scholarly journals The “Healthcare Workers’ Wellbeing (Benessere Operatori)” Project: A Picture of the Mental Health Conditions of Italian Healthcare Workers during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author(s):  
Valentina Di Mattei ◽  
Gaia Perego ◽  
Francesca Milano ◽  
Martina Mazzetti ◽  
Paola Taranto ◽  
...  

During the last year, the COVID-19 outbreak put all the healthcare workers around the world at risk of physical and psychological sequelae. The general purpose of the present study was to assess the mental health of Italian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak and to identify high-risk groups. Here, we present results from the baseline assessment of the “Healthcare workers’ wellbeing (Benessere Operatori)” project on a sample of 1055 healthcare workers. Participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Healthcare workers who worked in COVID wards reported higher levels of anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress, anger, and burnout, compared to those reported by the healthcare workers who worked in non-COVID wards. Moreover, nurses, both in COVID and non-COVID wards, were at higher risk of experiencing psychological distress compared to other groups of healthcare workers. These findings highlight the importance of implementing targeted psychological interventions for healthcare workers operating in COVID wards and nurses, who seem to be the most vulnerable categories.

1996 ◽  
Vol 169 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen L. Chubb ◽  
Jonathan I. Bisson

BackgroundThe impact of major trauma on individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties is poorly understood.MethodTwenty individuals with pre-existing and enduring mental health difficulties were assessed with the Clinician Administered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale, the 28-item version of the GHQ, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Impact of Event Scale between four and eight weeks after their involvement in a major coach accident.ResultsTen (50%) individuals satisfied the full DSM–IV criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD. The questionnaire scores indicated a high level of psychological suffering among the group. On dividing the sample into those individuals with previous diagnoses of anxiety or depressive disorders and those with a previous diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia, the schizophrenia group displayed less marked psychological sequelae on all measures.ConclusionThere was a high incidence of early psychological sequelae among the group as a whole. Some diagnoses (e.g. depression and anxiety) may predispose to psychological sequelae while others (e.g. chronic schizophrenia) may not.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-84
Author(s):  
Cuiyan Wang ◽  
Mohammad A. Fardin ◽  
Mahmoud Shirazi ◽  
Riyu Pan ◽  
Xiaoyang Wan ◽  
...  

Background: This study aimed to compare the severity of psychological impact, anxiety and depression between people from two developing countries, Iran and China, and to correlate mental health parameters with variables relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although China and Iran are developing countries based on the World Bank’s criteria, these two countries are different in access to resources and health care systems. We hypothesized that Iranians would show higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress as compared to Chinese. Methods: This study collected information related to the COVID-19 pandemic including physical health, precautionary measures and knowledge about the pandemic. We also used validated questionnaires such as the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess the mental health status. Results: There were a total of 1411 respondents (550 from Iran; 861 from China). The mean IES-R scores of respondents from both countries were above the cut-off for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Iranians had significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression (p < 0.01). Significantly more Iranians believed COVID-19 was transmitted via contact, practised hand hygiene, were unsatisfied with health information and expressed less confidence in their doctors, but were less likely to wear a facemask (p < 0.001). Significantly more Iranians received health information related to COVID-19 via television while Chinese preferred the Internet (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This cross-country study found that Iranians had significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression as compared to Chinese. The difference in reported measures between respondents from Iran and China were due to differences in access to healthcare services and governments’ responses to the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Cyr ◽  
Marie-Joelle Marcil ◽  
Marie-France Marin ◽  
Jean-Claude Tardif ◽  
Stéphane Guay ◽  
...  

Objective: This study examined how best to identify modifiable protective and risk factors for burnout in healthcare workers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual, occupational, organizational and social factors were investigated. The study also assessed the impact of these factors on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.Methods: Healthcare workers in the Quebec (Canada) healthcare system were recruited between May 21 to June 5, 2020. Participants answered an electronic survey 3 months after the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak began in Canada. Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, we studied the prevalence of burnout, PTSD, anxiety and depression in this cohort. Multivariable logistic or linear regression models including resilience, social and organizational support, workload and access to mental health help, simulation techniques and protective personal equipment (PPE) as well as perception of PPE security were conducted for each outcome.Results: In mid-June 2020, 467 participants completed the survey. We found that half (51.8%) of the respondents experienced burnout characterized by emotional exhaustion and/or depersonalization at least once a week. In total, 158 healthcare workers (35.6%) displayed severe symptoms of at least one of the mental health disorders (24.3% PTSD, 23.3% anxiety, 10.6% depression). Resilience (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: [0.55–0.87]; p = 0.002) and perceived organizational support (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: [0.61–0.93]; p = 0.009) were significantly associated with burnout and other outcomes. Social support satisfaction, perception of PPE security, work type and environment, mental health antecedents and reassignment were associated with PTSD and/or anxiety and/or depression, but not burnout.Conclusion: Future studies should address primarily resilience and perceived organizational support to promote mental health and prevent burnout, PTSD, anxiety and depression.


