Supporting Second Victims of Patient Safety Events: Shouldn't These Communications Be Covered by Legal Privilege?

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 852-858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie E. de Wit ◽  
Clifford M. Marks ◽  
Jeffrey P. Natterman ◽  
Albert W. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medical Institutions ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Injured Patients

The harmful impact of an adverse event ripples beyond injured patients and their families to affect physicians, nurses, and other health care staff that are involved. These “Second Victims” may experience intense feelings of anxiety, guilt, and fear. They may doubt their clinical competence or ability to continue working at all. Some go on to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.Medical institutions long ignored this problem, preferring to believe that adverse events, or “errors,” occur due to incompetence — the unfortunate work of a few “bad” practitioners who deserve, if anything, a reprimand for their negligence. Study after study has rejected this attribution and shown that adverse events in health care stem primarily from systemic flaws, not “bad apples.” Devastating errors, in other words, can, do, and always will happen in the care of competent, well-trained, and caring practitioners.

scholarly journals Course of post-traumatic stress disorder and health care utilisation among resettled refugees in the Netherlands

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Majda Lamkaddem ◽  
Karien Stronks ◽  
Walter D Devillé ◽  
Miranda Olff ◽  
Annette AM Gerritsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Health Care Utilisation ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Care Utilisation ◽  
Post Traumatic

Integrating smoking cessation into mental health care for post-traumatic stress disorder

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miles McFall ◽  
Andrew J. Saxon ◽  
Surai Thaneemit-Chen ◽  
Mark W. Smith ◽  
Anne M. Joseph ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

scholarly journals Psychological impact of COVID -19 pandemic on frontline health care workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shamsul Ahsan ◽  
Suman Ahmed ◽  
Rubaiya Khan ◽  
Md Mahbubul Hasan ◽  
Ananya Kar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Insomnia Symptoms

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia symptoms among frontline health workers during the corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Bangladesh and to compare these between medical and allied health workers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between June and August 2020. A total of 479 health care professionals participated in the study. Anxiety and depression were measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was measured by primary care post-traumatic stress disorder score (PC-PTSD score), and insomnia was measured by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). We performed logistic regression to assess risk factors associated with psychological symptoms. Overall, prevalence of anxiety, depression, PTSD and insomnia symptoms were 17.6%, 15.5%, 7.6% and 5.9%, respectively. Compared to allied health workers, doctors had significantly higher prevalence of symptoms of anxiety: doctor versus allied health care worker; 21.1% vs 06%, (OR= 4.19; 95% CI= 1.88-9.35; p <0.001); depression: 18% vs 6.8%, (OR= 2.99; 95% CI= 1.40-6.42; p 0.005); PTSD: 9.4% vs 1.7%, (OR= 5.96; 95% CI= 1.41-25.11; p 0.015) and insomnia: 7.4% vs 0.9%, (OR= 9.22; 95% CI= 1.24-68.4; p 0.03),respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed pre-existing medical illness as a predictor of anxiety (OR= 2.85; 95% CI= 1.71-4.76; p <0.001) and depressive symptoms (OR= 2.29; 95% CI= 1.39-3.77; p 0.001). Working more than 6(six) weeks in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals was significantly associated with PSTD symptoms (OR= 2.83; 95% CI= 1.35-5.93; p 0.006) and insomnia (OR= 2.63; 95% CI= 1.15-6.02; p 0.022). Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia among Bangladeshi frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BSMMU J 2021; 14 (COVID -19 Supplement): 22-29

scholarly journals Long-distance migration was associated with increased prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in Syrian refugees

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Halgreen Eiset ◽  
Michaelangelo P Aoun ◽  
Monica Stougaard ◽  
Annemarie Graa Gottlieb ◽  
Ramzi S Haddad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

