ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This observational study aimed to determine whether attachment style predicted first responders' mental health and resilience. METHOD: Data were from a treatment-seeking sample of first responders ( N = 237). Each participant completed six assessments measuring attachment, resilience, generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder. RESULTS: On the attachment assessment, 25.3% were categorized as secure, 19.0% as dismissive, 25.3% as preoccupied, and 30.4% as fearfully attached. As predicted, securely attached participants had the lowest scores for generalized anxiety, depression, suicidality, and posttraumatic stress disorder and the highest scores on the resiliency measure, followed by dismissive, preoccupied, and fearfully attached participants. LIMITATIONS: These data are cross-sectional and causality cannot be inferred. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the importance of the study of attachment to psychotherapy and mental health treatment with first responders.
Subject(s)
Emergency Responders , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic , Humans , Mental Health , Cross-Sectional Studies , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Anxiety/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Background Nursing home (NH) social workers face many challenges in meeting the psychosocial needs of residents while balancing their own well-being needs. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional survey of NH social workers via social media and professional networks about their coping strategies during COVID-19. Open-ended responses were analyzed qualitatively using the rigorous and accelerated data reduction technique (RADaR). Results The study included a sample of 63 (N= 63) NH social workers. Four themes defined ways the in which NH social workers coped with stress during COVID-19, including relying on friends and family, mindfulness and spirituality/religion, self-care strategies, and setting boundaries at work. Conclusion These techniques appear to be effective;however there remains a need for institutional programs and policies to provide the time and space to holistically support coping in NH social workers and to prevent burnout and turnover, particularly during times of crisis.