COVID-19 Survivors' Intensive Care Unit Experiences and Their Possible Effects on Mental Health: A Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT: It is known that being hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) for any reason is a risk factor for future psychiatric problems. This qualitative study aims to identify the experiences of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ICU survivors and provide insights for relevant mental health problems after being discharged. Participants were COVID-19 patients discharged from ICUs of a secondary care hospital. The experiences of 21 ICU survivors were evaluated using Colaizzi's 7-step approach, which were determined by the purposeful sampling method. There were three themes generated from the interviews as "emotions on COVID-19 diagnosis," "feelings about ICU stay and health care providers," and "life in the shadow of COVID-19." Two subthemes for every single theme were generated, and a total of 19 codes were extracted. It is essential to understand the individual's unique experiences in designing preventive interventions and apply individual preventive mental health interventions during ICU stay.

The Relationship between COVID-19 Protection Behaviors and Pandemic-Related Knowledge, Perceptions, Worry Content, and Public Trust in a Turkish Sample.

Background: This study aimed to explore the effect of knowledge, COVID-19-related perceptions, and public trust on protective behaviors in Turkish people. Methods: Data were collected from an online survey (Turkish COVID-19 Snapshot Monitoring) conducted between July 2020 and January 2021. The recommended protective behaviors (hand cleaning, wearing a face mask, and physical distancing) to prevent COVID-19 were examined. The impacts of the following variables on protective behaviors were investigated using logistic regression analysis: knowledge, cognitive and affective risk perception, pandemic-related worry content, public trust, conspiracy thinking, and COVID-19 vaccine willingness. Results: Out of a total of 4210 adult respondents, 13.8% reported nonadherence to protection behavior, and 86.2% reported full adherence. Males and young (aged 18−30 years) people tend to show less adherence. Perceived self-efficacy, susceptibility, and correct knowledge were positively related to more adherence to protective behavior. Perceptual and emotional factors explaining protective behavior were perceived proximity, stress level, and worrying about the relatives who depended on them. Trust in health professionals and vaccine willingness were positive predictors, while conspiracy thinking and acquiring less information (<2, daily) were negative predictors. Unexpectedly, trust in the Ministry of Health showed a weak but negative association with protection behavior. Conclusions: Perceived stress, altruistic worries, and public trust seem to shape protection behaviors in addition to individuals' knowledge and cognitive risk perception in respondents. Males and young people may have a greater risk for nonadherence. Reliable, transparent, and culture-specific health communication that considers these issues is required.

Examination of eating and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Health care workers are in the high-risk group in terms of contracting infection because of their role in providing care to patients with COVID-19. We aim to examine the relationship between perceived stress, emotional eating, and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey in Turkey between July 1, 2021 and August 15, 2021. Overall, 405 participants age 19 to 67 y completed an online survey incorporating the Emotional Eating Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), Perceived Stress Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), and Nutrition Change Process Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.90). We gathered data on weight, height, and changes in eating habits during the pandemic to analyze how the pandemic affected dietary and nutritional practices. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were female (67.7%). Most respondents (58%) reported changing their eating and nutritional habits during the pandemic. Economic concern and concern about finding food and water due to COVID-19 were found to affect changes in eating and dietary habits (odds ratio [OR]: 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-3.84; P < 0.001 and OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.39-3.18; P < 0.001, respectively). Losing a loved one because of COVID-19 was determined as an independent risk factor for eating and dietary habits (OR: 29.5; 95% CI, 2.23-38.9; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress and emotional eating are related to changes in eating/dietary habits among health care workers during the pandemic. We recommend healthy food choices and increased physical activity to reduce emotional eating and mitigate stress.

'COVID-Somnia' in healthcare workers during the pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Sleep disorders associated with COVID-19 pandemic are termed as 'COVID-somnia.' In this study, we sought to assess the prevalence of COVID-somnia in healthcare workers, establish the factors that trigger this condition, and to investigate its relationship with anxiety and depression symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between April 2021 and June 2021, and it included healthcare workers who served during the pandemic. Participants' demographic data, Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) were used, and the results were statistically analyzed. Multiple analyses of factors affecting ESS and ISI scores were evaluated using binary logistic regression model and PSQI score were analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. RESULTS: A total of 1,111 healthcare workers who served during the pandemic voluntarily enrolled to the study. The mean age was 37.3 ± 8.48 years, and 63.5% were females. Our study showed that the healthcare workers, evaluated with the PSQI, experienced a deterioration of sleep quality. Primary factors affecting this are working on the front line, the presence of chronic diseases, depression, and anxiety. Regression analyses identified depression and anxiety as the common factors affecting ESS, ISI, and PSQI scores. CONCLUSION: Raising awareness regarding COVID-somnia among healthcare workers, who play a leading role in curbing the pandemic, would reduce sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. It would also contribute to the planning and implementation of preventive and therapeutic mental health programs with a multidisciplinary approach.

