scholarly journals Bibliotherapy: Reading OVID During COVID

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Stip ◽  
Linda Östlundh ◽  
Karim Abdel Aziz
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Medical Humanities ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Personal Problems ◽  
Journal Clubs ◽  
Reading Materials ◽  
Need Support

An epidemic of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 is often a source of emotional distress, even among those who have not been directly exposed to the disease. The period following the acute phase of the coronavirus epidemic and the mitigation measures will likely be hardest for medical professionals in terms of psychological impact. Bibliotherapy is a systematic intervention regarding the use of carefully selected reading materials in order to help persons to cope with stress and personal problems. This therapy can be used easily during the pandemic. The review of evidence shows that this kind of intervention can be helpful in educational and clinical contexts. During the crisis, it can be an alternative to video and film entertainment and a transition from serious medical journal clubs to a softer medical humanities experience. In this article, we summarized the historical background of bibliotherapy. We also proposed a reading list from different times, and cultures relating to pandemic, quarantine, symptoms, confinement, and social impacts (e.g., Camus, Moravia, London, Le Clezio etc.). Bibliotherapy can be a way for doctors and healthcare workers fighting on the frontline of the pandemic to find psychological support and for debriefing. Bibliotherapy can help individuals that need support for emotional distress during the pandemic to verbalize their feelings and emotions and identify new ways of addressing problems.

Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Frontline Healthcare Workers in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quratul-Ain Zafar
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychosocial Impact ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Study Group ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline healthcare workers in Pakistan in terms of psychological factors emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout. Study Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at different hospitals across Pakistan and data collection was carried out from 15th June 2020 till 15th August 2020. Material and Methods: This was a questionnaire-based study aiming to compare the levels of burnout and emotional distress between frontline COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 healthcare workers. Any physician, nurse, and other healthcare workers were recruited from emergency care units and Covid-19 care units (target group), and non-COVID-19 care units (control group). Participation was voluntary and participants had to complete self-reported questionnaires and scales. A mixed-mode data collection was carried out, either in paper or web-based form to ensure maximum participation. Results: The independent t-test showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding depression, stress, and insomnia. The study group showed higher scores for these factors than the control group. Chi-square test of association revealed significant scores of burnout and professional fulfillment in both groups. There was a higher prevalence of burnout in the study group than in the control group. Conclusion: This study concludes that there was a significant psychosocial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in the frontline healthcare workers measured in terms of emotional distress, insomnia, and burnout.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Community Transmission among Healthcare Workers at a Tertiary Care Cardiac Center

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Mazin Barry ◽  
Asirvatham Alwin Robert ◽  
Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽  
Syed Abdul Bari ◽  
Muhammad Yasin Akhtar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Community Transmission ◽  
Mode Of Transmission ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
Female Nurses ◽  
Cardiac Center

Aim: To determine the frequency, mode of transmission, and outcome of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a tertiary care cardiac center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods: This is a retrospective study of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infected HCWs and was conducted from 2 March to 31 December 2020. Data related to the presence of COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, hospitalization, and mortality were collected from the patients’ medical records. Results: Of the 4462 patients tested for COVID-19 by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 203 (4.5%) HCWs were positive; of these, 125 (61.6%) were males, and the most common age group was <40 years. The most commonly encountered health professionals were nurses (74, 36.4%), followed by therapists/technicians (48, 23.6%), housekeepers (25, 12.3%), and physicians (21, 10.4%). The majority (184, 90.6%) of the HCWs contracted COVID-19 in the community, and only 19 (9.4%) were healthcare-associated infections. Of the infected HCWs, 169 (83.3%) had mild symptoms and were managed in home isolation. The most common symptoms were fever (128, 63.1%), body ache (124, 61.8%), headache (113, 55.7%), dry cough (123, 60.6%), sore throat (97, 47.8%), body weakness (97, 47.8%), and fatigue (94, 46.3%). Comparing males and females, there was a significantly higher number of female nurses; in contrast, there was a higher number of male physicians, housekeepers, therapists/technicians, and other specialty HCWs. A significantly lower number of nurses, therapists/technicians were infected in the ≥40 years age group compared to <40 years. Furthermore, a significantly higher difference was observed among non-Saudi nurses compared to Saudi nurses. No mortality was documented among the included HCWs. Conclusions: In the largest tertiary cardiac center in KSA, most HCWs who contracted COVID-19 developed mild symptoms; nurses and those aged <40 years were most commonly infected, and most infections were acquired in the community. HCWs’ adherence to mitigation measures outside of the workplace is vital to curb the current pandemic and decrease nosocomial transmission risk.

