TURKISH DIALYSIS HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' PSYCHOLOGICAL RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Objective: COVID-19 has been a stressful experience for healthcare providers (HCPs) and created additional distress for dialysis HCPs due to patients' higher risk of infection, symptom severity, and death. This study aims to investigate Turkish dialysis HCPs' levels of psychological difficulties during COVID-19's initial outbreak. Materials and Methods: The study has recruited physicians, nurses, and healthcare workers in dialysis centers. The participants completed an online survey that includes the screening questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The study conducts the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H test, Spearman correlation, and linear regression analyses. Results: The study involves 953 respondents, with nurses making up the majority (n=465, 48.8%), followed by healthcare workers (n=402;42.2%) and physicians (n=86;9%). HCPs' most significant concerns were getting infected with COVID-19 and transmitting the disease to their loved ones. Single participants, those without children, those who had trouble finding equipment, and those worried about being able to find equipment in the future, being in contact with COVID-19 (+) people, those whose tobacco and alcohol use increased, and those who declared sleep, appetite, and/or somatic problems had higher DASS-21 scores. When compared respectively to healthcare workers and physicians, nurses were found to be more worried about getting COVID-19 (94.6% compared to 90.6% and 84.7%;p < 0.001), experience equipment shortages (52.9% compared to 29.4% and 26.3%;p<0.001), have sleep (62.2% compared to 43.5% and 34%;p<0.001) and somatic problems (58.4% compared to 50% and 28.2%;p<0.001), and higher DASS-21 scores (Range=5-21 compared to 3-15 and 0-12;p<0.001). Conclusion: Worries and lifestyle changes associated with the outbreak are seen to have been be related to psychological difficulties. An adequate level of knowledge, self-protection, and social support are essential issues for HCPs. While this study recommends that HCPs express and share their worries, institutions should also focus on the psychological status of their staff and provide immediate interventions. © 2023 The authors.

Psychological symptoms associated with self-reported events of COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis: a large community-based survey among adults in Quebec, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: Psychological consequences of COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis are being increasingly reported. Few studies have examined the psychological effects tied to these events, using an unaffected comparison group. Most did not consider confounding factors like fear and stigma. This study aims to (1) identify individual characteristics associated with COVID-19 contact/symptoms or diagnosis and (2) examine the independent association between COVID-19 contact/symptoms or diagnosis and psychological symptoms. METHODS: From September 2020 to February 2021, 20,327 adults participated in community-based surveys in Quebec. Using repeated cross-sectional online questionnaire, data were collected on probable generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depression episode (MDE), using the GAD-7 and the PHQ-9 scales, respectively. Self-reported events of (1) contact with a case or symptoms of COVID-19, and (2) diagnosis of COVID-19 were examined, along with several sociodemographic and pandemic-related factors. RESULTS: COVID-19 contact, symptoms, or diagnosis was more frequent in young adults, healthcare or social services workers, adults living with children, and those reporting a greater sense of threat, stigma, financial losses, or daily stress. COVID-19 contact or symptoms and diagnosis were associated with probable MDE relative to the unaffected group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.12-1.39 and aOR:1.82, 95% CI: 1.48-2.2, respectively). Suicidal thoughts and psychomotor retardation were the symptoms most closely associated with a COVID-19 diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Results from this study stress the need for better understanding, recognition, and support for people suffering from psychological symptoms following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Les conséquences psychologiques d'un contact, de symptômes ou d'un diagnostic de COVID-19 sont de plus en plus signalées. Peu d'études ont examiné les effets psychologiques liés à ces évènements en utilisant des groupes non affectés et n'ont pas tenu compte des facteurs de confusion tels que la peur et la stigmatisation. Cette étude vise à 1) identifier les caractéristiques associées au contact/symptômes ou diagnostic de COVID-19 et 2) examiner l'association entre un contact/symptômes ou diagnostic de COVID-19 et les symptômes psychologiques. MéTHODES: Un total de 20 327 adultes ont participé à une enquête transversale populationnelle au Québec entre septembre 2020 et février 2021. À l'aide d'un questionnaire en ligne, des données ont été recueillies sur l'anxiété généralisée probable (GAD-7) et la dépression majeure probable (PHQ-9). Les évènements autodéclarés de 1) contact avec un cas ou de symptômes de COVID-19 et 2) diagnostics de COVID-19 furent examinés, ainsi que plusieurs facteurs sociodémographiques et liés à la pandémie. RéSULTATS: Les contacts, symptômes ou diagnostics de COVID-19 étaient plus fréquents chez les jeunes adultes, les travailleurs de la santé, les adultes vivant avec des enfants, et ceux rapportant plus de stigmatisation, pertes financières, stress quotidien ou un plus haut niveau de menace perçue. Des contacts ou symptômes de COVID-19 et un diagnostic de COVID-19 étaient associés à de la dépression majeure probable comparativement au groupe non affecté (RCa : 1,25, IC à 95% : 1,12-1,39 et RCa : 1,82, IC à 95% : 1,48-2,2, respectivement). Les pensées suicidaires et le retard psychomoteur étaient aussi plus étroitement associés à un diagnostic de COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Les résultats de cette étude soulignent le besoin d'améliorer nos connaissances et notre soutien pour les personnes souffrant de symptômes psychologiques suite à un diagnostic de COVID-19.

