scholarly journals Psychosocial distress amongst Canadian intensive care unit healthcare workers during the acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254708
Author(s):  
Alexandra Binnie ◽  
Kyra Moura ◽  
Claire Moura ◽  
Frédérick D’Aragon ◽  
Jennifer L. Y. Tsang
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Psychosocial Distress ◽  
Acceleration Phase ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Large Numbers

Intensive care unit healthcare workers (ICU HCW) are at risk of mental health issues during emerging disease outbreaks. A study of ICU HCW from France revealed symptoms of anxiety and depression in 50.4% and 30.4% of workers at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. The level of COVID-19 exposure of these ICU HCW was very high. In Canada, ICU HCW experienced variable exposure to COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, with some hospitals seeing large numbers of patients while others saw few or none. In this study we examined the relationship between COVID-19 exposure and mental health in Canadian ICU HCW. We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study of Canadian ICU HCW in April 2020, during the acceleration phase of the first wave of the pandemic. Psychosocial distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Participants were asked about sources of stress as well as about exposure to COVID-19 patients and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). Factors associated with clinically-relevant psychosocial distress were identified. Responses were received from 310 Canadian ICU HCW affiliated with more than 30 institutions. Of these, 64.5% scored ≥ 3 points on the GHQ-12 questionnaire, indicating clinically-relevant psychosocial distress. The frequency of psychosocial distress was highest amongst registered nurses (75.7%) and lowest amongst physicians (49.4%). It was also higher amongst females (64.9%) than males (47.6%). Although PPE availability was good (> 80% of participants reported adequate availability), there was significant anxiety with respect to PPE availability, with respect to the risk of being infected with COVID-19, and with respect to the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to others. In multivariable regression analysis, Anxiety with respect to being infected with COVID-19 (OR 1.53, CI 1.31–1.81) was the strongest positive predictor of clinically-relevant psychosocial distress while the Number of shifts with COVID-19 exposure (OR 0.86, CI 0.75–0.95) was the strongest negative predictor. In summary, clinically-relevant psychosocial distress was identified amongst a majority of ICU HCW during the acceleration phase of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with minimal or no exposure to COVID-19. Strategies to support mental health amongst ICU HCW are required across the entire healthcare system.

scholarly journals Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms of Healthcare Workers in Intensive Care Unit Under the COVID-19 Epidemic: An Online Cross-Sectional Study in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofan Peng ◽  
Xiangyu Meng ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Chenghuan Hu ◽  
Wei Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Second Line ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Night Duty

Background: Since the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare workers were responsible for the critical infected patients. However, few studies focused on the mental health of ICU healthcare workers. This study aimed to investigate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on ICU healthcare workers in China.Methods: We distributed the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and seven-item General Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) online to ICU healthcare workers in China. Respondents were divided into frontline and second-line according to whether they have contact with COVID-19 patients. Depressive and anxiety symptoms of all respondents were evaluated based on their questionnaire scores.Results: There were 731 ICU healthcare workers finally enrolled in our study, including 303 (41.5%) male, 383 (52.4%) doctors, and 617 (84.4%) aged 26–45 years. All in all, 482 (65.9%) ICU healthcare workers reported symptoms of depression, while 429 (58.7%) reported anxiety. There was no significant difference between frontline (n = 325) and second-line (n = 406) respondents in depression (P = 0.15) and anxiety severity (P = 0.56). Logistic regression analysis showed that being female, ICU work time >5 years, and night duty number ≥10 were risk factors of developing depressive and anxiety symptoms. Income reduction was separately identified as risk of anxiety. Additionally, ICU work time >5 years was also identified as risk of developing moderate–severe depressive and anxiety symptoms.Conclusions: Frontline ICU work was not associated with higher risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19 pandemic remission period in China. Actions like controlling night duty number, ensuring vacation, and increasing income should be taken to relieve mental health problem. Furthermore, we should pay close attention to those who had worked long years in ICU.

scholarly journals Hand hygiene knowledge, perception and practice of healthcare workers in a Turkish university hospital intensive care unit

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (08) ◽  
pp. 744-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Uluhan Sili ◽  
Pinar Ay ◽  
Huseyin Bilgin ◽  
Seyhan Hidiroglu ◽  
Volkan Korten
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Compliance Rate ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
World Health ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Cross Sectional

