The major worldwide stress of healthcare professionals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic – the international COVISTRESS survey

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has initiated an upheaval in society and has been the cause of considerable stress during this period. Healthcare professionals have been on the front line during this health crisis, particularly paramedical staff. The aim of this study was to assess the high level of stress of healthcare workers during the first wave of the pandemic. Materials and methods The COVISTRESS international study is a questionnaire disseminated online collecting demographic and stress-related data over the globe, during the pandemic. Stress levels were evaluated using non-calibrated visual analog scale, from 0 (no stress) to 100 (maximal stress). Results Among the 13,537 individuals from 44 countries who completed the survey from January to June 2020, we included 10,051 workers (including 1379 healthcare workers, 631 medical doctors and 748 paramedical staff). The stress levels during the first wave of the pandemic were 57.8 ± 33 in the whole cohort, 65.3 ± 29.1 in medical doctors, and 73.6 ± 27.7 in paramedical staff. Healthcare professionals and especially paramedical staff had the highest levels of stress (p < 0.001 vs non-healthcare workers). Across all occupational categories, women had systematically significantly higher levels of work-related stress than men (p < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between age and stress level (r = -0.098, p < 0.001). Healthcare professionals demonstrated an increased risk of very-high stress levels (>80) compared to other workers (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.87–2.41). Paramedical staff risk for very-high levels of stress was higher than doctors’ (1.88, 1.50–2.34). The risk of high levels of stress also increased in women (1.83, 1.61–2.09; p < 0.001 vs. men) and in people aged <50 (1.45, 1.26–1.66; p < 0.001 vs. aged >50). Conclusions The first wave of the pandemic was a major stressful event for healthcare workers, especially paramedical staff. Among individuals, women were the most at risk while age was a protective factor.

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Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthcare Workers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Perceived Stress Scale Measures

Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health ◽

10.1007/s44197-021-00014-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 377-388

Author(s):

Nuha Alwaqdani ◽

Hala A. Amer ◽

Reem Alwaqdani ◽

Fahad AlMansour ◽

Hind A. Alzoman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Online Survey ◽

High Stress ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Perceived Stress Scale ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Stress Scale ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Stress Levels

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful and of considerable concern among health care workers (HCWs). Being particularly at increased risk for exposure, HCWs worry about becoming infected as well as infecting co-workers, patients and family members. Such distress and panic may have destructive effects on individuals and may last long after the pandemic situation leading to depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to measure and investigate the prevalence of the factors affecting psychological stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among HCWs. Methods A self-administered online survey—including perceived stress scale (PSS) questions—was disseminated among HCWs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (SA) between1st June and 30th July 2020. Results A total of 469 HCWs responded to the survey for a high response rate (93.8%). The PSS revealed that 15.8% of the respondents were suffering from high stress levels, 77.2% were suffering from moderate stress levels and 7% with low stress levels. Females and junior frontline staff reported more severe stress levels. Participation on the pandemic team shows significant impact on stress levels. Conclusion COVID-19 pandemic has increased stress levels among HCWs and affects their psychological wellbeing. Designing programs promoting HCWs mental health are crucial and emotional and psychological support strategies should be part of every public health crisis management plan.

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Examination of Quality of Life in Workplace Environments

10.4018/978-1-6684-2405-6.ch058 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1161-1174

Author(s):

Lesley Clack

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Occupational Stress ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Positive Impact ◽

High Stress ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Increased Risk

Healthcare organizations are commonly known to be high-stress environments due to the life-or-death nature of the work. Thus, examining the quality of life in healthcare professionals is of significance to the field. Quality of life is a common measurement in healthcare, typically in determining the effectiveness of treatment on patients. But, quality of life in healthcare workers is often overlooked. A review of the literature was conducted regarding factors that impact quality of life of workers in healthcare environments. The areas of occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence were explored in depth in order to understand the potential negative consequences of each on quality of life in healthcare professionals. In comparison to other industries, healthcare professionals are at an increased risk for occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence. Effectively managing these areas could have a positive impact on quality of life in healthcare workers.

