The prevalence and psychological relation of problem shopping: data from a large-scale sample from Turkey

Background The purpose of the present study was to comprehensively examine the measurement aspects, the prevalence, and the psychological correlates of problem shopping among a large-scale national sample of Turkish adults. Result Participants (N = 24,380, 50% men, M age = 31.79 years, age range = 18–81 years) completed a questionnaire that comprised the Shopping Addiction Risk Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised. Results showed that 1.8% of the participants had probable shopping addiction. Being female, being younger, psychiatric distress, positive affect, negative affect, anxious attachment, and avoidant attachment were positive correlates of problem shopping. Conclusion The results of this large sample size study suggest that shopping addiction is not a rare condition in Turkey. Further research is needed to understand different motives that underlie the problematic shopping behavior in the young and female population in comparison to older and male populations. Preventive programs or any interventions for people with PSB needs to address regulation difficulties and development of healthy strategies to cope with psychiatric distress.

The Prevalence and Psychological Relation of Problem Shopping: Data from a Large-Scale Sample from Turkey

Background:The purpose of the present study was to comprehensively examine the measurement aspects, the prevalence, and the psychological correlates of problem shopping among a large-scale national sample of Turkish adults. Result: Participants (N = 24380, 50% men, M age = 31.79 years, age range = 18 to 81 years) completed a questionnaire that comprised the Shopping Addiction Risk Questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised. Results showed that 1.8% of the participants had probable shopping addiction. Being female, being younger, psychiatric distress, positive affect, negative affect, anxious attachment, and avoidant attachment were positive correlates of problem shopping.Conclusion: The results of this large sample size study suggest that shopping addiction is not a rare condition in Turkey. Further research is needed to understand different motives that underlie the problematic shopping behavior in the young and female population in comparison to older and male populations. Preventive programs or any interventions for people with SA needs to address regulation difficulties and development of healthy strategies to cope with psychiatric distress.

A survey of Midwest physicians’ experiences with patients in psychiatric distress in the emergency department

Context Emergency medicine (EM) physicians commonly stabilize patients with acute psychiatric distress, such as suicidal ideation. Research has shown that suicidal ideation is difficult to manage in emergency department (ED) settings and that patients in psychiatric distress are often “boarded” in the ED while awaiting more definitive care. Objectives To examine the attitudes and experiences of emergency physicians regarding the care of patients in psychiatric distress. Special attention is given to suicidal ideation due to its prevalence in the United States. Methods A 19 question anonymous survey was sent via email to 55 emergency medicine residency directors throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, who were identified using an Internet search of residency programs in the region. The program directors were asked to distribute the survey to their colleagues and residents. The intent of this procedure was to generate as many survey responses as possible, while obscuring the identities of the respondents. Responses were gathered from October 29, 2019 until January 16, 2020. The survey was designed to assess respondents’ self-reported demographic data as well as their experiences with the boarding process, initial examination, final disposition, reevaluation of the patient, physician training and resources, and follow up care. Statistical analysis was performed using a Mann–Whitney U test, significance was set at p<0.01. Results In total, 47 EM physicians responded to the survey; however, not all of the respondents completed all 19 questions. Ten of 44 respondents (22.7%) reported that they do not perform the initial psychiatric examination themselves and instead defer to a nurse or social worker. Twenty-two of 44 respondents (50.0%) reported that they defer to a social worker when determining the final disposition of psychiatric patients. Respondents reevaluated patients in psychiatric distress statistically significantly less often (p=0.01) compared with patients with cardiac pathology. Additionally, 15 of 38 respondents (39.5%) reported that they did not feel adequately trained to handle psychiatric emergencies, and 36 of 39 respondents (92.3%) of physicians felt that their facility would benefit from additional mental health resources. Thirty five of 39 respondents (89.7%) reported that their facility did not have a system in place to follow up with suicidal patients upon discharge. Conclusions Caring for patients who are acutely suicidal or in psychiatric distress is complex and more research is needed to optimize treatment strategies. The results of this study indicate that EM physicians may regularly defer to nonphysician providers when evaluating and treating patients in psychiatric distress. A perceived lack of training in psychiatry may contribute to this practice. The results of this study are in accord with previous research that indicated a need for additional psychiatry training in EM residencies.

ASSESSMENT OF MENTAL STRESS IN HEALTH CARE WORKERS OF RURAL TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The sudden outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), brings numerous challenges not only for general population, but also to health care workers (HCWs) who are serving in numerous hospitals worldwide. These health care workers have dual impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, facing not only the overload of infected patients in hospitals but also dealing with psychiatric distress among them. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychiatric distress in 98 HCWs, working in Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah India. In all recruited HCWs measures depression, anxiety and stress level and also raised questioning related to stress level from these HCWs. Results showed that nursing staff had highest level of depression, anxiety and stress level followed by doctors and paramedical staff. Majority of HCWs had positive response from their family members, society and infected patients. Almost HCWs believed that PPE kit is able to protect them and meeting with their family members/loved ones helps to reduce stress levels. HCWs who came in direct contact with COVID positive patients or infected ones had higher psychiatric distress over the HCWs who did not came in direct contact. Most of the HCWs denied requisition of mental health professionals to minimize stress levels and believed that working in rural area hospital is comparatively safe to working in urban area hospital.

Trends in Moral Injury, Distress, and Resilience Factors among Healthcare Workers at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome (COVID-19) pandemic has placed increased stress on healthcare workers (HCWs). While anxiety and post-traumatic stress have been evaluated in HCWs during previous pandemics, moral injury, a construct historically evaluated in military populations, has not. We hypothesized that the experience of moral injury and psychiatric distress among HCWs would increase over time during the pandemic and vary with resiliency factors. From a convenience sample, we performed an email-based, longitudinal survey of HCWs at a tertiary care hospital between March and July 2020. Surveys measured occupational and resilience factors and psychiatric distress and moral injury, assessed by the Impact of Events Scale-Revised and the Moral Injury Events Scale, respectively. Responses were assessed at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month time points. Moral injury remained stable over three months, while distress declined. A supportive workplace environment was related to lower moral injury whereas a stressful, less supportive environment was associated with increased moral injury. Distress was not affected by any baseline occupational or resiliency factors, though poor sleep at baseline predicted more distress. Overall, our data suggest that attention to improving workplace support and lowering workplace stress may protect HCWs from adverse emotional outcomes.

Men’s psychiatric distress in context: Understanding the impact of masculine discrepancy stress, race, and barriers to help-seeking

This study examined perceived barriers to help-seeking as mechanisms by which masculinity may generate risk for psychiatric distress in men. An online sample of 558 men completed self-report measures of masculine discrepancy stress (i.e. distress about one’s perceived gender nonconformity), barriers to help-seeking, and psychiatric distress. A significant indirect effect of masculine discrepancy stress on psychiatric distress emerged through perceived barriers to help-seeking; notably, this effect was stronger among Men of Color (vs White men). The promotion of optimal psychiatric functioning in men may necessitate interventions that target the effects of masculine socialization and race-related stress on help-seeking attitudes.