The psychological response and perception of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia: Three-wave repeated cross-sectional study.

In addition to COVID-19 being a health threat, its longevity and restrictions act as significant stressors and risk for mental health. In the current study, we take a look at how psychological response, both its positive aspects, for example, mental well-being and life satisfaction, and its negative aspects, for example, anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety, have changed as the pandemic has continued (first three waves in Slovenia). Additionally, we are interested in whether the psychological response is associated with the perception of stress level in waves 2 and 3 as less, equally or more stressful when compared to the stress level in wave 1 and what shapes these perceptions. An online questionnaire battery (COVID-19 stress level comparison, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale; LAOM Anxiety Scale; Global Life Satisfaction scale; COVID-19 anxiety), with ANOVA and qualitative analysis of the open-ended question on reasons for perceiving wave 2 and wave 3 as more stressful when compared to wave 1, was used on a Slovene convenience adult sample (wave 1: N = 364, 83.5% female; wave 2: N = 987, 85.5% female; wave 3: N = 467, 78.5% female). The findings show (a) a significant increase in COVID-19 anxiety from wave 1 to wave 3, with a peak in wave 2, and a significant decrease in mental well-being from wave 1 to wave 3; (b) the level of anxiety, mental well-being, and life satisfaction differs significantly between individuals who perceive wave 2 and 3 as more stressful compared to individuals who perceive wave 2 and wave 3 as equally or less stressful when compared to wave 1; (c) reasons for perceiving the succeeding waves of the pandemic as more stressful compared to wave 1 are diverse, with some being reported in both succeeding waves (e.g., negative emotional response to the pandemic, negative perceptions of measures). The findings highlight the important role of stress analysis in identifying the support mechanisms for dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 5-factor model of psychological response to COVID-19: its correlation with anxiety and depression.

The present study aimed to investigate the psychological response to COVID-19 on a community Egyptian sample and the correlation thereof with anxiety and depression. Further, we aimed to explore the differences in the psychological response and psychopathology in terms of demographics. We developed a COVID-19 Psychological Response Questionnaire (CPRQ). Further, we estimated the factor structure and internal consistency of CPRQ. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was utilized to assess Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) was utilized to assess Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The sample comprised 7015 participants whose ages ranged between 18 and 70 years. The present study results yielded a 5-factor model of psychological response to COVID-19 (the factors are Anxiousness, Social Support, Avoiding/Cleaning, Depressivity, and Medical Concern). In terms of reliability, the internal consistency of the above factors was acceptable except for Depressivity. There were significant positive correlations between two factors (Anxiousness and Depressivity) and both MDD and GAD. In terms of demographic characteristics, females had the highest values on Anxiousness, Avoiding/Cleaning, Depressivity, MDD, and GAD. Generally, the 5-factor model reflects the psychological response to COVID-19 during the period of the outbreak. Further, this model reflects several concepts regarding models and theories of health-related behaviors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01701-y.

Differential psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic in psychiatric inpatients compared to a non-clinical population from Germany.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an inherently stressful situation, which may lead to adverse psychosocial outcomes in various populations. Yet, individuals may not be affected equally by stressors posed by the pandemic and those with pre-existing mental disorders could be particularly vulnerable. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the psychological response to the pandemic in a case-control design. We used an age-, sex- and employment status-matched case-control sample (n = 216) of psychiatric inpatients, recruited from the LMU Psychiatry Biobank Munich study and non-clinical individuals from the general population. Participants completed validated self-report measures on stress, anxiety, depression, paranoia, rumination, loneliness, well-being, resilience, and a newly developed index of stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the effects of group, COVID-19-specific stressors, and their interaction on the different psychosocial outcomes. While psychiatric inpatients reported larger mental health difficulties overall, the impact of COVID-19-specific stressors was lower in patients and not associated with worse psychological functioning compared to non-clinical individuals. In contrast, depressive symptoms, rumination, loneliness, and well-being were more strongly associated with COVID-19-specific stressors in non-clinical individuals and similar to the severity of inpatients for those who experienced the greatest COVID-19-specific stressor impact Contrary to expectations, the psychological response to the pandemic may not be worse in psychiatric inpatients compared to non-clinical individuals. Yet, individuals from the general population, who were hit hardest by the pandemic, should be monitored and may be in need of mental health prevention and treatment efforts.