Introduction: While improvement of hand hygiene (HH) compliance is considered as the best approach to reduce healthcare-associated infections, the instructional interventions in HH among healthcare workers of intensive care unit (ICU) of our hospital was not successful enough. The following study was conducted to evaluate HH knowledge, perception, practice and effectiveness of the trainings among healthcare workers of ICU in our hospital. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the ICU containing 8 medical and 16 surgical beds with 284 filled questionnaires about HH knowledge and 1187 observed opportunities for HH compliance. Results: Overall observed HH compliance rate was 40.6%; lowest compliance was 21.7% for “before clean/aseptic procedure” indication and highest compliance was 68.6% for “after touching a patient” indication. Although > 90% healthcare workers correctly identified the World Health Organization’s five indications for HH, 82 – 85% failed to recognize non-indications, i.e. when it was not necessary to perform HH. Our study showed that 15.1% of healthcare workers neither received nor felt the need for HH training. Conclusions: Despite regular HH trainings, healthcare workers could not differentiate when HH was not required which suggested failure to understand HH rationale. This may explain poor HH compliance rates. A systematic study is needed in order to find out the reasons behind of this noncompliance and improve HH training methods for educating healthcare workers.

scholarly journals Mental health and stress among ICU healthcare professionals in France according to intensity of the COVID-19 epidemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Laurent ◽  
Alicia Fournier ◽  
Florent Lheureux ◽  
Guillaume Louis ◽  
Saad Nseir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Positive Thinking ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health of professionals working in the intensive care unit (ICU) according to the intensity of the epidemic in France. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 77 French hospitals from April 22 to May 13 2020. All ICU frontline healthcare workers were eligible. The primary endpoint was the mental health, assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. Sources of stress during the crisis were assessed using the Perceived Stressors in Intensive Care Units (PS-ICU) scale. Epidemic intensity was defined as high or low for each region based on publicly available data from Santé Publique France. Effects were assessed using linear mixed models, moderation and mediation analyses. Results In total, 2643 health professionals participated; 64.36% in high-intensity zones. Professionals in areas with greater epidemic intensity were at higher risk of mental health issues (p < 0.001), and higher levels of overall perceived stress (p < 0.001), compared to low-intensity zones. Factors associated with higher overall perceived stress were female sex (B = 0.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08–0.17), having a relative at risk of COVID-19 (B = 0.14; 95%-CI = 0.09–0.18) and working in high-intensity zones (B = 0.11; 95%-CI = 0.02–0.20). Perceived stress mediated the impact of the crisis context on mental health (B = 0.23, 95%-CI = 0.05, 0.41) and the impact of stress on mental health was moderated by positive thinking, b = − 0.32, 95% CI = − 0.54, − 0.11. Conclusion COVID-19 negatively impacted the mental health of ICU professionals. Professionals working in zones where the epidemic was of high intensity were significantly more affected, with higher levels of perceived stress. This study is supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Health (PHRC-COVID 2020).

scholarly journals Coping Mechanisms: Exploring Strategies Utilized by Japanese Healthcare Workers to Reduce Stress and Improve Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Masatoshi Tahara ◽  
Yuki Mashizume ◽  
Kayoko Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major problem affecting the mental health of millions of people, including healthcare workers. In this study, we analyzed risk factors and coping mechanisms that could reduce the risk of poor mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted for 7 days from 30 April 2020 using a web-based questionnaire. The survey assessed various outcome measures, including the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), health status, satisfaction with daily life activities, work, leisure, and new activities, and anxiety over COVID-19. Data from 661 participants were analyzed, and 440 participants (66.6%) showed poor mental health (GHQ-12 ≥ 4). Also, our result showed that female gender, lower levels of communication with friends, and high anxiety were associated with poorer mental health. In contrast, good health status, high work satisfaction, and high satisfaction from new activities were associated with buffering mental health problem. Most participants chose an escape-avoidance coping strategy, and participants with worse mental health were more likely to adopt seeking social support as a coping strategy. These results may support healthcare workers to cope with mental health problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Effects of Lifestyle Changes on the Mental Health of Healthcare Workers with Different Sense of Coherence Levels in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 2801
Author(s):  
Kento Tanaka ◽  
Masatoshi Tahara ◽  
Yuki Mashizume ◽  
Kayoko Takahashi
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Stressful Environment

