Assessment of Psychological Needs in an Egyptian Sample of Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: The current study aims to identify the psychosocial needs of frontline Healthcare Workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate the factors contributing to their psychosocial well-being. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online survey designed specifically for the aim of this study. Data was collected from 315 frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Up to 90 % of the responders reported a range of symptoms related to psychological distress such as worry, insomnia, lack of motivation, negative thoughts, inability to achieve goals, and burnout. Psychological support, religion-based support, communicating with family, and good sleep are among the stress-relieving factors most mentioned by HCWs. The change in work conditions and increased awareness of the need to use different strategies to overcome stress was associated with decreased levels of perceived stress among health care providers. Conclusion: The change in work conditions, the increased awareness of HCWs to their needs, and the use of different strategies to overcome were associated with decreased levels of perceived stress among HCWs. The increased number of working hours per day and younger age of the participants were the only significant independent variables detecting the need for psychological support. This research is a call for designing and implementing tailored needs-based interventions that address the different aspects of HCWs' well-being during public health emergencies. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Arab Journal of Psychiatry is the property of Arab Federation of Psychiatrists 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.)

Fear and anxiety in professionals about COVID-19: Brazilian versions of measures / Medo e ansiedade de profissionais frente à COVID-19: versões brasileiras de medidas

The objective of this study was to adapt and verify the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, from the data collection conducted with professionals who work directly in the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil. A total of 232 professionals participated (Mage = 32.9; SD = 7.6), most of them female (68.1%), who answered the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale instruments and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The adaptation process allowed identifying the content validity of the Brazilian versions and exploratory factorial analyses, followed by correlation studies showing evidence of internal structure validity and in relation to other (convergent) Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale variables, which presented equally satisfactory reliability rates. Thus, the Brazilian versions of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Coronavirus Anxiety Scale scales were made available with satisfactory psychometric qualities for use in the research and assessment of psychological aspects of health professionals.

Objetivou-se adaptar e verificar as propriedades psicométricas das escalas Fear of COVID-19 Scale e Coronavirus Anxiety Scale a partir da coleta de dados realizada com profissionais que atuam diretamente no combate à COVID-19 no Brasil. Participaram do estudo 232 profissionais (Midade = 32,9 anos; DP = 7,6), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (68,1%), que responderam aos instrumentos Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale e um questionário sociodemográfico. O processo de adaptação permitiu identificar a validade de conteúdo das versões brasileiras e análises fatoriais exploratórias, seguidas de estudos de correlação que atestaram evidências de validade de estrutura interna e em relação com outras variáveis (convergente) da Fear of COVID-19 Scale e da Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, as quais apresentaram índices de confiabilidade igualmente satisfatórios. Dessa forma, foram disponibilizadas versões brasileiras das escalas Fear of COVID-19 Scale e Coronavirus Anxiety Scale com qualidades psicométricas satisfatórias para o uso em pesquisas e avaliação de aspectos psicológicos de profissionais de saúde.

Validation of the Spanish Version of the Trauma and Loss Spectrum Self-Report (TALS-SR): A Study on Healthcare Workers Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The present study aimed at reporting about the validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Trauma and Loss Spectrum-Self Report (TALS-SR), an instrument based on a multidimensional approach to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD), including a range of threatening or traumatic experiences and significant losses, besides the spectrum of peri-traumatic stress reactions and post-traumatic stress symptoms that may occur. Methods: A sample of 87 Health Care Workers (HCWs) employed in the COVID-19 Emergency Department at the Virgen de la Arrixaca and Reina Sofia Hospitals (Murcia, Spain) during the pandemic, was consecutively recruited and fulfilled the TALS-SR. Assessments also included the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), to examine post-traumatic stress symptoms and probable PTSD. Nineteen HCWs fulfilled the TALS-SR again after three weeks from baseline for test-retest reliability. Results: This study provides evidence of good internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Spanish version of the TALS-SR. Strong support for the internal validity structure was obtained, with positive and significant correlations between the five symptomatologic domains and the symptomatologic total score. Significant and good correlations between the TALS-SR symptomatologic domains and the IES-R total and single domains' scores were found. The Questionnaire also demonstrated to discriminate between subjects with and without PTSD, with subjects with PTSD showing significantly higher mean scores in each domain of the TALS-SR. Conclusion: This study validates the Spanish version of TALS-SR, providing a useful instrument for a spectrum approach to PTSD and confirms the potential utility of this psychometric tool in both clinical practice and research settings.

