The Effect of Attitude to Death on Self-Management in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study was conducted to examine the effect of attitude to death on self-management in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was carried out in a descriptive and correlational type with the participation of n = 103 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients registered in the Internal Medicine Unit at a University Hospital. Personal Information Form, Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R), Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire and Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used in data collection. According to the results of the study, it was determined that diabetes patients' fear of COVID-19 increased their fear of death and self-management. Similarly, neuropathy and nephropathy developed in these patients. In addition, it was determined that the diabetic patients who worked 6-7 days a week outside the home had higher levels of fear. It was found that those with high fear were more attentive to social distancing, wearing masks and hand sanitizer use. Staying at home is also not always possible for patients with chronic diseases, and people struggle with COVID-19 by working in crowded workspaces. It is necessary to recognize the struggle of patients with chronic diseases and provide social, economic and psychological support.

The effect of education of patients with type 2 diabetes at risk of covid-19 on symptoms and some metabolic outcomes: A randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. It also has a high risk of morbidity and mortality in the covid 19 pandemic. Due to pandemic measures, disruptions have emerged in the care treatments of patients with type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed to determine the effects of telehealth monitoring and patient training on the symptoms and metabolic outcomes in the patients with type 2 diabetes who are at risk of COVID-19. METHODOLOGY: The current study is in the design of a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Patients were randomized into intervention group (n=41) and control group (n = 44). The patients in the intervention group received diabetes training once a week for the first 4 weeks and every other week for weeks 5-12. No training was given to the control group. The data was collected using the socio-demographic information form, the questionnaire of diabetes treatment, the form of metabolic control variables, and the Diabetes Symptoms Checklist. The data was analyzed with Chi-square, independent samples t-test, and paired sample t-test. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the control group was 56.86 ± 9.40, and the mean age of those in the intervention group was 54.12 ± 8.32. After the training, a statistically significant difference was found between the checklist averages of the groups in the subscale of hyperglycemia. However, a statistically significant difference was found between the subscales of neurology, cardiology, cognition, hyperglycemia, and the total checklist averages in the intervention group before and after the training (p < 0.05). In the control group, there was a statistically significant difference between the subscale of hyperglycemia and the total checklist averages at the beginning and 3 months later (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It has been determined that the disease training given to the patients with diabetes via telehealth monitoring during the COVID-19 process has a positive effect on the diabetes control of the patients. Health education through telehealth methods can be an effective and cost-effective strategy to support patients with diabetes.

The Effects of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on COVID-19-Related Fear, Anxiety, and Sleep Quality in Emergency Aid Station Employees.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on emergency aid station employees' COVID-19-related fear, anxiety, and sleep quality levels. This study was conducted as a randomized, controlled, and experimental design and included 30 emergency aid station employees (emergency medical technicians and paramedics). The descriptive information form, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test, COVID-19 Fear Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used for data collection. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of their scale scores before the intervention (P > .05). After the intervention, there was a significant difference between the groups only in the sleep duration dimension of the PSQI. In the intervention group, on the other hand, there were significant differences in the anxiety, economic dimension of the Fear scale and the total sleep quality, and subjective sleep quality, sleep latency and daytime dysfunction dimensions after the intervention (P < .05). In this study, in comparison to the control group, the intervention group lowered their anxiety and fear levels and improved their sleep quality at the end of the 5 days. It was determined that anxiety and fear had a 35% cumulative effect on sleep quality (P > .05). According to the results of this study, progressive muscle relaxation exercises had a positive effect in improving the sleep quality and reducing the anxiety and fear levels of the emergency aid station employees.

The Death Anxiety Experienced by Cardiac Patients in the Covid-19 Pandemic and Its Affecting Factors.