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Examination of Quality of Life in Workplace Environments

Encyclopedia of Organizational Knowledge, Administration, and Technology - Advances in Logistics, Operations, and Management Science ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-3473-1.ch182 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 2638-2650

Author(s):

Lesley Clack

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Occupational Stress ◽

Workplace Violence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Positive Impact ◽

High Stress ◽

Healthcare Organizations ◽

Increased Risk

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Sense of Coherence and Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12176855 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (17) ◽

pp. 6855 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Juan Gómez-Salgado ◽

Sara Domínguez-Salas ◽

Macarena Romero-Martín ◽

Mónica Ortega-Moreno ◽

Juan Jesús García-Iglesias ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Psychological Impact ◽

Front Line ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Test Analysis ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Bonferroni Test

The health crisis triggered by COVID-19 and the preventive measures taken to control it have caused a strong psychological impact on the population, especially on healthcare professionals. Risk exposure, uncertainty about how to approach the disease, care and emotional overburden, lack of resources, or unclear ever-changing protocols are, among others, psychological distress risk factors for the healthcare professionals who have faced this dramatic scenario on the front line. On the other hand, the Sense of Coherence (SOC) is a competence that could help these professionals perceive the situation as understandable, manageable, and meaningful, facilitating the activation of their resilience. This work aims to describe the levels of psychological distress and SOC of healthcare professionals during the crisis caused by COVID-19, the relationship between both variables, and their health status. A cross-sectional descriptive study with a sample of 1459 currently active healthcare workers was developed. GHQ-12 and SOC-13 were used for data collection. Bivariate analyses were performed, including Chi-Squared Test, Student’s T-Test, Analysis of Variance—ANOVA (with Bonferroni test for multiple comparisons), and correlations. Cohen’s d or Cramer’s V effect size measurements were also provided. The results showed that 80.6% of healthcare professionals had psychological distress, and the mean score on the SOC-13 scale was 62.8 points (SD = 12.02). Both psychological distress and SOC were related to the presence of COVID-19 symptoms, as well as with contact history. Professionals with psychological distress showed a lower SOC. Taking care of the mental health of healthcare professionals is essential to effectively cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the psychological impact of working in the current menacing scenario, people on the front line against the disease should be protected, minimizing risks, providing them with resources and support, and fostering their coping skills.

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Latent Tuberculosis Infection among Healthcare Workers in Duhok Province: From Screening to Prophylactic Treatment

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed4020085 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 85 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hind Bahzad Almufty ◽

Ibtesam Salih Abdulrahman ◽

Muayad Aghali Merza

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Prophylactic Treatment ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

P Value ◽

Smear Microscopy ◽

Medical Doctors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Increased Risk

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and, hence, of developing tuberculosis (TB) disease. The aims of this study are to identify the prevalence and determinants of latent TB infection (LTBI) among HCWs in Duhok Province. This is a cross-sectional prospective study conducted during April–July 2018 in different health care facilities of Duhok province. HCWs at multiple levels were selected by a non-systematic random sampling method. Information on demographic and associated risk factors of LTBI were collected by using a standardized questionnaire. Thereafter, all HCWs underwent QuantiFERON Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) assay. HCWs with indeterminate QFT-Plus underwent a Tuberculin Skin Test. HCWs with positive results were further evaluated by smear microscopy investigation and chest X-ray examination. Three hundred ninety-five HCWs were enrolled; 49 (12%) tested positive for LTBI. The mean age of the HCWs was 33.4 ± 9.25 with a female predominance (51.1%). According to the univariate analysis, LTBI was significantly higher among HCWs with the following: age groups ≥ 30 years, alcohol intake, ≥ 11 years of employment, high risk stratification workplaces, and medical doctors. In the multivariate analysis, the age group of 30–39 years (OR = 0.288, 95% CI: 0.105–0.794, p value = 0.016) was the only risk factor associated with LTBI. Further medical investigations did not reveal active TB cases among HCWs with LTBI. With regards to prophylactic treatment, 31 (63.3%) LTBI HCWs accepted the treatment, whereas 18 (36.7%) declined the chemoprophylaxis. Of these 31 HCWs on chemoprophylaxis, 12 (38.7%) received isoniazid (INH) for six months, 17 (54.8%) received INH in combination with rifampicin (RMP) for three months, and two (6.5%) received alternative therapy because of anti-TB drug intolerance. In conclusions, although Iraq is a relatively high TB burden country, the prevalence of LTBI among Duhok HCWs is relatively low. It is important to screen HCWs in Duhok for LTBI, particularly medical doctors, young adults, alcoholics, and those whom had a long duration of employment in high-risk workplaces. The acceptance rate of HCWs with LTBI to chemoprophylaxis was low. Therefore, ensuring medical efforts to educate the healthcare staff particularly, non-professionals are a priority to encourage chemoprophylaxis acceptance.