Sense of coherence (SOC) is a psychological factor that contributes to mental health maintenance under stressful environment. Likewise, level of SOC might affect mental health among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic differently. In this study, we investigated the relationships between lifestyle changes and mental health (General Health Questionnaire-12: GHQ-12) among different level of SOC (weak, moderate, or strong by SOC-13). The data of 898 healthcare workers from cross-sectional survey dataset were extracted and analyzed. As results, based on GHQ-12 score, 86.1% of 244 participants with weak SOC, 60.1% of 606 participants with moderate SOC, and 31.3% of 48 participants with strong SOC had poor mental health. Both SOC levels and lifestyle changes (except alcohol consumption) had significant main effects on the GHQ-12 score. Analysis on the association between lifestyle changes and mental health status stratified by SOC level reveled that among participants with weak SOC, those who increased their leisure and activity time had reduced odds of poor mental health than those who made no changes (OR: 0.08, CI: 0.01 to 0.64). Healthcare workers with weak SOC were at risk of poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lifestyle changes may improve their mental health.

scholarly journals Hand Colonization with Gram-Negative Organisms of Healthcare Workers Accessing the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Cross-Sectional Study at the Uganda Heart Institute

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Lameck Ssemogerere ◽  
Cornelius Sendagire ◽  
Ceaser Mbabazi ◽  
Yvonne Namungoma ◽  
Anna Noland Oketayot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Cardiac Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Heart Institute ◽  
Cardiac Intensive Care ◽  
Gram Negative Organisms

Background. Hands of healthcare workers (HCWs) are vehicles for pathogens responsible for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Following the identification of Gram-negative organisms (GNOs) in all cases of HAIs in the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU), we sought to determine the burden of hand colonization with GNOs among healthcare workers who access the cardiac ICU. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed results from surveillance cultures of fingertip imprints of HCWs who access the cardiac ICU at the Uganda Heart Institute. We collected data on staff category, isolates, and susceptibility to antibiotics. We analyzed the data using Microsoft Excel, and the results are summarized in proportions and percentages and presented in charts and tables. Results. Fifty-six healthcare workers participated in the surveillance. 21 were ICU clinicians, 21 non-ICU clinicians, and 14 nonclinicians. GNOs were cultured in 19 (33.9%) HCWs, in which 8/19 (42.1%) were non-ICU clinicians, 6/19 (31.2%) ICU clinicians, and 5/19 (26.3%) nonclinicians. 32 isolates were identified, of which 47%, 28%, and 25% were cultured from non-ICU clinicians, nonclinicians, and ICU clinicians, respectively. Predominant isolates were Acinetobacter (34%), Citrobacter (21.9%), and Pseudomonas (21.9%). Antimicrobial resistance ranged from 4% to 90%. 9/28 (32.1%) isolates, predominantly Acinetobacter species (spp), were carbapenem resistant. 8/28 (28.6%) isolates, predominantly Citrobacter spp, were multidrug resistant. Resistance to ciprofloxacin and cefepime was low at 3.6% and 4.4%, respectively. Conclusion. Gram-negative organisms, predominantly Acinetobacter, Citrobacter, and Pseudomonas spp, were prevalent on the hands of HCWs who access the cardiac ICU irrespective of the staff category. Antimicrobial resistance was high, with multidrug resistance and carbapenem resistance common among Citrobacter spp and Acinetobacter spp, respectively. Resistance to cefepime and ciprofloxacin was low.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Workaholism Among Egyptian Healthcare Workers With Assessment of Its Relation to Quality of Life, Mental Health and Burnout

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeinab A. Kasemy ◽  
Eman E. Abd-Ellatif ◽  
Asmaa A. Abdel Latif ◽  
Nadia M. Bahgat ◽  
Hanaa Mohammad Abo Shereda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Inflammatory Markers ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Maslach Burnout Inventory ◽  
Cross Sectional