The study was conducted to determine the death anxiety experienced by heart patients and the affecting factors in the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted with 148 patients hospitalized in the cardiology clinic of a university hospital between April and August 2021 in the southeast in Turkey. The data were collected with the personal information form, death anxiety scale, coronavirus anxiety scale and Covid-19 fear scale developed by the researchers. Data analysis was performed by using IBM SPSS Statistics 25. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. Correlation and regression analysis were performed to determine the relationship between scales. The mean age of the patients was 64.99+15.56 years and 56.1% were male. 57.4% of them were hospitalized with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease. During the pandemic, it was determined that 74.3% of the patients followed social distance, 71.6% wore masks, 58.8% used disinfectants. The patients had moderate death anxiety, low coronavirus anxiety, and high covid 19 fear. A positive linear correlation was found between anxiety and fear scale and death anxiety total and sub-dimensions. As a result, the fear of COVID-19 may increase the fear of death in individuals with heart disease. Patients who are worried about being infected with Covid 19 during the pandemic process have more fear of death.

Nursing Students' Opinions About Covid-19: A Qualitative Study.

Healthcare professionals play important roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to evaluate nursing students' opinions about COVID-19. This study was planned using a descriptive phenomenological design. The data were collected using a semi-structured interview form during individual interviews carried out through phone calls or online. After the interviews were recorded, they were documented. The study found that students experienced anxiety because of the pandemic, that they protect themselves through personal hygiene and isolation methods, that most of them found the social measures sufficient, that they were worried about their relatives, and that they wanted to go back to their social lives. Positive occupational value and investment in the health sector are positive effects of the pandemic on nursing, while an increased workload and the high risk of death are negative effects. Nursing students should be supported with both theoretical information and psychological support during the pandemic.

Fear of COVID 19 and social effects in liver transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: This study was descriptively conducted to evaluate the fear of COVID 19 and its social effects on patients who had liver transplant. METHODS: The study was conducted between September 2020 and April 2021 in a liver transplant institute affiliated with a university hospital. The sample of the study was 135 patients. Personal Information Form, Fear of Covid 19 Scale, and Questionnaire of Social Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic were used to collect data. RESULTS: It was determined that the Fear of Covid 19 Scale mean score of the patients was 21.25 ± 6.99. As the fear of COVID 19 increases in patients who had liver transplant, it was determined that their desire to be in crowded environments, to prefer public transportation, to go to the doctor for examination and their focusing on various objectives were decreasing. Also, fear of COVID 19 increased the difficulty in sleep, storage of food and cleaning materials, washing hands frequently, using masks and gloves when going out, health concerns, doubts about disease symptoms, orientation towards healthy eating, worries about the future and questioning the meaning of life. CONCLUSION: The results show that it is important for transplant centers to be able to provide guidance and psychological counseling services to liver transplant patients, who are significantly affected by COVID 19, through telemedicine or various technological opportunities.

Death Anxiety Associated With Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Death anxiety is a feeling that exists since birth, continues throughout life, lies at the root of all fears, and develops after the awareness that people will no longer exist and that they can lose themselves and the world. It is associated with death-induced anxiety with many features of the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be seen as a threat to human existence. In this study, it is aimed to compile studies on death anxiety associated with coronavirus disease, list the general characteristics of these studies through descriptive summaries, and combine findings on the level of death anxiety associated with coronavirus disease through meta-analysis. The findings of this study suggest that COVID-19 pandemic process and is affected by socio-demographic factors such as fear of COVID-19, gender, and occupation. As a result of this study, it was determined that death anxiety was relatively high during the COVID-19 pandemic process.

The Relationship Between Anxiety and Hopelessness Levels Among Nursing Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Related Factors.

Outbreaks caused by environmental effects such as COVID-19, MERS, SARS, or Ebola cause problems such as fear, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and hopelessness for people with or without a high risk of illness. This study aims to determine the levels of hopelessness and anxiety experienced by nursing students during the COVID-19 outbreak. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with students of a state university. In the collection of the data, Descriptive Characteristics Form prepared by the researchers, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Test (GAD-7), and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) were used. The mean GAD-7 score of the students participating in the study was 6.65 ± 5.03 and the mean BHS score was 6.11 ± 4.91. It was determined that the score of GAD-7 and BHS were a significant positive high relationship between them (p < 0.001). Anxiety and hopelessness levels were found to be statistically significantly higher for those whose sleep and eating patterns affected negatively due to the pandemic, those who feared the pandemic and its economic effects, and those who did not want to work in the hospital during the pandemic period. There was a relationship between anxiety and hopelessness levels of nursing students participating in the study.