Author(s):  
Lilian Calderón-Garcidueñas ◽  
Ravi Philip Rajkumar ◽  
Elijah W. Stommel ◽  
Randy Kulesza ◽  
Yusra Mansour ◽  
...  

Quadruple aberrant hyperphosphorylated tau (p-τ), amyloid-β peptide, alpha-synuclein and TDP-43 brainstem and supratentorial pathology are documented in forensic ≤40y autopsies in Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC), and p-τ is the major aberrant protein. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with an elevated risk of subsequent dementia, and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is documented in PD, AD, Lewy body dementia and ALS. This study aimed to identify an association between PTSD and potential pRBD in Mexico. An anonymous online survey of 4502 urban college-educated adults, 29.3 ± 10.3 years; MMC, n = 1865; non-MMC, n = 2637, measured PTSD symptoms using the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R) and pRBD symptoms using the RBD Single-Question. Over 50% of the participants had IES-R scores ≥33 indicating probable PTSD. pRBD was identified in 22.6% of the participants across Mexico and 32.7% in MMC residents with PTSD. MMC subjects with PTSD had an OR 2.6218 [2.5348, 2.7117] of answering yes to the pRBD. PTSD and pRBD were more common in women. This study showed an association between PTSD and pRBD, strengthening the possibility of a connection with misfolded proteinopathies in young urbanites. We need to confirm the RBD diagnosis using an overnight polysomnogram. Mexican women are at high risk for stress and sleep disorders.


2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Cacciatore

This research study explores the effects of support groups on traumatic stress responses of women experiencing stillbirth. Women ( N = 47) responded to a mixed method questionnaire. Quantitative results utilizing the Impact of Event Scale Revised demonstrate that women who attend support group, when controlling for time, had fewer post traumatic stress symptoms than did the women who did not attend support group. Qualitative results elucidate the role of support groups in managing grief, suggesting that connectivity with other like women may be a useful strategy in reducing problematic psychological outcomes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-123
Author(s):  
Jonas Osmann ◽  
Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar ◽  
Anthony Feinstein

Purpose Afghanistan is one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists. There are, however, no data on the mental health of Afghan journalists covering conflict in their country. The study aims to determine the degree to which Afghan journalists are exposed to traumatic events, their perceptions of organizational support, their rates of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, their utilization of mental health services and the effectiveness of the treatment received. Design/methodology/approach The entire study was undertaken in Dari (Farsi). Five major Afghan news organizations representing 104 journalists took part of whom 71 (68%) completed a simple eleven-point analog scale rating perceptions of organizational support. Symptoms of PTSD and depression were recorded with the Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R) and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), respectively. Behavioral comparisons were undertaken between those journalists who had and had not received mental health therapy. Findings The majority of journalists exceeded cutoff scores for PTSD and major depression and reported high rates for exposure to traumatic events. There were no significant differences in IES-R and CES-D scores between journalists who had and had not received mental health therapy. Most journalists did not view their employers as supportive. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to collect empirical data on the mental health of Afghan journalists. The results highlight the extreme stressors confronted by them, their correspondingly high levels of psychopathology and the relative ineffectiveness of mental health therapy given to a minority of those in distress. The implications of these findings are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Fardin ◽  
Sophia Khaneghahi

Background: The long-term outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), accompanied by high mortality rates, hysteria, and economic pressures, has profound, irreversible psychological effects worldwide. Objectives: This study compared mental health and post-traumatic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak in the peak period of the pandemic in five regions of Iran. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out at the peak of the pandemic using free Google Forms® software. A snowball sampling method focused on the general public in the north east-west, central part, and south east-west of Iran was utilized from March 24 to 29th of 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were applied as data collection tools. Results: The current study included 749 respondents from all provinces in Iran. Most of the participants were from the southeast and the central part of Iran and stayed at home for about 20 to 24 hours during COVID-19 outbreak. The results of MANOVA indicated that there were no significant differences between the means of mental disorders and the impacts of COVID-19 outbreak in these five regions (F = 1.188, Wilks’ Lambda = 0.97, P ≥ 0.05). Nevertheless, one-sample test showed that the IES-R mean score was above the cut-off point, indicating the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in all regions of Iran (t = 8.025, P ≤ 0.05, 95% CI: 3.22 to 5.31). Conclusions: As a result of this study that shows the presence of PTSD symptoms in all regions, mental health care is a necessity and should be provided to the general public so that psychologists and mental health teams have to provide psychological services in-person or online method.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiin Jeong ◽  
Ah-Ram Kim ◽  
Claudia Hilton ◽  
Ickpyo Hong

