Psychological Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Mental Health Practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia

Introduction: The Coronavirus disease pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19) has had psychological implications and altered the public's well-being. In response to the pandemic, mental health practitioners play an essential role in mitigating the adverse psychological effects among the public. However, as the demand for mental health services increases, the responsibilities of mental health professionals are far stretched from what they can handle. Therefore, this research is aimed to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic on the mental health practitioners in Selangor and their coping strategies. Method: A total of 10 mental health practitioners who are clinical psychologists and counselors participated in the one-to-one interview. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: The higher client loads, the transition to virtual therapy, burnout, and anxiety were found to have an impact on the mental health practitioners' well-being. Despite the challenging psychological impact, the mental health practitioners expressed a high level of satisfaction with their jobs, which they attributed to the supportive organisational culture and their intrinsic drive for selecting this profession. The mental health practitioners have reported that perceived organisational support, social support, and self-care approaches are effective coping mechanisms. Mindfulness skills such as breathing techniques and meditation are often practiced by the participants to calm the mind and body from a long day of work. Conclusion: The implication of the study contributes to breaking the stigmatisation of help seeking behaviour among the helping professions, as well as urging the policy makers, governments, and foundations to play a part in providing accessible and quality mental healthcare to the society. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences is the property of Universiti Putra Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Improving conditions or conditional improvements? A modern code, and mode, of I-O ethics

Three categories of modern dilemmas are immediately apparent in relation to reimagining and committing to a more proactive code in I-O, given their overlap with contemporary issues in technology and data management, health and accessibility, and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion: ethical use of assessments (e.g., AI in selection);ethical conduct of research and data analysis;and ethical imperatives for fairness, inclusiveness, wellness, and equity in organizations, particularly in light of recent world events (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, inflation and economic challenges). Algorithms are then bound by the quality (and bias) incorporated into the data upon which they are trained and tested. [...]with the regulatory landscape in flux, it becomes even more important to utilize an ethical code to develop assessments. [...]relatedly, I-O psychologists who conduct research in organizations may not have regulatory oversight (e.g., institutional review board governance, peer review processes, expectations for pre-registration and open science practices) to guide their studies;if present and applicable, regulatory oversight may still be mismatched with organizational research, often ill fitted to certain types, disciplines, and contexts, or only focused on particular elements or stages of the research process while neglecting others (e.g., Bell & Wray-Bliss, 2009;Buchanan & Bryman, 2009;Greenwood, 2016). [...]I-O psychologists may also find themselves in ethical dilemmas as workers return to the office post pandemic. [...]proactive behavior is more likely and important within uncertain contexts, particularly those

The History of Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations in the United States

The American Psychological Association (APA, 2021) issued an apology to people of color for their role in "promoting, perpetuating and failing to challenge racism, racial discrimination, and human hierarchy (p.1)." This may be related to the criticisms that American psychology is ahistorical, ignores social realities, (Crenshaw, 1995;Martin-Baro, 1996) and has a Eurocentric bias (Bhatia, 2020). This paper briefly describes historical examples of the oppression of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the United States in the health and social sciences fields. It details the context of the historical emergence of ethnic minority psychological associations led by the departure of Black psychologists from APA in the late 1960's. Several other BIPOC groups followed their lead. APA governance then met with the ethnic minority association leaders at the Dulles Conference in 1978. The recommendations of this conference took longer to achieve than what was originally expected yet these demonstrate the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts initiated by ethnic minority psychologists and later supported by funding agencies.

Job Satisfaction of Health Practitioners Providing Outreach Health Services during COVID-19 in Rural New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia.

Background: Outreach health practitioners play a key role in enhancing access to healthcare for remote, rural, regional, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. Outreach health practitioners are those providing ongoing and integrated health services in communities that would otherwise have limited access. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the job satisfaction of health workers as it correlates with long-term retention of the workforce, as well as effectiveness in the role and clinical outcomes for patients. Method: The study analysed data from 258 outreach health practitioners who responded to two cross-sectional surveys conducted by the NSW Rural Doctors Network during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21 and 2021/22 in NSW and the ACT, Australia. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the associations between the outcome variable (outreach health practitioners' job satisfaction) and independent variables (sociodemographic factors, motivation, self-confidence, communication, capability). Results: Overall, the study showed that 92.2% of health practitioners were satisfied in their role providing outreach health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the multivariable model, factors significantly associated with higher satisfaction included good communication with other local health practitioners, using telehealth along with in-person care, and having high self-rated capability compared to those health practitioners who said they had lower job satisfaction. Conclusions: Outreach health practitioners' job satisfaction is important because poor satisfaction may lead to suboptimal healthcare delivery, poor clinical outcomes, and poor retention of staff in rural settings. These findings should be taken into consideration when developing future strategies to improve job satisfaction among rural outreach health practitioners and to enhance attraction, recruitment and retention and may be applicable to the broader health workforce.