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The Role of Temperament in the Onset of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors across Adolescence: Findings from a 10-year Longitudinal Study of Mexican-Origin Youth

10.31234/osf.io/96ez2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine M. Lawson ◽

John K. Kellerman ◽

Evan Kleiman ◽

Wiebke Bleidorn ◽

Christopher James Hopwood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Effortful Control ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Negative Emotionality ◽

Mexican Origin ◽

Positive Emotionality ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Mexican Origin Youth ◽

And Behaviors

Suicide among young people is an increasingly prevalent and devastating public health crisis around the world. To reduce the rate of suicide, it is important to identify factors that can help us better predict suicidal ideation and behaviors. Adolescent temperament (Effortful Control, Negative Emotionality, Positive Emotionality) may be a source of risk and resilience for the onset of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts. The present study uses longitudinal data from a large community sample of Mexican-origin youth (N=674), assessed annually from age 12 to 21, to examine how temperament is associated with the onset of suicidal ideation and behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood. Results indicate that higher levels of Effortful Control (Activation Control, Inhibitory Control, Attention) are associated with decreased probability of experiencing the onset of suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts, whereas higher levels of Negative Emotionality (particularly Aggression, Frustration, and Depressed Mood) are associated with increased probability of experiencing the onset of suicidal ideation and behaviors. Positive Emotionality (Surgency, Affiliation) was not associated with the onset of suicidal ideation and behaviors. Supplemental analyses showed conceptually similar findings for the Big Five, with Conscientiousness associated with decreased risk, Neuroticism associated with increased risk, and the other three dimensions showing largely null results. No meaningful differences emerged between boys and girls, or youth born in the U.S. versus Mexico. Overall, these findings suggest that adolescent temperament serves as both a risk factor (via Negative Emotionality) and a protective factor (via Effortful Control) for suicidal ideation and behaviors in Mexican-origin youth.

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Changes in healthcare workers’ knowledge, attitudes, practices, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

10.1101/2021.01.19.21250126 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Abdullah Al Huzaimi ◽

Abdulkarim Alrabiaah ◽

Nurah Alamro ◽

Fahad Al-Sohime ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

New Information ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Fit Testing ◽

The Mean ◽

Anxiety Levels

AbstractIntroductionCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused an unprecedented health crisis around the world, not least because of its heterogeneous clinical presentation and course. The new information on the pandemic emerging daily has made it challenging for healthcare workers (HCWs) to stay current with the latest knowledge, which could influence their attitudes and practices during patient care.MethodsThis study is a follow-up evaluation of changes in HCWs’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as anxiety levels regarding COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. Data were collected through an anonymous, predesigned, self-administered questionnaire that was sent online to HCWs in Saudi Arabia.ResultsThe questionnaire was sent to 1500 HCWs, with a 63.8% response rate (N=957). The majority of respondents were female (83%), and the most common age group was 31–40 years (52.2%). Nurses constituted 86.3% of the respondents. HCWs reported higher anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic which increased from 4.91±2.84 to 8.6±2.27 on an 11-point Likert scale compared to other viral outbreaks. HCWs believed that their own preparedness as well as that of their hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) or emergency room (ER) was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus pandemic (2012–2015). About 58% of HCWs attended one or more simulations concerning the management of COVID-19 patients in their ICU/ER, and nearly all had undergone N95 mask fit testing. The mean score of HCWs’ knowledge of COVID-19 was 9.89/12. For most respondents (94.6%), the perception of being at increased risk of infection was the main cause of anxiety related to COVID-19; the mean score of anxiety over COVID-19 increased from 4.91±2.84 before to 8.6±2.27 during the pandemic in Saudi Arabia.ConclusionsHCWs’ anxiety levels regarding COVID-19 have increased since a pandemic was declared. It is vital that healthcare facilities provide more emotional and psychological support for all HCWs.

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Measuring Stress in Health Professionals over the Phone using Automatic Speech Analysis during COVID-19 Pandemic : Observational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24191 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra König ◽

Kevin Riviere ◽

Nicklas Linz ◽

Julia Elbaum ◽

Roxane Fabre ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Professionals ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Intervention Strategies ◽

