Fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among Pakistani doctors: A survey study

Abstract Background The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has seriously affected the lives of millions of people across the world. It has also heavily burdened healthcare professionals and the virus poses serious risks for their personal and professional lives. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between fear of COVID-19 and workplace phobia among doctors in Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online survey was conducted among 421 doctors in Pakistan between April 10 and May 25, 2020. The Workplace Phobia Scale (WPS) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) were the main psychometric instruments used in this study. Results There was a significant positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Significantly higher fear of COVID-19 was found among (i) females compared to males, (ii) doctors with 5 years or less of work experience compared to those with more than 5 years, and (iii) postgraduate trainees compared with other ranks. Two groups (doctors who were above 30 years old and postgraduate trainees) were found to have higher levels of workplace phobia compared to their counterparts. Doctors with severe levels of fear of COVID-19 had significantly higher levels of workplace panic anxiety and workplace avoidance behavior. Conclusions Fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with workplace phobia which may negatively affect doctors’ performance. Therefore, important steps are needed to protect doctors’ health by providing sufficient resources to allay their fears and anxieties which consequently help them in carrying out their frontline duties in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Visitor Restriction Policy on Pediatric Wards During Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Survey Study Across North America

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society ◽

10.1093/jpids/piaa126 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Taito Kitano ◽

Pierre-Philippe Piché-Renaud ◽

Helen E Groves ◽

Laurie Streitenberger ◽

Renee Freeman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North America ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Survey Study ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

The Novel ◽

Restriction Policy ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Visitor restriction policies in pediatric wards during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are variable. Among 36 hospitals that responded to our survey, 97% allowed at least 1 visitor, with 67% restricting to 1 caregiver. Sixty-nine percent required the visitor to wear personal protective equipment and only 19% allowed non-household visitors.

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Comparison of Psychological Stress Levels and Associated Factors Among Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers, and the General Public During the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.583971 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Rongrong Luan ◽

Weidan Pu ◽

Lilei Dai ◽

Rui Yang ◽

Peng Wang

Keyword(s):

Psychological Stress ◽

General Public ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Online Survey ◽

The Novel ◽

Impact Of Event Scale ◽

Event Scale ◽

Frontline Workers ◽

Occupation Group ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Objective: We aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the psychological stress experienced by healthcare workers, frontline workers, and the general public and to assess the factors associated with psychological stress in each of these groups.Methods: We conducted an online survey targeting healthcare workers, frontline workers, and the general public. Psychological stress was assessed with the revised impact of event scale (IES-R). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted.Results: We surveyed 1,336 participants (64.6% female; mean age, 36.6). The occupation group distribution of respondents was 50.7% healthcare workers, 27.2% frontline workers, and 22.1% general public. The healthcare (23.6 ± 15.8) and frontline (23.6 ± 17.8) workers had higher IES-R scores than the general public (15.3 ± 10.6; p < 0.01). Poor health perception and perception of infection avoidance were associated with psychological stress in the healthcare and frontline workers, but not in the general public.Conclusion: Both healthcare and frontline workers are suffering elevated psychological stress, compared to the general public, and this elevated stress may be related especially to their perceptions of their own health and infection risk. Interventions addressing these factors should be developed to alleviate psychological stress in these populations, and thus reduce their risk of mental illness pathogenesis.

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The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Among Pakistani Adults in Lahore

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.578366 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Saima Majeed ◽

Elizabeth Maria Schwaiger ◽

Abia Nazim ◽

Ivan Suneel Samuel

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Family System ◽

Nuclear Family ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

The Novel ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Measurement Tools ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Restrictive Measures ◽