Identifying parent anxiety and family distress of critically ill children in response to changes in hospital visitation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic

This research study describes parent anxiety and family distress among three study groups of varying restrictions in parent presence for children in the PICU during a pandemic. A retrospective study was conducted to describe differences in parent anxiety and family distress for parents of children hospitalized before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants fell into three study groups based on the dates of the child's hospital stay and the level of parent and family presence or restriction they experienced. Participants were asked to complete a survey that included basic demographic information along with utilization of the GAD-7 and FDI measures. The data were assessed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. A total of 82 parents of children hospitalized during the specified times in the PICU participated. There was a statistically significant difference among the three cohorts in diagnoses (respiratory, cardiovascular, and medical-surgical), p ≤0.001. A larger percentage of children of the study participants were hospitalized with respiratory illnesses (62.5%) in the unrestricted study group when compared to the other study groups with higher patient acuity. There was also a statistical significance among the three study groups regarding whether the second parent was able to visit the child during the PICU admission (p = 0.007). Our study suggests that restricting parent and visitor presence does not increase parent anxiety or family distress during a child's admission to the PICU. The literature widely supports that having a critically ill child is undoubtedly stressful for parents and families, but the most significant causation for the anxiety and stress remains unknown and is likely multifactorial. Parents who experienced rigid restrictions in parent and visitor presence did not have increased anxiety. Other impactful variables such as a child's mortality risk and the uncertainty of outcome may have impacted anxiety for parents whose children were critically ill. Further research is needed to understand which stressors are most significant, during a critically ill child's hospitalization, from a parent's perspective. Limiting staff and patient exposure to persons who may have contagious illness (restricting parent and family presence) may not in itself lead to increased anxiety and distress for parents and families. This study may provide context for careful development of hospital visitation policies to ensure balance between patient and family centered care and protection from infectious disease. • A child's admission to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is one of the most stressful and anxiety-provoking situations for parents. • Restricting parent presence interrupts the social and emotional relationship and offers less time for bonding.. • Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) forced hospitals to make abrupt changes to existing visitation policies. • This research provides context for support of careful development and implementation of hospital visitation policies.

Effect of loneliness and sociodemographic, health, COVID-19 pandemic-related factors on depression among older adults

The present study aimed to identify the presence of depression in older adults and the affecting factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted online with 1320 deliberately recruited older adults in Turkey between February and May 2021. The variables were depression, loneliness, fear of COVID-19, and other sociodemographic health variables. In the study, we used the Geriatric Depression Scale, Loneliness Scale, and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and RLa form including items inquiring information about sociodemographic and COVID-19 related characteristics and health conditions of the participants. In this study, we detected probable-definite depression in 73.8% of the participants. According to the results of multiple logistic regression analysis, we concluded that social and emotional loneliness, increased fear of COVID-19, perceived insufficient income, presence of chronic disease, managing activities of daily living only with assistance, irregular sleep and diet patterns, future anxiety, alcohol use, perception of mental health being negatively affected by the pandemic, and living in regions outside the Mediterranean Region affected the state of probable-definite depression in the participants. Depression was high in older adults during the pandemic. Psychosocial and health promotion interventions for depression risk factors determined from multivariate regression analysis, may enable older adults, who have become more vulnerable due to the restriction measures applied during the COVID-19 pandemic, to be less affected by this period.

Effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting program for children with behavioral problems: An experience in a developing country during a pandemic

• A parenting program established in a developed country could be transferred to a developing country with minimal adaptation, despite minimum resources and engagement barriers. • With some modifications, it is still feasible to deliver a group-based parenting program during a pandemic period. • A modified version of School Age BASIC Incredible Years parenting program was effective in improving both children and parental outcomes among children with clinical levels of behavioral problems. Although parenting programs have been supported as an effective family-based intervention for children's behavioral problems, they are underutilized in developing countries. This randomized controlled study aims to determine the effectiveness of the Incredible Years parenting program (IYPP) in improving behavioral problems in children, parenting stress, and parental mental health. Seventy mother–child dyads from three tertiary hospitals in Malaysia were divided into the IYPP and waitlist control groups. Weekly parent training sessions were adjusted during the pandemic period. Child's total difficulty scores of the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ-TDS), Parental Stress Scale (PSS) scores, and parental DASS-21 scores were measured at pre- and post-intervention, and follow-up, and analyzed using generalized estimating equation (GEE). Compared to the control group at baseline, the intervention group showed a 4.2- and a 3.5-point significantly lower SDQ-TDS at 2 weeks post-intervention and 3 months follow-up, respectively (B = -4.20, 95 % CI: −6.68, −1.72, p = 0.001;B = -3.51, 95 % CI:-6.37, −0.66, p = 0.016), a 5.0-point significantly lower PSS at 3 months follow-up (B = -5.03, 95 % CI: −9.16, −0.90, p = 0.017), and a 4.1-point significantly lower general stress scores at 2 weeks post-intervention (B = -4.06, 95 % CI: −7.20, −0.92, p = 0.011). Effect sizes were small (d s = 0.28–0.40). There was no significant intervention effect on maternal anxiety and depression scores. The modified parenting program was effective in improving children's behavior, parenting stress, and general stress among mothers of children aged 6–12 years presented with borderline and abnormal levels of behavioral problems, with sustained effects demonstrated for child behavior. However, the interpretation of these findings requires careful consideration of potential pandemic-instigated challenges and implications. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Children & Youth Services Review is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science 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.)

Psychometric Properties of the Spontaneity Assessment Inventory-Revised (SAI-R): The 3-Factor Hypothesis.

Spontaneity and its connections to mental health and wellbeing are a central issue in both theory and practice of psychodrama, and the specialized literature sometimes even associates the presence of pathology to a lack of spontaneity. This paper describes spontaneity in Moreno's theory, its assessment, its association with other measures and concepts, and scientific advances in the field. Specifically, we present results obtained with the English and Portuguese-language versions concerning its assessment. The main purpose of this work was to study the spontaneity measure (SAI-R) in a 3 first-order factors version for a Portuguese sample of 439 subjects, divided into two independent samples. The mean age of participants was 25.6 years (SD = 10.2), and ages ranged between 18 and 64 years. Data was collected through an online platform of a Portuguese market research company. The results revealed that the 3-factor model has acceptable validity for items 1 ("Creative") and 7 ("Euphoric"), confirming the composite reliability, the convergent validity, but not the discriminant validity. Through multi-group analysis, the model proved to be stable. Notwithstanding the need for complementary studies, including clinical samples, the SAI-R is a short and valid instrument in clinical and non-clinical contexts when evaluating spontaneity.

Burnout and optimism among health workers during the period of COVID-19

Aim: The investigation of the level of burnout and optimism as well as the effect of socio-demographic and other factors on the above two variables among health workers during the period of covid-19. Methods: The following two psychometric tools were used to collect the research data: the Maslach Burnout Inventory to assess burnout and the Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) to assess the level of optimism. Results: In the present study 10 men (24.4%) and 31 women (75.6%) participated. The majority of them were between 36-45 years (36.6%), married and unmarried (48.8% and 48.8% respectively), holding bachelor degree (61.0%) and with 11-25 years of work experience (53.7%). Very high levels of exhaustion and especially emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were observed with also a high degree of personal achievement. The levels of optimism were high. There were statistically significant differences between the two genders in terms of burnout (only the dimension of emotional exhaustion) with women showing higher rates. Employees aged 25-35 years and those who had 1-10 years of work seemed to have higher levels of emotional exhaustion (all differences were considered statistically significant for p<0.05). Finally, a statistically significant correlation took place between burnout and optimism (p<0.05). Conclusions: The level of burnout among health workers seems to be high during the period of covid-19. In addition, various socio-demographic and occupational factors appear to influence burnout. © 2022 Theofilou et al.

