The Health of Companions: Evaluation of Care Burden, Psychological Distress and Psychiatric Disorders of the Companions of Patients in the Medical Ward of a University Hospital

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unequally distributed extra workload to hospital personnel and first reports have indicated that especially front-line health care personnel are psychologically challenged. A majority of the Finnish COVID-19 patients are cared for in the Helsinki University Hospital district. The psychological distress of the Helsinki University Hospital personnel has been followed via an electronic survey monthly since June 2020. We report six-month follow-up results of a prospective 18-month cohort study. Individual variation explained much more of the total variance in psychological distress (68.5%, 95% CI 65.2–71.9%) and negative changes in sleep (75.6%, 95% CI 72.2–79.2%) than the study survey wave (1.6%, CI 0.5–5.5%; and 0.3%, CI 0.1–1.2%). Regional COVID-19 incidence rates correlated with the personnel’s psychological distress. In adjusted multilevel generalized linear multiple regression models, potentially traumatic COVID-19 pandemic-related events (OR 6.54, 95% CI 5.00–8.56) and front-line COVID-19 work (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.37–2.39) was associated with personnel psychological distress but age and gender was not. While vaccinations have been initiated, creating hope, continuous follow-up and psychosocial support is still needed for all hospital personnel.

Download Full-text

Psychological distress in patients undergoing urological surgery: A cross-sectional study

Journal of Clinical Urology ◽

10.1177/20514158211014069 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 205141582110140

Author(s):

Nuala Murray ◽

Charles O’Connor ◽

Rhona Dempsey ◽

Sean Liew ◽

Helen Richards ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Repeated Measures ◽

Depression Scale ◽

University Hospital ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Hospital Anxiety ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Post Surgery ◽

Oncological Patients

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychological distress of urological and uro-oncological patients undergoing surgery. Methods: Patients who presented to Mercy University Hospital from October 2019–May 2020 were consecutively recruited. Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, gender, marital status, type of surgery (uro-oncology or general urology), endoscopy or open surgery were gathered. Mood was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale prior to admission, prior to discharge and 6 weeks post-surgery. Results: A total of 118 participants (79.7% male) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale prior to admission, prior to discharge and at 6 weeks post-surgery. Forty patients (33.9%) underwent uro-oncology-related surgery. At pre-admission 39 patients (33%) fell into a possible-probable clinical category for anxiety and 15 (12.7%) for depression. Older patients had significantly lower anxiety levels than younger patients ( p⩽0.01). There were no differences between patients undergoing uro-oncology or more general urology surgery and levels of anxiety or depression. Repeated measures analysis of variance with age as a covariate indicated no significant differences in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety scores over time. There was a statistically significant reduction in Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale depression scores over the three assessment time points ( p=0.004). Conclusion: Over one-third of patients were experiencing moderate to severe levels of psychological distress pre-surgery – higher than levels previously reported in uro-oncological patients. Surprisingly, there was no difference in anxiety and depression scores in uro-oncology and urology patients. Psychological distress in both uro-oncology and more general urology patients should be considered in the surgical setting. Level of evidence Moderate

Download Full-text

Telomere Shortening and Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10061423 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1423

Author(s):

Pedro A. Pousa ◽

Raquel M. Souza ◽

Paulo Henrique M. Melo ◽

Bernardo H. M. Correa ◽

Tamires S. C. Mendonça ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Telomere Length ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Telomere Shortening ◽

Anxiety Depression

Telomeres are aging biomarkers, as they shorten while cells undergo mitosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether psychiatric disorders marked by psychological distress lead to alterations to telomere length (TL), corroborating the hypothesis that mental disorders might have a deeper impact on our physiology and aging than it was previously thought. A systematic search of the literature using MeSH descriptors of psychological distress (“Traumatic Stress Disorder” or “Anxiety Disorder” or “depression”) and telomere length (“cellular senescence”, “oxidative stress” and “telomere”) was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect databases. A total of 56 studies (113,699 patients) measured the TL from individuals diagnosed with anxiety, depression and posttraumatic disorders and compared them with those from healthy subjects. Overall, TL negatively associates with distress-related mental disorders. The possible underlying molecular mechanisms that underly psychiatric diseases to telomere shortening include oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction linking. It is still unclear whether psychological distress is either a cause or a consequence of telomere shortening.

