scholarly journals Preparing for the Second Surge: Preventing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Building Resilience for Health Care Workers in the Face of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Todd L. Benham ◽  
Alexander Hart ◽  
Michelangelo Bortolin ◽  
Michael Court ◽  
John Groves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Hospital Leadership ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Face

ABSTRACT The global community needs to be aware of the potential psychosocial consequences that may be experienced by health care workers who are actively managing patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). These health care workers are at increased risk for experiencing mood and trauma-related disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this concept article, strategies are recommended for individual health care workers and hospital leadership to aid in mitigating the risk of PTSD, as well as to build resilience in light of a potential second surge of COVID-19.

Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Health Care Workers in Earthquake-Affected Areas in Southwest China

2010 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 555-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Wang ◽  
Jianxin Zhang ◽  
Mingjie Zhou ◽  
Zhanbiao Shi ◽  
Ping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

The symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors were investigated among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas in southwest China. 343 health care workers completed the Chinese version of the Impact of Event Scale–Revised 3 mo. after the Wenchuan Earthquake. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 19%. The significant risk factors identified for PTSD severity included being female, being bereaved, being injured, and higher intensity of initial fear. These findings suggest that PTSD is a common mental health problem among health care workers in earthquake-affected areas. The present information can be useful in directing, strengthening, and evaluating disaster-related mental health needs and interventions after an earthquake.

Hurricane Maria’s Impact on Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico: Community Needs and Mental Health Assessment Six Months Postimpact

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella M. Ferré ◽  
Stephanie Negrón ◽  
James M. Shultz ◽  
Seth J. Schwartz ◽  
James P. Kossin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Major Depression ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Community Needs ◽  
Increased Risk

ABSTRACTObjectivesThis pilot study aimed to assess the community needs and population health status for the low-income town of Punta Santiago, situated on the southeastern coast of Puerto Rico at the point where Hurricane Maria made landfall on September 20, 2017.MethodsA cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey was conducted 6 months after the storm with a representative random sample of 74 households. The survey characterized population demographics and resident needs in relation to storm damage and disruption. The survey also assessed prevalence and symptom severity of major depression, generalized anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.ResultsMost of Punta Santiago was without electrical power and more than half of households sustained severe damage. Residents reported loss of jobs, decreased productivity, school closures, dependency on aid for basic necessities, increased risk for vector-borne diseases, unrelenting exposure to heat and humidity, and diminished health status. Two-thirds (66.2%) of the respondents had clinically significant symptom elevations for at least 1 of the 3 common mental disorders assessed: major depression, generalized anxiety, or posttraumatic stress disorder.ConclusionsPilot survey results, along with other studies conducted in Punta Santiago, can be used to provide guidance for interventions with this community as well as with other low-income, storm-affected areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:18–23)

scholarly journals Self-efficacy and fatigue among health care workers during COVID-19 outbreak: A moderated mediation model of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and negative coping

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianya Hou ◽  
Wei Dong ◽  
Ruike Zhang ◽  
Xiangrui Song ◽  
Fan Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Standard Score ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Negative Coping

Abstract Background. Health care workers (HCWs) fighting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not immune to fatigue. Self-efficacy has been suggested as a protective factor for fatigue. Nonetheless, less is known regarding the underlying mechanisms behind the association. This research aimed to explore the prevalence of fatigue among HCWs during the pandemic, investigate the mediating effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and moderating effect of negative coping in the association between self-efficacy and fatigue.Methods. The cross-sectional study employed a sample of 527 HCWs from Anhui Province, China. Self-efficacy, PTSD symptoms, negative coping and fatigue were measured by General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (CSCQ) and 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14) respectively.Results. The prevalence of fatigue among HCWs was 56.7%. The effect of self-efficacy on fatigue was partially mediated by PTSD symptoms. Additionally, negative coping moderated both the direct effect of self-efficacy on fatigue and the mediating effect of PTSD symptoms. As revealed by Johnson-Neyman technique, when the standard score of negative coping enhanced to 1.49 and over, the direct association between self-efficacy and fatigue was not significant. Likewise, the effect of self-efficacy on PTSD symptoms had no statistical significance when the standard score of negative coping was − 1.40 and lower.Conclusions. More than half HCWs suffer from fatigue during the COVID-19. For HCWs during the COVID-19 epidemic, especially those with higher levels of negative coping, it might be crucial to design program combining the enhancement of self-efficacy and interventions for PTSD to reduce fatigue.