Considerations and suggested practices for psychological assessment and intervention when working with older adults with disabilities

Given the aging of the population in the United States, older adults (ages 65+ years) will increasingly be referred to psychologists for evaluation and treatment. The potential for onset of a primary or secondary disability (e.g., physical, sensory, cognitive, or emotional) significantly increases during older adulthood and may or may not be the reason for referral to a psychologist. The overarching aims of this article are to discuss the more common ethical and professional considerations for psychologists working with older adults with disabilities and offer suggested practices to optimize these interactions. This discussion focuses on a collaborative model in which the psychologist partners with the older adult to learn of their specific preferences and needs with the goal of providing equitable, appropriate, and accessible assessment services and therapeutic support. Service provision during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the related use of telepsychology are also examined as part of this position.

The Development of a Post COVID-19 Clinic at the University General Hospital of Ioannina in Greece

In recent years, the global world is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused significant long-term consequences to the population's health. Post COVID-19 is considered an implication of the various that has drawn the attention of the scientific world, as the reported cases are increasing rapidly globally and the danger of permanent disorder is real. This article focuses on the significance of specialized clinics for post COVID-19 cases and on their working methods. Hence, the example of the establishment of a specialized clinic in the University General Hospital of Ioannina (U.G.H.I.) is provided, based on a SWOT analysis, while at the same time a realistic approach to its development is presented. The proper therapeutic approach of the people that suffer from the post COVID-19 will contribute to the protection and well-being of the society, dealing effectively, in this way, with the problems caused by the of the ongoing SARS-CoV2 pandemic.

Psychological distress and its associated risk factors among health-care professionals of India during Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Millions of lives have been impacted by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection worldwide. The world's health-care system is overburdened and, in some places, in disarray, which has an effect on medical workers' physical and psychological well-being. The psychological impact has more negative effects on people's general well-being. The goal of this review was to ascertain how the COVID-19 pandemic affected these populations' levels of stress, despair, and anxiety. Until March 2022, PubMed, Google Scholar, and journal online databases were searched for articles focusing on stress, anxiety, and depression in Indian health-care professionals. 'Psychological distress,' 'COVID-19,' and 'Health professionals' were utilized as search phrases. The quantitative study was performed using R Software version 4.1.2. Using Cochran's Q test, the studies' heterogeneity (I 2) was evaluated. We found 12 studies in the search results. Stress prevalence as a whole was 0.2721 (95% confidence interval [CI] - 0.1336-0.4754). Depression had a combined prevalence of 0.3941 (95% CI - 0.2698-0.5338). Anxiety's pooled prevalence was 0.4158 (95% CI - 0.2790-0.5670). Young age and longer work hours were considered the main risk factors for psychological distress. The COVID-19 had a significant impact on India's medical sector. The critical goal is to recognize psychological issues at an early stage and to use the right technique and intervention to deal with them. © 2022 Journal of Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University.

Role of Aboriginal Health Practitioners in administering and increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates in a Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated communities throughout the world and has required rapid paradigm changes in the manner in which health care is administered. Previous health models and practices have been modified and changed at a rapid pace. This commentary provides the experiences of a regional Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation in a COVID-19 vaccination program led and managed by Aboriginal Health Practitioners.

Unanticipated Pandemic Outcomes: The Assault on Public Health

Groups such as Freedom Angels, Sovereign Nation, the Boogaloo Boys, and Colorado Counties for Freedom have coordinated strong pushback on public health measures in communities and have specifically targeted local health officials by generating messaging that includes personal attacks on integrity, conducting in-person demonstrations at the homes of public health officials, taking out radio advertisements against public health, and using other tactics to pressure public health officials regarding unpopular health orders and mitigation efforts. According to the resulting report, Legal Protections for Public Health Officials, 35 states and the District of Columbia have "criminal statutes punishing individuals who impede public health officials' duties with such behavior." Local health departments have been testing patients, managing case investigations and contact tracing for their communities, managing extraordinary amounts of data, providing wrap-around services forthose isolating or quarantining, hosting communitybased mass testing and vaccination sites, communicating with the public and the media, and regularly convening local partners including business, education, early child care, emergency medical services, police, fire, hospital systems, and providers. The campaign focuses on stopping the harassment of public health professionals by (1) reporting threats and violence against public health and working to hold accountable those who make take these actions;(2) asking Congress to require state and local monitoring and reporting of threats and harassment against public health workers for performing their official duties, including threats related to race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender;and (3) using existing statutes, and supporting new laws, to protect public health professionals.6 Let us all stand behind health officials and the staffs that serve their departments.