Introduction: Work is a social double edged weapon activity that may have positive and negative effects on individual's quality of life and health.Objectives: To estimate workaholism prevalence and to determine its effects on quality of life, mental health, and burnout among healthcare workers (HCWs).Methods: Using a cross-sectional study, 1,080 Egyptian participants distributed as HCWs and non-HCWs were recruited. The study included 4 questionnaires to assess workaholism, quality of life (QoL), Psychological capital questionnaire (PCQ), and General health questionnaire (GHQ). Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was applied to critical specialty HCWs in addition to pro-inflammatory markers including Il6, TNFα, and CoQ10.Results: This study revealed that 24.4 and 24.8% of HCWs were workaholic and hardworking, respectively, in comparison to 5.9 and 28.1% among non-HCWs (P &lt; 0.001). Somatic symptoms and anxiety/ insomnia domains of GHQ were higher among HCWs than non-HCWs (P &lt; 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). QoL was significantly lower among HCWs than non-HCWs (P &lt; 0.001). Workaholism was reported among 43.2% of HCWs with critical specialty (P &lt; 0.001). Components of PCQ components were significantly higher among HCWs with critical specialty than non-critical HCWs while QoL showed the reverse (P &lt; 0.05). Working excessively was a predictor to burnout [Emotional exhaustion (β = –0.23) and depersonalization (β = −0.25)] and TNFα (β = 0.41). Emotional exhaustion was a predictor to Il6 (β = 0.66), TNFα (β = 0.73), and CoQ10 (β = −0.78).Conclusion: There is a significant association between workaholism and psychologically poor-health and poor quality of life among HCWs. Critical specialty healthcare workers showed association between workaholism, burnout and pro-inflammatory markers. Addressing of personal characteristics, supporting factors in the work environment and periodic examination of the healthcare workers and responding accordingly is required.

scholarly journals Mental health outcomes of ICU and non-ICU healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Wozniak ◽  
Lamyae Benzakour ◽  
Grégory Moullec ◽  
Niccolò Buetti ◽  
Alice Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Peritraumatic Distress

Abstract Background Intensive care workers are known for their stressful work environment and for a high prevalence of mental health outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mental health, well-being and changes in lifestyle among intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare workers (HCW) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare these results with those of HCW in other hospital units. Another objective was to understand which associated factors aggravate their mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods This cross-sectional survey collected socio-demographic data, lifestyle changes and mental health evaluations as assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 items (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 items (PHQ-9), the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) from the 28th May to 7th July 2020. The study was carried out at Geneva University Hospitals, a group of eight public hospitals in Switzerland. ICU HCW were analyzed for mental health outcomes and lifestyles changes and then compared to non-ICU HCW. A series of linear regression analyses were performed to assess factors associated with mental health scores. Results A total of 3461 HCW were included in the study, with 352 ICU HCW. Among ICU HCW, 145 (41%) showed low well-being, 162 (46%) symptoms of anxiety, 163 (46%) symptoms of depression and 76 (22%) had peritraumatic distress. The mean scores of GAD-7, PHQ-9 and WHO-5 were worse in ICU HCW than in non-ICU HCW (p < 0.01). Working in the ICU rather than in other departments resulted in a change of eating habits, sleeping patterns and alcohol consumption (p < 0.01). Being a woman, the fear of catching and transmitting COVID-19, anxiety of working with COVID-19 patients, work overload, eating and sleeping disorders as well as increased alcohol consumption were associated with worse mental health outcomes. Conclusion This study confirms the suspicion of a high prevalence of anxiety, depression, peritraumatic distress and low well-being during the first COVID-19 wave among HCW, especially among ICU HCW. This allows for the identification of associated risk factors. Long-term psychological follow-up should be considered for HCW.

scholarly journals Mental Health Status among Healthcare Workers during COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Kheradmand ◽  
Mahsa Mahjani ◽  
Ali Pirsalehi ◽  
Somayeh Fatemizadeh ◽  
Mohammadreza Moshari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Mental Problems ◽  
Referral Hospitals

Objective: COVID-19, which is an international concern by far, had fundamental impacts on mental health of medical staff. Healthcare workers are the high-risk group to endure the emotional outcomes brought about by the outbreak. This study assesses the mental consequences of healthcare workers during the acute phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study on healthcare workers from two tertiary referral hospitals in Tehran province. A total of 222 of the staff participated in the study. Our questionnaires comprised Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), which were handed to participants to obtain data on their general mental problems in addition to the psychological impacts of the evolving virus on this particular group. Epidemiologic and sociodemographic information of participants, level of perceiving exposure to disease, and underlying diseases of each of them were gathered during the recruitment period. Results: Results showed high probabilities (98.2%) in mental disorders among healthcare workers. Since our study was done during the initial phase of the pandemic, development of mental issues due to the newly emerged infectious virus was expected. However, we recorded mild (41.4%) to moderate (31.5%) impact of this novel virus. The possibility of having mental problems was much higher in females, assistant nurses, individuals with lower education, and those who provided care for COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: COVID-19 has brought about increased distress among healthcare workers. Noticeably, the forefront group in combating this virus bear the most emotional complications. Thus, efforts should be taken into practice to provide proper psychological support for this vulnerable group.

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