Abstract P127: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Risk for Coronary Heart Disease: A Meta-analytic Review

Circulation ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (suppl_12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Edmondson ◽  
Ian M Kronish ◽  
Jonathan A Shaffer ◽  
Louise Falzon ◽  
Matthew M Burg
Keyword(s):  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Coronary Heart Disease ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Forest Plot ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Analytic Review

Context: Recent evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Objective: To determine the association of PTSD to incident CHD using systematic review and meta-analysis. Data Sources: Articles were identified by searching Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library, PILOTS database, and through manual search of reference lists. Study Selection: Prospective cohort studies that assessed PTSD in participants free of CHD and assessed subsequent CHD or cardiac-specific mortality. Data Extraction: We extracted estimates of the association of PTSD to incident CHD, as well as study characteristics. Odds ratios were converted to hazard ratios (HR), and a random-effects model was used to pool results. Data Synthesis: Five studies met our inclusion criteria (N= 401,712); 4 of these included depression as a covariate. The pooled HR for the magnitude of the relationship between PTSD and CHD was 1.53 (95% CI, 1.27-1.84) before adjustment for depression. The pooled HR estimate for the 4 depression-adjusted estimates (N= 362,388) was 1.22 (95% CI, 1.05-1.42). Conclusion: PTSD is independently associated with increased risk for incident CHD, even after adjusting for depression and other covariates. Figure 1. Forest plot of association of PTSD to incident MI or cardiac mortality Note: The area of each square is proportional to the study’s weight in the meta-analysis, and each line represents the confidence interval around the estimate. The diamond represents the aggregate estimate, and its lateral points indicate confidence intervals for this estimate.

Overwhelming Grief in a Traumatized World: Evolving Perspectives in Treatment

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane A. Kempson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Complex Ptsd ◽  
Treatment Interventions ◽  
Traditional Treatment ◽  
Health Care Practitioners ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Morbid Conditions

Treatment of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), often associated with co-morbid conditions, has been insufficiently studied and somewhat resistant to traditional treatment interventions. More recent research in the neurobiology of PTSD offers illumination in understanding reasons for such intractability. Neuroscience studies suggest possible reasons for the inabilities of persons with complex PTSD to verbalize their experiences. As a result, health care practitioners are challenged to find more effective interventions in these situations and to stay abreast of the newest research. The author reviews empirical findings of alternative/complementary interventions with a specific focus on body-oriented therapies in facilitating return to normal neurobiological functioning, thereby enhancing efficacy of “talk” therapies in resolution of PTSD.

scholarly journals Mental Disorders Among Health Care Workers at the Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya; Findings of an Online Descriptive Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Kamaru Kwobah ◽  
Ann Mwangi ◽  
Kirtika Patel ◽  
Thomas Mwogi ◽  
Robert Kiptoo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Early Phase ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Care Workers

Background: Healthcare workers responding to the Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19) are at risk of mental illness. Data is scanty on the burden of mental disorders among Kenyan healthcare workers responding to the pandemic that can inform mental health and psychosocial support. The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency and associated factors of worry, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder and poor quality of sleep among Kenyan health care workers at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted an online survey among 1,259 health care workers in Kenya. A researcher developed social demographic questionnaire and several standardized tools were used for data collection. Standardized tools were programmed into Redcap, (Research Electronic Data Capture) and data analysis was performed using R Core Team. In all analysis a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.Results: 66% of the participants reported experiencing worry related to COVID-19. 32.1% had depression, 36% had generalized anxiety, 24.2% had insomnia and 64.7% scored positively for probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Depression was higher among females compared to men (36.5 vs. 26.9%, p = 0.003), workers <35 years old compared to older ones (38.1 vs. 26.4%, p < 0.001), and those who were not married compared to those who were married (40.6 vs. 27.6%, p < 0.001). Generalized anxiety was commoner among workers aged <35 years (43.5 vs. 29.3%, p < 0.001), females (41.7 vs. 29.2%, p < 0.001), those who mere not married compared to the married (45.2 vs. 31.2%, p < 0.001) and those with <10 years working experience (41.6 to 20.5%, p < 0.001). Younger health care professional had a higher proportion of insomnia compared to the older ones (30.3 vs. 18.6%, p < 0.001). Insomnia was higher among those with <10 years' experience compared to those with more than 20 years' experience(27.3 vs. 17.6%, p = 0.043)Conclusion: Many Kenyan healthcare workers in the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic suffered from various common mental disorders with young, female professionals who are not married bearing the bigger burden. This data is useful in informing interventions to promote mental and psychosocial wellbeing among Kenyan healthcare workers responding to the pandemic.