COVID-19 black swan and personal protective equipment (PPE) in Pakistan

Purpose>This paper aimed to examine the sources of information and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. The COVID-19 pandemic affected at a large level of all social institutions including the healthcare system of the countries.Design/methodology/approach>The study was conducted in Pakistan by using an online survey technique. The rationale to opt for this method was based on the country’s lockdown situations, social distancing and the care of the respondents. A total of 847 individuals from different parts of the Punjab province participated in the study. An attitudinal scale was administered, which consisted of statements to measure (dis)agreement among the individuals on current situations of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ethical considerations and confidentiality of the respondents were opted by describing the purpose of research on the first page of the questionnaire.Findings>The study findings revealed that peer group, signs and symptoms of COVID-19 pandemic and causes and consequences of COVID-19 pandemic had favourable positive effects on the use of PPE by individuals through the mediation of fear of infection during COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the study findings were interpreted as per the effects of current situations of COVID-19 on the sources of information and the use of PPE by individuals.Originality/value>This study focused on an important gap in the research on COVID-19 pandemic in the country in terms of mass media, health practitioners, peer group, fear of infection and use of PPE.

Developing a brief acceptance and commitment therapy model for industrial psychologists

Orientation: Mental health distress is on the rise, which has significant implications for labour productivity. Industrial psychologists, who are equipped to offer work-based counselling, can play a vital role in alleviating this burden. Research purpose: This study was an investigation of current literature on industrial psychologists as counsellors, with a focus on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as a framework to deliver brief work-based counselling. The aim was to offer a practical model of counselling, derived from the literature, for industrial psychologists to perform work-based counselling. Motivation for the study: There is a paucity of literature pertaining to evidence-based guidelines that industrial psychologists can follow to provide counselling. This study attempts to expand industrial psychologists’ counselling skill set by proposing an ACT intervention that can be applied as a brief counselling process in the workplace. Research approach/design and method: A systematic literature review of three separate literature streams yielded 1297 publications. After further analysis, 25 publications that met the criteria for relevance and quality were considered to create a model for workplace counselling. Main findings: Attention to the role of industrial psychologists as counsellors dwindled after the 1960s but has recently been given renewed attention by South African scholars. The literature review of experimental ACT designs revealed evidence-based guidelines that were combined to create the ACT for Work Well-being Model. Practical/managerial implications: The ACT for Work Well-being Model is a brief counselling protocol to offer systematic steps that industrial psychologists can implement during brief work-based counselling to address anxiety and depressive symptoms. Contribution/value-add: The proposed model is designed to stimulate further empirical validation and ensure evidence-based practice.

Finding Opportunity in Adversity

I remember the early days of 2020, which feels like a lifetime ago, first hearing the name that would turn our world upside down: COVID-19. None of us could have imagined that we'd still be battling the pandemic two years later, let alone predict the ways it would change nearly every aspect of business and our daily lives. From supply chain disruptions to homeschooling, remote working to normalizing mental health discussions, our world has changed and there's no going back. That's not necessarily a bad thing. As the last two years demonstrate, we can't predict what comes next, but our pandemic-honed agility will serve us well.

Addressing Burnout among the Frontline Healthcare Workforce during COVID-19: A Scoping Review & Expert Interviews

Purpose: To identify the strategies and interventions U.S. health systems implemented to reduce burnout and increase employee well-being during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A concurrent design included a scoping review of published literature on burnout interventions implemented for healthcare workers during COVID-19 and expert interviews with healthcare administrators involved in COVID-19 burnout response efforts (N = 5). Scoping review protocols included a-priori inclusion criteria, search terms, database selection, and data ion (N = 21 articles). Results: The scoping review identified eight types of interventions;spanning individual, organizational, and community systems. Qualitative data supported scoping review findings and uncovered themes related to communication, role shifting, and wellness initiatives as forms of burnout prevention and reduction. Conclusion: As COVID-19 continues, so too will worker stress, burden, and burnout. Health systems worked quickly and creatively to address the needs of the frontline healthcare workforce, yet more work is needed to sustain efforts over time.