The Impact

Background: In the wake of the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus and the resultant restrictive measures, mental health has become a crucial issue. Physical health is not the only aspect of humans that is at risk. Globally, the rates and severity of mental illness are being significantly impacted by this pandemic. Two scales have been validated to measure the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the levels of anxiety and obsessional thinking in clinical and non-clinical populations. The present study was designed to investigate the levels of anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19 in the general public of Lahore, Pakistan.Materials and Methods: Data were collected via snowball sampling from May 9 to May 19. An online survey consisting of a demographic profile and two scales, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and Obsession with COVID-19 Scale (OCS), was sent through email, WhatsApp, and Facebook groups to adults (18 years and above) of Lahore, Pakistan.Results: A total of 240 individuals (20% men and 80% women) recorded their responses. The majority belonged to a nuclear family system (60%), and their education level ranged from high school to Ph.D. The cut-off score for probable dysfunctional coronavirus anxiety and obsession levels was not met within this sample (CAS, M = 3.24, SD = 4.21; OCS, M = 4.14, SD = 3.15), suggesting that the general population of Lahore, Pakistan is not suffering from dysfunctional anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Forty-seven participants' score on OCS and 35 participants' scores on CAS were above the cut-off, i.e., ≥7 and ≥9, respectively. The results of the correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship (**p < 0.619) between anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19.Conclusion: One important, yet surprising, conclusion of this study is that the average adult in Lahore does not show much anxiety or obsessions related to COVID-19. Other studies around the world using these measurement tools have indicated significantly high levels of both anxiety and obsessions related to COVID-19. These findings may demonstrate the resilience of Pakistanis or perhaps the lack of understanding of the seriousness of the situation.

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Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals on COVID-19 and Risk Assessment to Prevent the Epidemic Spread: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study from Punjab, Pakistan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17176395 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (17) ◽

pp. 6395 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Usman Rashid Malik ◽

Naveel Atif ◽

Furqan Khurshid Hashmi ◽

Fahad Saleem ◽

Hamid Saeed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Online Survey ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

World Health ◽

Primary Role ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Novel Coronavirus

In the current outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), healthcare professionals (HCPs) have a primary role in combating the epidemic threat. HCPs are at high risk of not only contracting the infection but also spreading it unknowingly. It is of utmost importance to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) and the ability to assess the risks associated with the outbreak. A cross-sectional online survey involving physicians, pharmacists, and nurses was conducted. A 39-itemed questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO)COVID-19 risk assessment tool was shared with healthcare professionals in three purposively selected key divisions of Punjab province. Out of 500 healthcare professionals, 385 responded to the survey. The majority (70%) were aged 22–29 years; 144 (37.4%) physicians, 113 (29.4%) nurses, and 128 (33.2%) pharmacists completed the survey. Overall, 94.8% of healthcare professionals scored adequately (>14) for COVID-19-related knowledge; 97.9% displayed an optimistic attitude (>42) and 94.5% had an adequate practice score (>28). Kruskal–Wallis and Jonckheere–Terpstra tests showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in KAP and risk assessment scores among groups; physicians and nurses scored higher as compared to pharmacists. Further research and follow-up investigations on disaster management and risk assessment can help policy-makers better tackle future epidemics.

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Attitudes of Anesthesiology Specialists and Residents toward Patients Infected with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): A National Survey Study

Surgical Infections ◽

10.1089/sur.2020.097 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 350-356 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Burhan Dost ◽

Ersin Koksal ◽

Özlem Terzi ◽

Sezgin Bilgin ◽

Yasemin Burcu Ustun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Survey ◽

Survey Study ◽

The Novel ◽

Novel Coronavirus

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication Telepractice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Survey of Speech-Language Pathologists

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/2021_ajslp-21-00036 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Elizabeth E. Biggs ◽

Michelle C. S. Therrien ◽

Sarah N. Douglas ◽

Melinda R. Snodgrass

Keyword(s):

Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽

Online Survey ◽

The Novel ◽

Alternative Communication ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Five Dimensions ◽

Know How ◽

School Based ◽

Aided Aac ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Purpose: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to sudden, widespread use of telepractice, including providing services to children who use aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This exploratory study examined speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) experiences using telepractice to provide services to children and youth aged 3–21 years who used aided AAC during the earlier months of the pandemic (May–June 2020). Method: Three hundred thirty-one SLPs responded to an online survey. Closed- and open-ended survey items were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively and mixed at the point of interpretation to understand the experiences of SLPs related to the use of telepractice with children who use aided AAC, including how they perceived effectiveness. Results: Most SLPs were using telepractice to provide both direct and consultation/coaching services to children who used aided AAC. There was fairly wide variation in perceptions of effectiveness of both types of services, but SLPs were more likely to rate consultation/coaching services as being more effective than direct services. SLPs identified factors impacting effectiveness across five dimensions: broader factors, practice-based factors (i.e., technology, the type of services), the child, parents and family members, and professionals. School-based SLPs perceived telepractice as being less effective than non–school-based SLPs. Conclusions: The use of telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded quite differently for different SLPs and the children who use aided AAC that they serve. Although AAC telepractice offers promise for the future, particularly for partnering with families, further research is needed to know how to overcome challenges experienced by SLPs. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17139434