scholarly journals Early onset neurocirculatory response to static handgrip is associated with greater blood pressure variability in women with posttraumatic stress disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 318 (1) ◽  
pp. H49-H58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeung-Ki Yoo ◽  
Mark B. Badrov ◽  
Rosemary S. Parker ◽  
Elizabeth H. Anderson ◽  
Jessica L. Wiblin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Muscle Contraction ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Muscle Sympathetic Nerve Activity ◽  
Pressor Responses ◽  
Increased Risk

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric illness that is more prevalent in women, and accumulating evidence suggests a link between PTSD and future development of cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but augmented sympathetic reactivity to daily stressors may be involved. We measured muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate responses in 14 women with PTSD and 14 healthy women (controls) during static handgrip (SHG) exercise to fatigue at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Two minutes of postexercise circulatory arrest (PECA) was followed immediately after SHG to fatigue. MVC and the time to fatigue during SHG did not differ between groups (both P > 0.05). At the first 30 s of SHG, women with PTSD showed augmented sympathetic neural [mean ± SD, ∆MSNA burst frequency (BF): 5 ± 4 vs. 2 ± 3 bursts/30 s, P = 0.02 and ∆MSNA total activity (TA): 82 ± 58 vs. 25 ± 38 arbitrary units/30 s, P = 0.004] and pressor (∆systolic BP: 10 ± 5 vs. 4 ± 3 mmHg, P = 0.003) responses compared with controls. However, MSNA and BP responses at fatigue and during PECA were not different between groups. More interestingly, the augmented initial neural and pressor responses to SHG were associated with greater awake systolic BP variability during ambulation in women with PTSD (MSNA BF: r = 0.55, MSNA TA: r = 0.62, and SBP: r = 0.69, all P < 0.05). These results suggest that early onset exercise pressor response in women with PTSD may be attributed to enhanced mechano- rather than metaboreflexes, which might contribute to the mechanisms underlying the link between PTSD and cardiovascular risk. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The novel findings of the current study are that women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibited augmented sympathetic neural and pressor responses at the first 30 s of submaximal isometric muscle contraction. More interestingly, exaggerated neurocirculatory responses at the onset of muscle contraction were associated with greater ambulatory awake systolic blood pressure fluctuations in women with PTSD. Our findings expand the knowledge on the physiological mechanisms that perhaps contribute to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in such a population.

scholarly journals Depression and Psychosocial Stress Are Associated With Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis Among Women Living With HIV

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Levy ◽  
Kathryn Anastos ◽  
Steven R. Levine ◽  
Michael Plankey ◽  
Amanda D. Castel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Psychosocial Stress ◽  
Latent Class ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Plaque Formation ◽  
Psychosocial Risk ◽  
Increased Risk

Background To identify reasons for increased atherosclerotic risk among women living with HIV ( WLWH ), we evaluated the associations between psychosocial risk factors (depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms) and subclinical atherosclerosis among WLWH and HIV ‐negative women. Methods and Results Carotid artery focal plaque (localized intima‐media thickness >1.5 mm) was measured using B‐mode ultrasound imaging in 2004–2005 and 2010–2012 in the Women's Interagency HIV Study. We created psychosocial risk groups using latent class analysis and defined prevalent plaque at the final measurement. We also examined repeated semiannual depression measures with respect to focal plaque formation throughout follow‐up. The associations between latent class and prevalent plaque, and between depressive symptom persistence and plaque formation, were assessed separately by HIV status using multivariable logistic regression. Among 700 women (median age 47 years), 2 latent classes were identified: high (n=163) and low (n=537) psychosocial risk, with corresponding prevalence of depression (65%/13%), high stress (96%/12%), and probable posttraumatic stress disorder (46%/2%). Among WLWH , plaque prevalence was 23% and 11% in high versus low psychosocial risk classes (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.12; 95% CI, 1.11–4.05) compared with 9% and 9% among HIV ‐negative women (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.24–4.84), respectively. New plaque formation occurred among 17% and 9% of WLWH who reported high depressive symptoms at ≥45% versus <45% of visits (aOR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.06–3.64), compared with 9% and 7% among HIV ‐negative women (aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.16–4.16), respectively. Conclusions Psychosocial factors were independent atherosclerotic risk factors among WLWH . Research is needed to determine whether interventions for depression and psychosocial stress can mitigate the increased risk of atherosclerosis for WLWH .

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