Download Full-text

Prevalence and factors associated with minor psychiatric disorders in hospital housekeeping workers*

Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da USP ◽

10.1590/s1980-220x2016026303239 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 51 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cintia da Silva Marconato ◽

Ana Carolina de Souza Magnago ◽

Tânia Solange Bosi de Souza Magnago ◽

Graziele de Lima Dalmolin ◽

Rafaela Andolhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Health Workers ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

University Hospital ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Study Population ◽

Self Reporting Questionnaire ◽

Minor Psychiatric Disorders

Abstract OBJECTIVE Investigating the prevalence and factors associated with minor psychiatric disorders (MPDs) in Hospital housekeeping workers. METHOD A cross-sectional study carried out in 2013 with workers from the cleaning service of a public university hospital in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected through a form containing sociodemographic, occupational, habits and health variables. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 was used in order to evaluate MPDs. RESULTS The study population consisted of 161 workers. The overall prevalence of suspected MPD was 29.3%. The chances of suspected MPDs were higher in workers with Effort-Reward Imbalance, those who did not have time or who occasionally had time for leisure activities, and those taking medications. CONCLUSION The prevalence of MPDs was similar to that found in the literature for health workers. Therefore, we consider it important to include these workers in institutional programs for continuing health education.

Download Full-text

Bereavement risk assessment of family caregivers of patients with cancer: Japanese version of the Bereavement Risk Assessment Tool

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951518000755 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (04) ◽

pp. 448-452

Author(s):

Tomohiro Uchida ◽

Noriaki Satake ◽

Toshimichi Nakaho ◽

Akira Inoue ◽

Hidemitsu Saito

Keyword(s):

Risk Assessment ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Japanese Version ◽

University Hospital ◽

Risk Assessment Tool ◽

Risk Level ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Distress Scale

AbstractObjectivesThe Bereavement Risk Assessment Tool (BRAT) seems to be useful in identifying those who are likely to suffer from the more severe consequences of bereavement. To date, however, only a few studies have examined bereavement risk using the BRAT. This study investigated bereavement risk in family caregivers of patients with cancer using the Japanese version of the Bereavement Risk Assessment Tool (BRAT-J). We also investigated the relationship of bereavement risk with psychological distress and resilience among caregivers to determine the validity of the BRAT-J.MethodsWe conducted family psychoeducation in the palliative care unit of Tohoku University Hospital with participants who were recruited in this study. Among the participants, 50 family caregivers provided their written informed consent and were included in this study. Participants were assessed using the BRAT-J and completed the Japanese version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and the Tachikawa Resilience Scale (TRS).ResultsAccording to the BRAT-J, five individuals (10%) were in the high category of bereavement risk (level 4 or 5). We also found that family caregivers of patients experienced many different pressures, such as facing the unknown; their own work; and insufficient financial, practical, or physical resources. These issues are associated with various mental problems. Additionally, the level of bereavement risk was significantly correlated with K6 scores (ρ = 0.30, p = 0.032), and the TRS score (ρ = –0.44, p = 0.001). These correlations confirmed previous findings and that the BRAT-J can be an efficient screening tool for the bereavement risk of family caregivers of patients with cancer.Significance of resultsIt appears that the BRAT-J is useful in predicting the likelihood of difficulties or complications in bereavement for family caregivers and could help to provide support with these issues when needed.

Download Full-text

Inpatient satisfaction with physician services at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal ◽

10.26719/2004.10.3.358 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 358-364

Author(s):

A. H. Al doghaither

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Likert Scale ◽

Care Quality ◽

Medical Ward ◽

Satisfaction Score ◽

University Hospital ◽

Physician Services ◽

Management Information ◽

Remedial Intervention

The satisfaction of 400 inpatients with physician services at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh was evaluated. Patient characteristics and ward of admission were collected and a questionnaire based on the st and ardized Likert scale was used. The highest mean satisfaction score was for admission and the lowest for communication. Among service items, the highest mean score was for physicians enquiring about patient conditions and opinions when planning care and the lowest for physicians asking for opinions about care quality and problems. Female and less educated patients were more satisfied with their care than male and educated patients. Male surgical and medical ward patients were the most dissatisfied with physicians’services. These findings offer hospital management information about shortcomings requiring remedial intervention

Download Full-text

Help-seeking Following Termination of Pregnancy after Diagnosis of Fetal Anomaly: Womenʼs Intentions and Experiences 1 to 7 Years after the Event

Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde ◽

10.1055/s-0044-100380 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 78 (02) ◽

pp. 160-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Franz Hanschmidt ◽

Rahel Hoffmann ◽

Johanna Klingner ◽

Anette Kersting ◽

Holger Stepan

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Support Groups ◽

Mental Health Professionals ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Emotional Problems ◽