État des connaissances - Pratiques visant à mesurer ou réduire les symptômes psychologiques des personnes qui présentent une affection post-COVID-19

Objectives:The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, where the infection can be asymptomatic or result in coronavirus 2 disease (COVID-19), was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. The prolonged pandemic and health measures aimed at reducing its spread are having different economic, social, health and psychological consequences for the entire population. Beyond the general population, those infected with the virus are more likely to experience a range of effects on their physical and psychological health. The Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS) therefore asked the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) to produce a state-of knowledge report on screening tools for psychological symptoms, the best nonpharmacological practices for reducing such symptoms, and the practices to be avoided in individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition. Conclusions:RESULTS: With regards to tools for screening and monitoring psychological symptoms, no scientific studies were found that present validated tools for individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition or, more broadly, for individuals in the acute phase of COVID-19. However, five clinical practice guidelines on post-COVID-19 conditions present various tools which could be relevant with such clientele, including tools commonly used to screen for anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress. There is also a consensus among the experts consulted to the effect that psychological symptoms should be screened and monitored in individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition, the same way as physical and cognitive symptoms. However, these experts are faced with the absence of specific screening and monitoring tools for psychological symptoms in this particular patient population and the lack of psychosocial professionals with the necessary skills to manage them. No scientific studies on nonpharmacological practices for reducing psychological symptoms in individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition were found. However, six scientific studies on the effectiveness of practices to reduce psychological symptoms of individuals in the acute phase of COVID-19 were considered. Among these studies, eleven nonpharmacological practices aiming to reduce psychological symptoms of individuals in the acute phase of COVID-19 were evaluated. When described, these practices are based mainly on 1) the cognitive-behavioural approach, 2) relaxation/meditation activities, and 3) individual psychological care. These practices can be self-administered or carried out by different professionals (a physician, nurse or psychologist). They are generally provided over a brief period of time, and the sessions are short. In general, the use of practices aimed at reducing anxiety symptoms or depressive symptoms seems to be effective for individuals in the acute phase of the infection. However, with the current state of scientific knowledge, we are unable to rule on the effectiveness of practices for reducing posttraumatic stress symptoms in individuals in the acute phase of infection. Moreover, three clinical practice guidelines recommend providing psychological support, as needed, at all stages of the follow-up for post-COVID-19 conditions. The clinical practice guidelines also recommend that psychological services for symptoms of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress be provided to individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition and moderate to severe psychological symptoms. No publication has reported practices to avoid in the management of psychological symptoms in persons with a postCOVID-19 condition. CONCLUSION: With the current absence of scientific studies specific to individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition, the findings of this report are based on the literature more broadly concerning people infected with COVID-19 to identify screening and monitoring tools for psychological symptoms and nonpharmacological practices for reducing them. Therefore, the work done in this state-of-knowledge report does not allow to rule on the generalizability of the findings to individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition. It should also be noted that little information on the management of psychological symptoms is currently presented in the clinical practice guidelines on post-COVID-19 conditions. As well, the analysis of the perspectives shared by psychosocial and medical experts during consultations makes it possible to document issues relating to the management of psychological symptoms in individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition. However, these consultations do not allow to claim the saturation of the perspectives. Despite certain limitations, this state-of-knowledge reports is a source of information for health and social services network personnel about the screening and monitoring tools and nonpharmacological practices currently in use, and about the issues encountered by stakeholders. Unfortunately, the knowledge from the literature and the consultations is limited, which makes it difficult to recommend tools and practices for managing psychological symptoms associated with post-COVID-19 conditions. Beyond the scientific monitoring for new publications on the subject, further work is needed to determine whether certain tools and practices for individuals with common mental disorders or chronic illnesses could be adapted and used to meet the needs of those with a post-COVID-19 condition. Methods:A synthesis of the available scientific and experiential knowledge was conducted through 1) a literature review (scientific articles and clinical practice guidelines) and 2) consultations with nine medical and psychosocial experts involved with individuals with a post-COVID-19 condition.