Thoughts of suicide or self-harm among Australian healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and predictors of (a) thoughts of suicide or self-harm among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and (b) help-seeking among those healthcare workers with thoughts of suicide or self-harm. METHOD: Analysis of data from the Australian COVID-19 Frontline Healthcare Workers Study, an online survey of healthcare workers conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Outcomes of interest were thoughts of suicide or self-harm as measured through the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression and help-seeking behaviours. RESULTS: Overall, 819 (10.5%) of 7795 healthcare workers reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm over a 2-week period. Healthcare workers with these thoughts experienced higher rates of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and burnout than their peers. In multivariable models, the odds of suicide or self-harm thoughts were higher among workers who had friends or family infected with COVID-19 (odds ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = [1.06, 1.47]), were living alone (odds ratio = 1.32, 95% confidence interval = [1.06, 1.64]), younger (⩽30 years cf. >50 years; odds ratio = 1.70, 95% confidence interval = 1.36-2.13), male (odds ratio = 1.81, 95% confidence interval = [1.49, 2.20]), had increased alcohol use (odds ratio = 1.58, 95% confidence interval = [1.35, 1.86]), poor physical health (odds ratio = 1.62, 95% confidence interval = [1.36, 1.92]), increased income worries (odds ratio = 1.81, 95% confidence interval = [1.54, 2.12]) or prior mental illness (odds ratio = 3.27, 95% confidence interval = [2.80, 3.82]). Having dependent children was protective (odds ratio = 0.75, 95% confidence interval = [0.61, 0.92]). Fewer than half (388/819) of the healthcare workers who reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm sought professional support. Healthcare workers with thoughts of suicide or self-harm were more likely to seek support if they were younger (⩽30 years cf. >50 years; odds ratio = 1.78, 95% confidence interval = [1.13, 2.82]) or had prior mental health concerns (odds ratio = 4.47, 95% confidence interval = [3.25, 6.14]). CONCLUSION: One in 10 Australian healthcare workers reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm during the pandemic, with certain groups being more vulnerable. Most healthcare workers with thoughts of suicide or self-harm did not seek professional help. Strong and sustained action to protect the safety of healthcare workers, and provide meaningful support, is urgently needed.

Benefits of a basic income for employees experiencing a mental health condition

[...]a basic income may have implications for alternative work arrangements and return-to-work practices such as extended unpaid leave and gradual return to work. [...]a basic income may help attenuate the risk associated with disclosing a mental health condition. [...]in many medical systems around the world, a general practitioner referral is frequently a requirement to see a mental health specialist. [...]the provision of a basic income may support employees in using available planned absence and gradual return-to-work policies by attenuating stress that is related to wage loss as well as avoiding compounding a reduction in working hours with financial barriers to seeking and maintaining treatment.

Social Media Use for Health Purposes: Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Social media has been widely used for health-related purposes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous reviews have summarized social media uses for a specific health purpose such as health interventions, health campaigns, medical education, and disease outbreak surveillance. The most recent comprehensive review of social media uses for health purposes, however, was conducted in 2013. A systematic review that covers various health purposes is needed to reveal the new usages and research gaps that emerge in recent years. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide a systematic review of social media uses for health purposes that have been identified in previous studies. METHODS: The researchers searched for peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2006 and 2020 in 12 databases covering medicine, public health, and social science. After coding the articles in terms of publication year, journal area, country, method, social media platform, and social media use for health purposes, the researchers provided a review of social media use for health purposes identified in these articles. RESULTS: This study summarized 10 social media uses for various health purposes by health institutions, health researchers and practitioners, and the public. CONCLUSIONS: Social media can be used for various health purposes. Several new usages have emerged since 2013 including advancing health research and practice, social mobilization, and facilitating offline health-related services and events. Research gaps exist regarding advancing strategic use of social media based on audience segmentation, evaluating the impact of social media in health interventions, understanding the impact of health identity development, and addressing privacy concerns.

Telemental Health Use and Refugee Mental Health Providers Following COVID-19 Pandemic.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has increased stress, fear, and anxiety for many people. At the same time, social isolation restrictions have disrupted most in-person mental health services. Many mental health providers are adapting to the crisis by utilizing telemental health. However, the literature is scant about how to most effectively utilize telemental health practices with refugee clients, many of whom do not speak English and require an interpreter, may have limited technological proficiency or access, and/or have additional case management needs and coordination as part of their treatment plan. The purpose of this study is to understand how mental health clinicians and case workers at a refugee-serving mental health clinic are successfully shifting their face-to-face practice to telemental health, the obstacles they encounter, and what resources they have found to be helpful. Two main themes emerged from the data: (1) refugee mental health providers display initiative and flexibility in their adaptation to telemental health and (2) providers reported numerous obstacles to effective telemental health, including client barriers, tech barriers, communication issues, and the challenge of reading nonverbal cues virtually. By better understanding telemental health when working with refugees, clinical social workers will be more effective in meeting the needs of a population with significant mental health needs and limited mental healthcare access.