Self Report ◽

University Hospital ◽

Fetal Anomaly ◽

Current Psychological

Abstract Introduction Diagnosis of fetal anomaly and the difficult circumstances involved in the decision to terminate an affected pregnancy can go along with severe psychological distress. However, little is known about womenʼs help-seeking for emotional problems following an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly. Methods 148 women who had been treated for abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly at the University Hospital Leipzig responded to self-report questionnaires 1 to 7 years after the event. Main outcomes were help-seeking intentions and actual help-seeking behavior. Logistic regression was used to explore the associations between participantsʼ sociodemographic characteristics and help-seeking intentions. Results Most women reported that they would seek help from their partner (91.7%), friends/family (82.8%) or the internet (62.2%). With regard to health services, 50.0% of women would seek help from gynecologists and between 43.8 and 47.9% from counseling services and mental health professionals. Intentions to seek help from support groups were lowest (21.7%). Age, income, region, and religion were associated with help-seeking intentions. Among participants with elevated levels of current psychological distress, 23.8% indicated that they had not discussed their emotional problems with a health service ever. Conclusion Gynecologists are among the most preferred health professionals for women to discuss psychological problems in the aftermath of an abortion after diagnosis of fetal anomaly. They should be actively involved in screening, diagnostic assessment, and referral of affected women.

Download Full-text

Psychiatric disorders among psoriatic patients attending Assiut University Hospital

Al-Azhar Assiut Medical Journal ◽

10.4103/azmj.azmj_80_18 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 275

Author(s):

HishamDiab Gaber ◽

WageehAbdelnaser Hassan ◽

AhmedAbdelbaky Abdel-Rahman ◽

KhaledMohamed Hassan

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

University Hospital

Download Full-text

Ambient Temperature and Associations with Daily Visits to a Psychiatric Emergency Unit in Sweden

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16020286 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 286 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Hanne Carlsen ◽

Anna Oudin ◽

Steinn Steingrimsson ◽

Daniel Oudin Åström

Keyword(s):

Ambient Temperature ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Linear Models ◽

Warm Season ◽

Cold Season ◽

Psychiatric Emergency ◽

University Hospital ◽

Temperate Climate ◽

Urban Region

High or low ambient temperatures pose a risk factor for the worsening or onset of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between ambient temperature and psychiatric emergency visits in an urban region in a temperate climate. The daily number of visits to a psychiatric emergency room (PEVs) at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden and the daily mean temperature were extracted for the study period 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2017. Case-crossover analysis with distributed lag non-linear models was used to analyse the data by season. The warm season was defined as May to August and the cold season as November to February. Shorter lags periods were used for the warm season than the cold season. In the analysis, temperatures at the 95th percentile was associated with 14% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2%, 28%) increase in PEVs at lag 0–3 and 22% (95%CI: 6%, 40%) for lags 0–14 during the warm season, relative to the seasonal minimum effect temperature (MET). During the cold season temperatures at the 5th percentile were associated with 25% (95% CI: −8%, 13%) and 18% (95% CI: −30%, 98%) increase in PEVs at lags 0–14 and 0–21 respectively. We observed an increased number of PEVs at high and low temperatures; however, not to a statistically significant extent for low temperatures. Our findings are similar to what has been found for somatic diseases and in studies of other mental health outcomes in regions with more extreme climates. This merits the inclusion of individuals with psychiatric disorders in awareness planning for climate warning systems.

Download Full-text

Five Predictors Affecting the Prognosis of Patients with Severe Odontogenic Infections

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238917 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8917

Author(s):

Nathalie Pham Dang ◽

Candice Delbet-Dupas ◽

Aurélien Mulliez ◽

Laurent Devoize ◽

Radhouane Dallel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Simple Procedure ◽

Odontogenic Infection ◽

Conditional Inference ◽

Penicillin Allergy ◽

University Hospital ◽

Mandibular Molar

Background: Dental cellulitis management is no longer a simple procedure, as more and more patients are needing long-time hospitalization, several surgeries and intensive care follow-up. This prospective study seeks to highlight criteria that can split patients with severe odontogenic infection into two groups: those with simple evolution and those for whom complex management is necessary. Methods: In this observational study, all patients considered with a severe odontogenic infection (which necessitated hospital admission, intravenous antibiotics and general anaesthesia) were enrolled between January 2004 and December 2014 from Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital (France). They were split into two groups: those who needed one surgical intervention with tooth extraction and collection drainage combined with probabilistic antibiotic to treat infection and those who need several surgeries, intensive care unit follow-up or tracheotomy to achieve healing. Results: 653 patients were included, of which 611 (94%) had one surgery, 42 (6%) had more than one surgery before healing. Penicillin allergy (p < 0.001), psychiatric disorders (p = 0.005), oropharyngeal oedema (p = 0.008), floor oedema (p = 0.004), fever (p = 0.04) and trismus (p = 0.018) on admission were the most relevant predictors of complex evolution. A conditional inference tree (CTREE) illustrated the association of prognostic factors and the need of multiple surgery. Conclusions: Besides clinical symptoms of severity, complications of severe odontogenic infection are predicted by measurables and objectives criteria as penicillin allergy, mandibular molar, C-reactive protein level, psychiatric disorders and alcohol abuse. Their specific association potentialize the risks. IRB number: CE-CIC-GREN-12-08.

Download Full-text