Speech Analysis ◽

Phone Call ◽

Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Psychosocial Risks ◽

Speech Characteristics ◽

Stress Levels

BACKGROUND During the current COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals are directly confronted with the suffering of patients and their families. By making them main actors in the management of this health crisis, they are exposed to various psychosocial risks (stress, trauma, fatigue, etc.). Paradoxically, stress-related symptoms are often underreported in this vulnerable population but potentially detectable through passive monitoring of changes in speech behavior. OBJECTIVE The study aims to investigate the use of a rapid and remote measure of stress levels in health professionals working during this COVID 19 outbreak through the analysis of their speech behavior during a short phone call conversation, and in particular a positive/negative and neutral story telling task. METHODS For this, speech samples of 89 healthcare professionals were collected over the phone and various voice features extracted and compared with classical stress measures via standard questionnaires. Regression analysis was additionally performed. RESULTS Certain speech characteristics correlated with stress levels in both genders; mainly spectral (formant) features as the Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC) and prosodic characteristics such as the fundamental frequency (F0) seemed sensitive to stress. Overall, for both male and female participants, using vocal features from the positive tasks for regression yielded most accurate prediction results of stress scores (MAE = 5.31). CONCLUSIONS Automatic speech analysis could help with early detection of subtle signs of stress in vulnerable populations over the phone. Combining the use of this technology with timely intervention strategies it could contribute to the prevention of burn outs as well as the development of co-morbidities such as depression or anxiety.

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Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in India: A Questionnaire Based Study

Integrative Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.15342/ijms.7.205 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Ayaskant Sahoo ◽

Swikruti Behera

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Personal Data ◽

Working Hours ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Mental Health Crisis ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Self Reporting Questionnaire

Introduction: Healthcare workers across the globe are working tirelessly to keep the severity under control. The long working hours wearing PPE, the self-quarantine periods, staying away from family, and various other factors does influence the mental wellbeing of an individual. In a country like India mental health is still a poorly recognised issue even among healthcare professionals. Objectives: To assess the stress, anxiety and depression among healthcare professionals at the time of Coronavirus pandemic and estimating the same in Anaesthesiology Cohort.Material & Methods: The study was conducted using a self-reporting questionnaire. The questionnaire was made using Google forms and the link for participation was sent using various digital mediums e.g., email, WhatsApp, Facebook. The questionnaire was sent to a total of 886 doctors and there was a total of 256 responses were received. The questionnaire was submitted anonymously and no personal data was collected. The respondents were allowed to submit only once to prevent duplicity of response. We used the DASS 21 scale as the assessment tool. Data was collected using google forms and the collected data was transferred to a Microsoft Excel sheet for analysis.Results: Our study on 256 doctors 40.75% doctors were found to be suffering from Depression, 38.29% from anxiety & 32.4% from stress in the current pandemic situation. Anaesthesiologists were found to have 30.29% depression; Anxiety was found among 42.56% and stress was found among 37.24%.Conclusion: Stressors, like gruelling shifts, risk of infections, non-availability of protective kits, health risk to family and friends etc, are many and respite seems to be far. We need to address and acknowledge the mental health of healthcare workers and people working in critical care into consideration and find solutions to the underlying causes so that the current and future of the healthcare can be saved from mental health crisis.

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Effect of Very High Stress Levels on the Fatigue Life of a TiAl Based Alloy

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.490-491.418 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 490-491 ◽

pp. 418-423

Author(s):

C. Pilé ◽

Delphine Retraint ◽

Manuel François ◽

Jian Lu

Keyword(s):

Fatigue Life ◽

Residual Stresses ◽

Shot Peening ◽

Treatment Time ◽

Fatigue Crack Initiation ◽

High Stress ◽

Treatment Conditions ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Ultrasonic Shot Peening ◽

Very High

The aim of this work is to use ultrasonic shot peening, a mechanical surface treatment derived from conventional shot peening, in order to increase the fatigue life of TiAl alloys. The goal of this treatment is to generate compressive superficial residual stresses which are aimed to enhance fatigue crack initiation and growth resistance. For this purpose, different ultrasonic shot peening tests have been carried out on Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb samples in order to optimise treatment conditions. The first results reveal that it is possible to generate very high stress levels (»1000 MPa) beneath the surface, far much higher than the tensile yield stress of the material which is in the range 350-600 MPa. Such a phenomenon was also observed in ultrasonic shot peened iron or stainless steel and seems to be associated to the creation of a new homogeneous and nanometric structure below the surface of the alloy [1, 2]. In the light of these encouraging results, the shot peening treatment was optimised in terms of residual stresses profile and surface quality. The influence of different parameters of shot peening like the treatment time, the shot diameter as well as the specimen-sonotrode distance were studied. S-N curves were realised on polished specimens as well as on shot peened samples in order to study the effect of the treatment on the fatigue life of this intermetallic alloy.

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