factors: illness perception, relations with the main caregiver, relations with other participants, and relations with unit staff.Results:Participants' general satisfaction with the meetings was found to be positive. The most significant aspect of the meetings, as perceived by participants, was relationships with the staff. Patients born in Israel perceived relationships with other participants more positively.Significance of results:Attentive interaction with medical staff and open communications are highly important for patients and contribute to their general satisfaction with the meetings.

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Disease Perception and Coping with Emotional Distress During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Among Medical Staff

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17134899 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (13) ◽

pp. 4899 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Milena Adina Man ◽

Claudia Toma ◽

Nicoleta Stefania Motoc ◽

Octavia Luiza Necrelescu ◽

Cosmina Ioana Bondor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Coping Strategies ◽

Emotional Distress ◽

Health Care Workers ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Illness Perception ◽

Coping Mechanisms ◽

World Health ◽

Care Workers ◽

And Coping

The novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is a highly contagious infectious disease declared by the World Health Organization to be a pandemic and a global public health emergency. During outbreaks, health care workers are submitted to an enormous emotional burden as they must balance the fundamental “duty to treat” with their parallel duties to family and loved ones. The aims of our study were to evaluate disease perceptions, levels of stress, emotional distress, and coping strategies among medical staff (COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 departments) in a tertiary pulmonology teaching hospital in the first month after the outbreak of COVID-19. One hundred and fifteen health care workers completed four validated questionnaires (the brief illness perception questionnaire, perceived stress scale, the profile of emotional distress emotional, and the cognitive coping evaluation questionnaire) that were afterwards interpreted by one psychologist. There was a high level of stress and psychological distress among health care workers in the first month after the pandemic outbreak. Interestingly, there were no differences between persons that worked in COVID-19 departments versus those working in non-COVID-19 departments. Disease perceptions and coping mechanisms were similar in the two groups. As coping mechanisms, refocusing on planning and positive reappraisal were used more than in the general population. There is no difference in disease perceptions, levels of stress, emotional distress, and coping strategies in medical staff handling COVID-19 patients versus those staff who were not handling COVID-19 patients in the first month after the pandemic outbreak.

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