scholarly journals Promoting resilience in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic with a brief online intervention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole R DeTore ◽  
Louisa Sylvia ◽  
Elyse R Park ◽  
Anne Burke ◽  
Julie H Levison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Intervention ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Emotional Resilience ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Resilience Training

Introduction: The psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers has been impacted by the high levels of stress many have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a brief online course focused on introducing skills that could increase resilience and decreases emotional distress in healthcare workers during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: Employees of a large healthcare system completed a survey at baseline, one month, and two months later. The online course, called Resilience Training for Healthcare Workers, consists of three 12-20 minute videos focused on evidence-based skills that support aspects of emotional resilience: mindfulness, mentalization, and self-compassion. Results: A total of 554 participants completed the baseline survey, endorsing moderate to high levels of emotional distress. Of those who completed all three assessments and participated in the course (n = 38), significant improvements in resilience and reductions in emotional distress were found across two months, in comparison to those who did not participate in the course. Discussion: These findings suggest that a brief, online intervention can improve the mental health of healthcare workers during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Investigating Psychological Differences between Nurses and Other Healthcare Workers from Asia-Pacific Region during the Early Phase of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Machine Learning Approach (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
YanHong Dong ◽  
Mei Chun Yeo ◽  
Mei Chun Yeo ◽  
Rivan Danuaji ◽  
Thang H Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Asia Pacific Region ◽  
Psychological Outcome ◽  
Psychological Differences ◽  
Medical Healthcare

BACKGROUND As the pandemic evolves, frontline work challenges continue to impose significant psychological impact on nurses. However, there is a lack of data how nurses fared compared to other healthcare workers in Asia-Pacific region. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate 1) psychological differences between nurses, doctor and non-medical healthcare workers, and 2) psychological outcome characteristics of nurses from different Asia-Pacific countries. METHODS Decision-tree type machine learning models (LIghtGBM, Gradientboost, and RandomForest) were adopted to predict psychological impact on nurses. The SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values of these models were extracted to identify the distinctive psychological distress characteristic. RESULTS Nurses had relatively higher percentages of normal or no-change in psychological distress symptoms relative to other healthcare workers (86.3% - 96.8% vs 80.7% - 92.3%). Among those without psychological symptoms, nurses constituted a higher proportion than doctors and non-medical healthcare workers (40.8%, 25.8%, and 33.4%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Different contexts, cultures, and points in pandemic curve may have contributed to differing patterns of psychological outcomes amongst nurses in various Asia-Pacific countries. It is important that all healthcare workers practise self-care and render peer support to bolster psychological resilience for effective coping. CLINICALTRIAL Not applicable

scholarly journals The psychological impact of COVID-19 on ‘hidden’ frontline healthcare workers

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402095077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie Z.Y. Teo ◽  
Yap Eng Soo ◽  
Christina Yip ◽  
Ong Lizhen ◽  
Lee Chun-Tsu
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Numeric Rating Scale ◽  
Depression Score ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers

Background: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to rising death tolls and stressed healthcare systems, resulting in an unprecedented psychological stress on healthcare workers worldwide. However, the majority of studies only accounted for frontline healthcare workers with direct patient exposure. Aim: This study aims to look at the psychological impact of COVID-19 in a specific, vulnerable and yet hidden group of healthcare workers, namely laboratory healthcare workers who are at high risk exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus from handling infected patients’ blood samples, in addition to a marked increase in workload. Method: A multicentre study was conducted in Singapore via online questionnaire looking at psychological and physical impact of COVID-19 on laboratory healthcare workers. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Numeric rating scale on fear (NRS) were validated scores used in this study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS statistical software version 23 (IBM Corp). Results: A total of 122 staffs participated and more than half of the cohort experienced mild to severe fear, anxiety and depression. Increase in depression score was also found to be associated with increased physical exhaustion (OR = 6.1, 95% CI 1.4–29.1, p = .02), loss of appetite (OR = 2.7, 95% CI 1.2–6.0, p = .02), poor sleep quality (OR = 7.5, 95% CI 2.9–19.4, p = .005), and the use of sedative (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.1–13.5, p = .03). Conclusions: Hence, it is imperative that prompt action needs to be taken to address the psychological needs of this vulnerable group of healthcare workers as the pandemic continues.

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6855 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Paramedics in pandemics: protecting the mental wellness of those behind enemy lines

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Shehar Bano Awais ◽  
Russell Seth Martins ◽  
Muhammad Shameel Khan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Vulnerable Group ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Mental Wellness ◽  
Frontline Healthcare Workers ◽  
Shed Light

Summary Besides a global health crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has potential to have a severe and long-lasting psychological impact on frontline healthcare workers such as paramedics. It is imperative to shed light on these mental health issues and employ interventions to protect the mental wellness of this vulnerable group of healthcare workers.

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