Zoom Fatigue: A Review

Video conferences have helped us to remotely connect study rooms, classrooms, but after attending one or 2 virtual meetings, listening to an online webinar or two, and perhaps speaking, people begin to express feeling exhausted and nervous. [...]a new term emerged, also named after a popular application, resulting from the excessive use of video conferencing platforms: 'Zoom Fatigue'. Due to its rapid spread and high morbidity and mortality rates, it was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020 by the World Health Organization and a pandemic on March 11, 2020 (WHO 2020). In a study, 10,591 participants tested the relationship between videoconference fatigue and five theoretical nonverbal mechanisms (mirror, anxiety, being physically trapped, excessive gazing through a grid of facing faces, and the cognitive load from generating and interpreting nonverbal cues). [...]after attending a few virtual meetings, listening to a few online webinars, and perhaps speaking, people feel exhausted and begin to express that they feel nervous (Epstein 2020). [...]the term 'Zoom Fatigue' has emerged, inspired by the name of a popular application resulting from the excessive use of video conferencing platforms (Wiederhold 2020, Sklar 2020). Studies in this direction show that exposure to digital and physical mirrors can increase self-focused attention, which may lead to adverse effects, including anxiety and depression (Ingram et al. 1988, Fejfar and Hoyle 2000, Gonzales and Hancock 2011).

Psychiatric aspect of infectious diseases and pandemic: A review

Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms and can be transmitted directly or indirectly from one person to another. With direct effects or complications they cause, infectious diseases such as febrile diseases, syphilis, brucellosis, malaria, Lyme Disease, herpes simplex virus, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, rabies and coronavirus disease (COVID) can cause psychiatric symptoms. Medicines such as mefloquine and interferon used in the treatment of infectious diseases can also cause psychiatric symptoms. Infectious diseases such as influenza A viruses and toxoplasma gondii parasite can be present in the etiology of some psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. Psychiatric disorders can also facilitate the spread of infectious diseases. As we have seen in the COVID-19 outbreak, global spread of infectious diseases is called a pandemic. During and after the pandemic, the frequency of psychiatric symptoms increases due to the direct effects of the pandemic or, quarantine and social isolation applied due to the pandemic. These symptoms include depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, anxiety, obsessive symptoms, irritability, loneliness, helplessness, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. There is a high comorbidity between infectious diseases and psychiatric diseases, and clinicians should always consider this condition in epidemics and later periods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Turkish) Bulasici hastaliklar, mikroorganizmalarin neden oldugu ve dogrudan veya dolayli olarak bir kisiden digerine bulasabilen hastaliklardir. Atesli hastaliklar, sifiliz, bruselloz, sitma, Lyme Hastaligi, herpes simpleks virus, hepatitler, insan immun yetmezlik virusu, kuduz ve coronavirus hastaligi (COVID) gibi bulasici hastaliklar direk etkileri veya sebep olduklari komplikasyonlar ile psikiyatrik bulgulara sebep olabilir. Bulasici hastaliklarin tedavisinde kullanilan meflokin ve interferon gibi ilaclar da psikiyatrik belirtilere sebep olabilirler. Sizofreni gibi bazi psikiyatrik hastaliklarin etiyolojisinde influenza A virusleri ve toksoplazma gondii paraziti gibi bulasici hastaliklar yer alabilir. Ayni zamanda psikiyatrik hastaliklar bulasici hastaliklarin yayilimini kolaylastirabilir. COVID-19 salgininda gordugumuz gibi bulasici hastaliklarin global olarak yayilmasi olan pandemi esnasinda ve sonrasinda, pandeminin direk etkileri veya pandemi sebebiyle uygulanan karantina ve sosyal izolasyon sebebiyle psikiyatrik belirtilerin gorulme sikligi artmaktadir. Bu belirtiler arasinda depresif belirtiler, uyku bozukluklari, kaygi, obsesif belirtiler, sinirlilik, yalnizlik duygusu, caresizlik ve travma sonrasi stres belirtileri sayilabilir. Enfeksiyon hastaliklari ve psikiyatrik hastaliklar arasinda yuksek komorbidite vardir ve klinisyenler salginlar ve sonraki donemlerde bu durumu herzaman goz onunde bulundurmalidir. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

The level of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality in pregnancy during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

AIM: We aimed to evaluate the mental health and sleep quality of pregnant women in different trimesters during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and investigate the effect of quarantine and new lifestyle changes that come into our lives with pandemic with on this subject. METHODS: It was conducted on pregnant women (n = 149) who attended routine pregnancy prenatal visit during their pregnancy weeks. The data were collected using sociodemographic and clinical data form, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate sleep quality, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to evaluate maternal depression and anxiety. RESULTS: A significant correlation was observed between the week of gestation and depression, anxiety, and defective sleep scores (p < 0.001). A moderate positive correlation was found between the week of gestation and depression (r: 0.628). A high level of positive correlation was found between the week of gestation and defective sleep quality and anxiety scores (r: 0.858, r: 0.754). A statistically significant increase in depression, anxiety, and defective sleep quality was found in the group staying in home quarantine (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the COVID-19 pandemic can cause depression, anxiety, and serious sleep disorders in pregnant women. The depression and anxiety scores of pregnant women in home quarantine were also found to be higher than the group not in quarantine. As the week of gestation progresses, mental health symptoms worsen and sleep quality deteriorates.