Keep your eye on…

Sleep, activity and mental health during COVID‐19The importance of the new 'gentle parenting' movementA tool to measure emotional outbursts in children [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 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.)

The development and application of a triage system for urolithiasis during COVID-19.

PURPOSE: To balance epidemic prevention with the therapeutic needs of patients with urolithiasis during the COVID-19 pandemic, we developed a triage system to guide medical staff in making priority decisions. METHODS: The study began with a review of the literature to propose a theoretical framework. Then, focus groups were assembled to develop, supplement, refine and form a consensus on the indications of the triage system. Finally, the system was implemented in the clinic. The validity and reliability of the system were tested by a content validity index and the interrater reliability kappa coefficient. Changes in patient characteristics and waiting time before and after the epidemic were compared. RESULTS: The theoretical framework was based on disease pathophysiology, including obstruction, infection, kidney dysfunction, and other symptoms. With this guide, a 28-item triage system with categories of T1-5 (low priority to urgent) was developed. The content validity index and the interrater reliability coefficient were 0.833 and 0.812, respectively. During clinical application, although the total number of patients remained steady, the proportion of T1 decreased significantly; even though the overall waiting time of patients did not change significantly, it increased for T1 and decreased for T2-4 in 2020 compared with 2019 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This triage tool based on the dimensions of obstruction, infection, kidney dysfunction, and other symptoms has good psychometric properties and significant utility for prioritizing patients with urolithiasis during times of crisis. With this system, patients of moderate to high priority were treated promptly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rationale and Design of the National Neuropsychology Network.

OBJECTIVE: The National Neuropsychology Network (NNN) is a multicenter clinical research initiative funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; R01 MH118514) to facilitate neuropsychology's transition to contemporary psychometric assessment methods with resultant improvement in test validation and assessment efficiency. METHOD: The NNN includes four clinical research sites (Emory University; Medical College of Wisconsin; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); University of Florida) and Pearson Clinical Assessment. Pearson Q-interactive (Q-i) is used for data capture for Pearson published tests; web-based data capture tools programmed by UCLA, which serves as the Coordinating Center, are employed for remaining measures. RESULTS: NNN is acquiring item-level data from 500-10,000 patients across 47 widely used Neuropsychology (NP) tests and sharing these data via the NIMH Data Archive. Modern psychometric methods (e.g., item response theory) will specify the constructs measured by different tests and determine their positive/negative predictive power regarding diagnostic outcomes and relationships to other clinical, historical, and demographic factors. The Structured History Protocol for NP (SHiP-NP) helps standardize acquisition of relevant history and self-report data. CONCLUSIONS: NNN is a proof-of-principle collaboration: by addressing logistical challenges, NNN aims to engage other clinics to create a national and ultimately an international network. The mature NNN will provide mechanisms for data aggregation enabling shared analysis and collaborative research. NNN promises ultimately to enable robust diagnostic inferences about neuropsychological test patterns and to promote the validation of novel adaptive assessment strategies that will be more efficient, more precise, and more sensitive to clinical contexts and individual/cultural differences.

Assessment of anxiety and depression among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Thailand during the first wave of the pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Anxiety and depression in hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Thailand during the first wave of the pandemic were investigated. Thai version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was chosen as an instrument for evaluation. Thirty-two voluntary participants completed the questionnaire. Three (9.4%) respondents had abnormal anxiety sub-scale scores while no respondents had abnormal depression sub-scale scores. There was no statistical demographic difference between the anxiety and non-anxiety groups.