Ms. Noemi Monika Szeifert

Introduction: Working in COVID - 19 Health Care Units - Psychological impacts (PTSD, Depression, Anxiety Disorders) Working in the frontline during COVID-19 has put under extreme psychological and physical pressure the health care workers. The severe psychological symptomps can emerge on short, mid and long term as well. Our research is focusing on the psychological impacts of front line health care workers. Objective(s): In our lecture, we summarize our reserach made in the National Traumatology Center, Budapest, Hungary among health care workers who worked in the front and in the second line during the most severe period of the pandemic in Hungary, and discuss probable risk factors for PTSD and chronic psychological distress related to COVID-19. Furthermore we make an overview on the most frequently used coping skills for dealing with the psychological stress caused by the pandemic among the health care workers. The sample taking was processed in July 2021, after 3 month the 3rd COVID - 19 wave officially ended in Hungary. Method(s): 123 health care workers completed the online survey anonimously, included Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Anxiety State Inventory, PTSD Checklist, Lazarus Coping Scale. Result(s): 23% of HCW reported symptomps of depression, nearly 25% dealing with sleeping disorders and 38% with chronic fatigue, 42,50 % HCW suffering from anxiety disorders, 22% HCW experiencing symptomps of PTSD. Conclusion(s): With our results we would like to raise awareness of the challenges and severe psychological consequences that these colleagues, our national heroes we can say, are facing after working in COVID-19 Health Care Units.

Decreasing suicide mortality in Hungary - What are the main causes?

Introduction: Depression and suicidal behaviour are major public health problems everywhere but particularly in Hungary where until 2000 the suicide rate was among the highest in the world. Objective(s): To analyse the possible causes of declining national suicide rate of Hungary. Method(s): Review of the scientific literature on Hungarian suicide scene published in the last 40 years. Result(s): The peak of Hungarian national suicide rate was in 1985 (46/100.000) but due to a steady and continuous, year by year decline, in 2019 it was only 16/100.000, which represents a more than 65% decrease. Rate of unrecognised/untreated mood disorders, availability of health/psychiatric care, antidepressant and lithium prescription, unemployment, smoking and alcohol consumption as well as lithium and arsenic contents of drinking water were the most investigated possible determinants of suicide mortality of the country. More widespread and effective treatment of psychiatric/mood disorder patients, decreased rate of unemployment and smoking as well as the continuously improving living standards were the most important contributors to the great decline of the national suicide rate. However, in 2020 - the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic - the national suicide rate rose by 16%, which was almost totally accounted for by the increase of suicides among males. Conclusion(s): Suicidal behaviour is preventable in many cases, but as it is a complex, multicausal phenomenon, its prevention should involve several medical/psychiatric, psychosocial and community interventions.

[The Number of Deliberate Self-Poisoning Suicide Attempts in the First Year of the Covid-19 Epidemic in Budapest and Pest County]

INTRODUCTION: In contrast to most other countries, in Hungary, suicide rates increased significantly in the first year (March to December 2020) of the COVID-19 epidemic. Worldwide, the burden of emergency health care tended to decrease in the first period of the pandemic. The main goal of the present research was to assess how the number of suicidal deliberate self-poisoning has changed in the first two years of the pandemic compared to the trend of the previous years (before March 2020) in the capital of Hungary, Budapest, and in Pest County (population approx. 3 million).

Ms. Noemi Monika Szeifert

Introduction Working in COVID – 19 Health Care Units – Psychological impacts (PTSD, Depression, Anxiety Disorders) Working in the frontline during COVID-19 has put under extreme psychological and physical pressure the health care workers. The severe psychological symptomps can emerge on short, mid and long term as well. Our research is focusing on the psychological impacts of front line health care workers. Objectives In our lecture, we summarize our reserach made in the National Traumatology Center, Budapest, Hungary among health care workers who worked in the front and in the second line during the most severe period of the pandemic in Hungary, and discuss probable risk factors for PTSD and chronic psychological distress related to COVID-19. Furthermore we make an overview on the most frequently used coping skills for dealing with the psychological stress caused by the pandemic among the health care workers. The sample taking was processed in July 2021, after 3 month the 3rd COVID – 19 wave officially ended in Hungary. Methods 123 health care workers completed the online survey anonimously, included Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger Anxiety State Inventory, PTSD Checklist, Lazarus Coping Scale. Results 23% of HCW reported symptomps of depression, nearly 25% dealing with sleeping disorders and 38% with chronic fatigue, 42,50 % HCW suffering from anxiety disorders, 22% HCW experiencing symptomps of PTSD. Conclusions With our results we would like to raise awareness of the challenges and severe psychological consequences that these colleagues, our national heroes we can say, are facing after working in COVID-19 Health Care Units. Disclosure No significant relationships.