Abstract Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness caused by traumatic events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Accurate diagnosis of this disorder is critical to establish effective intervention approaches. The Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6) is widely used for PTSD screening, but there has been no research on its psychometric properties with individuals who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A random sample of 600 participants were randomly selected from a COVID-19 survey database (n = 6,391). Rasch analysis was conducted to examine item fit, rating scale structure, construct validity, differential item functioning (DIF), and precision of the IES-6. Results: The principal component analysis of Rasch residuals (54.1% of the raw variance explained) and the average of residual correlations (average r = .19) supported the unidimensionality structure in the IES-6. The rating scale was suitable, and the item difficulty hierarchy was logical. The item fit and the DIF contrast were acceptable, except for item 5. The IES-6’s person reliability was .76, which was also an acceptable level.Conclusions: This study showed that the IES-6 has acceptable item-level psychometrics for screening PTSD in adults in the United States for individuals who have experienced the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggested that the IES-6 would be useful for the rapid identification of PTSD and allow clinicians to quickly provide interventions for people with the disorder and their families.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (34) ◽  
pp. 2884-2887
Author(s):  
Ajay Kumar Joopaka ◽  
Molanguri Umashankar ◽  
Pingali Srilakshmi ◽  
Pradeep Sharma Telkapalli ◽  
Chinni Krishna Banoth ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Corona virus disease or the (COVID 19) has caused mental health problems in the general population, in people infected and hospitalised for the disease and in patients who have recovered from the disease physically but continue to suffer from lingering mental health problems. Studies have shown stress, depression, and anxiety in one third of the survivors. Similarly post-traumatic stress disorder has been reported to be around 13 % in the survivors of COVID 19. In this study, we wanted to assess the psychological symptoms in the survivors of Covid 19 patients, one month post discharge and also assess various factors associated with the same. METHODS A cross sectional telephonic survey of the patients one month following discharge was done to understand the psychological problems. Sociodemographic data was recorded on a semi structured proforma, whereas psychological distress was recorded on patient health questionnaire - 4 (PHQ - 4) and the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was screened for by the impact of event scale revised (IES - R). RESULTS Of the 200 patients evaluated, 46.8 % scored above 20 on the impact of event scale which was considered to be a positive screen for post-traumatic stress disorder. Moderate psychological distress was reported by 10.5 % and severe by 7.5 % as measured by PHQ - 4. Being married, having other family members effected by the infection and deaths in the family were some of the factors that were significantly associated with psychological distress and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. CONCLUSIONS Continued mental health support needs to be extended to members who are considered to have recovered and discharged from the hospital following the COVID 19 infection. KEY WORDS COVID 19, Psychological Symptoms, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Galanis ◽  
Evangelia Andreadaki ◽  
Efrosyni Kleanthous ◽  
Anastasia Georgiadou ◽  
Efi Evangelou ◽  
...  

AbstractA limited number of studies have investigated the distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures in the general population. We studied psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures in the general population in Greece and Cyprus. Also, we investigated several demographic, clinical and job characteristics of the participants as possible determinants of distress. Data collection was performed during lockdown measures in Greece and Cyprus (from April 21st to May 4th 2020). All participants provided informed consent to participate in the study. We used the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to measure the psychological distress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures. Seventeen point four percent of the participants had overall IES-R score from 24 to 32 indicating that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a clinical concern, while 33.5% had overall IES-R score >32 indicating that PTSD is a probable diagnosis. Females, Cyprus residents, participants that live with elderly people or patients with a chronic disease in home, participants with a mental health disease or/and chronic disease, participants under pharmaceutical treatment, participants that lost their work due to the pandemic and participants that work in hospital experienced greater distress. Also, increased age and decreased educational level was associated with increased distress. Findings suggest that our sample experienced great distress and this distress was affected by several demographic, clinical and job characteristics. Appropriate interventions should be established in order to support psychologically high risk groups and decrease their distress.


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