Background: Refugees are forced migrants but there is a large variation in the distance that refugees cover and there is a knowledge gap on how this may affect refugee' health and health care needs. We investigated the association between long-distance migration and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious psychiatric disorder associated with deteriorating mental and somatic health. Methods: Included from 2016-2019 were 712 adult Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Lebanon and Denmark arrived up to 12 months prior. PTSD was assessed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the estimate of association was obtained by multiply imputing missing data and adjusting for confounding by propensity score-weighting with covariates age, sex, socioeconomic status, trauma experience and WHO-5-score, reporting the bootstrap 95-percentile confidence interval (95% CI). Additionally, a number of sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: After multiply imputing missing data and propensity score-weighted adjustment for confounding, migration to Denmark instead of Lebanon was associated with an increase in PTSD prevalence of 9 percentage point (95% CI [-1; 19] percentage point). Discussion: We found that long-distance migration was associated with an increase in the prevalence of PTSD suggesting that long-distance migration may be a factor to consider when assessing refugees' and asylum seekers' health. To secure timely and appropriate health care for this vulnerable group we need to remedy the current knowledge gap regarding the health effects of migration. This study is the first step in doing so.

scholarly journals Posttraumatic Stress in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Prevalence and Relationships to Patient-Reported Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiffany H Taft ◽  
Sarah Quinton ◽  
Sharon Jedel ◽  
Madison Simons ◽  
Ece A Mutlu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Posttraumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

Abstract Background Patients with chronic illness are at increased risk for traumatic stress because of medical trauma. Initial studies of posttraumatic stress (PTS) in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have found that approximately one-third of patients may experience significant PTS symptoms including flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, disrupted sleep, and low mood. We aim to better characterize PTS in IBD and its relationship with patient outcomes in a large cohort of patients with IBD. Methods Adult patients registered with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation/University of North Carolina IBD Partners database were invited to complete a supplementary survey between February and July 2020. The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5th edition was administered as a supplemental survey. Additional data from IBD Partners included disease severity, surgery and hospital history, demographics, and health care utilization. Results A total of 797 patients participated (452 with Crohn disease, 345 with ulcerative colitis). No impacts on response patterns because of the COVID-19 pandemic were found. Although 5.6% of the sample reported an existing PTS diagnosis because of IBD experiences, 9.6% of participants met the full IBD-related PTS diagnostic criteria per the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-5th edition. Female patients, younger patients, those with less educational attainment, non-White patients, and Hispanic patients reported higher levels of PTS symptoms. Patients with higher PTS symptoms were more likely to have been hospitalized, have had surgery, have more severe symptoms, and not be in remission. Increased PTS was also associated with increased anxiety, depression, pain interference, fatigue, and health care utilization. Conclusions The present findings support prior research that approximately one-quarter to one-third of patients with IBD report significant symptoms of PTS directly from their disease experiences, and certain demographic groups are at higher risk. In addition, PTS is associated with several IBD outcomes. Patients with higher PTS symptoms are less likely to be in remission and may utilize more outpatient gastrointestinal services. Intervention trials to mitigate PTS symptoms in patients with IBD are warranted.

scholarly journals Vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress in health care professionals

2017 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole A Guitar ◽  
Monica L Molinaro
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Secondary Traumatic Stress ◽  
Vicarious Trauma ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Three-quarters of Canadians are exposed to a traumatic event sufficient to cause psychological trauma in their lifetime. In fact, post-traumatic stress disorder is a global health issue with a prevalence as high as 37%. Health care professionals trained to provide mental health treatment for these individuals are at risk of developing vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, both of which result in adverse symptoms for the health care provider that often mimic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Vicarious trauma develops over time as the clinician is continually exposed to their clients’ traumatic experiences, while clinicians experiencing secondary traumatic stress begin to experience the symptoms of PTSD due to secondary exposure of the traumatic event. Both vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress cause mental, physical, and emotional issues for health care professionals that include burnout and decreased self-worth. Health care systems and administration should aim to develop training and professional education for health care providers. This review will emphasize what factors lead to the development of vicarious trauma and secondary traumatic stress, and what aids or supports can be implemented to treat the symptoms. The implications for policy development and training will be discussed.

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