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Awareness of Dementia Risk Reduction Among Current and Future Healthcare Professionals: A Survey Study

Journal of Public Health Research ◽

10.4081/jphr.2021.1961 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Femke De Krom ◽

Sangavi Sivananthan ◽

Farah Alkhotany ◽

Martijn Celen ◽

Indy Ezra Hol ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Risk Reduction ◽

Online Survey ◽

Essential Role ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Risk And Protective Factors ◽

Survey Study ◽

Dementia Risk ◽

The Relationship

Background: The total number of people affected by dementia worldwide is increasing rapidly. Recent studies provided evidence for the contribution of modifiable risk and protective factors to dementia risk. Although healthcare professionals could play an essential role in informing the general public about the relationship between lifestyle and dementia, it is unclear what they know about this relationship. Therefore, this study assesses the awareness of dementia risk reduction among current and future healthcare professionals. Methods: An online survey was carried out among 182 healthcare students from Maastricht University and 20 general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses in Limburg, The Netherlands. The survey assessed the knowledge about risk and protective factors of dementia and identified needs, wishes and barriers concerning dementia risk reduction strategies. Results: The majority of current (75.0%) and future (81.9%) healthcare professionals indicated that dementia risk reduction is possible. Among students, awareness of cardiovascular risk factors of dementia (e.g. coronary heart disease (44.5%), hypertension (53.8%)) was low. Most participants (>70.0%) would like to receive more information about dementia risk reduction. Conclusions: The majority of current and future healthcare professionals were aware of the relationship between lifestyle and dementia risk. However, there are still substantial gaps in knowledge regarding individual dementia risk factors. Given the essential role of healthcare professionals in providing lifestyle advice, there is a need to increase awareness by providing educational programs focused on dementia risk reduction.

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Perceptions and behaviors in response to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) : reports on major survey findings

10.32469/10355/79261 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hua Qin ◽

Yanu Prasetyo ◽

Christine Sanders ◽

Elizabeth Prentice ◽

Muh. Syukron

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

The Novel ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Perceived Severity ◽

Preventive Actions ◽

Email Address ◽

And Behaviors ◽

Initial Survey ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The United States has been affected by an extensive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak since March 2020. On March 9, 2020 we started an online survey of people’s perceptions and behaviors related to this issue in Missouri and adjacent states (Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, and Arkansas). The survey was ended on June 9, 2020 and in total 7,392 surveys were completed. In order to assess how attitudes and behaviors related to COVID-19 may change over time, two follow-up surveys were conducted with those respondents who indicated interest in the re-surveys and provided an email address. These two working reports summarize major results of the initial survey and three survey waves, including respondents’ perceived severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, sources of information, knowledge about COVID-19, perceptions of COVID-19 risk, satisfaction with management entities, and preventive actions.

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Changes in Provision of Psychotherapy in the Early Weeks of the COVID-19 Lockdown in Austria

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17113815 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (11) ◽

pp. 3815 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Thomas Probst ◽

Peter Stippl ◽

Christoph Pieh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Mental Health Care ◽

Online Survey ◽

Personal Contact ◽

The Novel ◽

Central Measure ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Reducing personal contacts is a central measure against the spreading of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This troubles mental health, but also mental health care as treatments usually take place in personal contact and switching to remote treatments might be necessary in times of COVID-19. The present study investigated the question how the provision of psychotherapy changed in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria and whether there were differences between the four therapeutic orientations eligible in Austria (psychodynamic, humanistic, systemic, behavioral). Psychotherapists (N = 1547) completed an online survey. They entered their number of patients treated on average per week (in personal contact, via telephone, via Internet) in the early weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown in Austria as well as (retrospectively) in the months before. The number of patients treated on average per week in personal contact decreased (on average 81%; p < 0.001), whereas the number of patients treated on average per week via telephone and via Internet increased (on average 979% and 1561%; both p < 0.001). Yet, the decrease of psychotherapies through personal contact was not compensated for by increases of remote psychotherapies (p < 0.001). No differences between the four therapeutic orientations emerged. Results imply an undersupply of psychotherapy in the COVID-19 lockdown and that further changes are necessary to cover the increased need for timely psychotherapy in times of COVID-19.

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