Factors Influencing Anxiety Among WeChat Users During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mainland China: Cross-sectional Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 around the world has adversely affected the mental health of the public. The prevalence of anxiety among the public has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are few studies evaluating the effects of positive psychological responses and information-seeking behaviors on anxiety experienced among social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the prevalence of anxiety and its associated factors among WeChat users in mainland China during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: From February 10 to February 24, 2020, a nationwide, web-based cross-sectional survey study was carried out using convenience sampling. Participants' levels of anxiety, positive psychological responses, and information-seeking behaviors were assessed. The survey was distributed among WeChat users via the WeChat smartphone platform. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with anxiety. RESULTS: This study found that the prevalence of anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item [GAD-7] scale score ≥7) among WeChat users in China was 17.96% (446/2483) during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that information-seeking behaviors such as cannot stop searching for information on COVID-19, being concerned about the COVID-19 pandemic, and spending more than 1 hour per day consuming information about the pandemic were found to be associated with increased levels of anxiety. Additionally, participants who chose social media and commercial media as the primary sources to obtain information about the COVID-19 pandemic were found more likely to report anxiety. Conversely, participants who were confident or rational about the COVID-19 pandemic were less likely to report anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that positive psychological responses and information-seeking behaviors were closely associated with anxiety among WeChat users during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. It might be paramount to enhance mental well-being by helping people respond to the COVID-19 pandemic more rationally and positively in order to decrease symptoms of anxiety.

The Psychological Responses of Nurses Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Q Methodological Approach.

Anxiety among nurses attending patients at the forefront of the global coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic is on the rise. Accordingly, examining the psychological response of nurses who have attended COVID-19 patients is necessary. This study aimed to categorize and characterize the psychological responses of nurses who have experienced COVID-19 patient care based on the Q methodology. The Q-sample extracted 34 statements, and the P-sample marked 22 nurses who had operated a screening clinic and experienced patient care in the local base hospitals treating COVID-19 using convenience sampling. The findings suggest that nurses who have experienced COVID-19 patient care fall into three categories based on the following psychological responses: (1) fear of social stigma, (2) anxiety about the risk of infection, and (3) burden of infection prevention and control nursing. Therefore, it is expected that the results of this study may serve as the basis for emotional support programs that are capable of understanding and mediating the psychological state of nurses who care for patients with COVID-19.

The mental health of Chinese healthcare staff in non-epicenter of COVID-19: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 is a public health issue all over the world. It is an unprecedented challenge for society. Frontline medical staff are at high risk of mental health problems due to the overwhelming workload, worry of infection, and inadequate protective instruments. The study is to investigate the psychological status of medical staff in a women and children's hospital in non-epicenter of COVID-19 during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A total of 2,143 hospital medical staff participated in a cross-sectional online survey. Psychological response levels were assessed using the Psychological Questionnaire on Emergency Events in Public Health (PQEEPH), and mental health status was measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale. RESULTS: Eligible responses were received from 1,890 (90.6%) women and 197 (9.4%) men. In total, 10.3% of respondents rated the psychological impact of the outbreak as moderate or severe, and 4% reported severe anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that the majority of the medical staff are in great level of mental health. The study demonstrates that females, the 31-40 age group, and those who have been widowed experienced greater levels of anxiety and therefore require more support. Furthermore, the cognition of medical workers might affect their emotional reactions. Measures to decrease anxiety during emergency outbreaks should therefore include communication strategies.

Knowledge, attitude, practice and psychological response toward COVID-19 among nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Ethiopia, 2020.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is not only a deadly disease outbreak but also affects the mental status of the population, including nurses. Nurses play a vital role in dealing with individuals with COVID-19. Nurses' infection control measures are affected by their knowledge, attitude, practice and psychological responses towards COVID-19. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude, practice and psychological response among nurses toward the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Ethiopia. A hospital-based cross-sectional study design was employed. The data were collected from March to April 2020. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The data were entered into Epi-data manager version 4.2 and exported to SPSS v.23 for analysis. Descriptive analysis was reported to describe the demographic, mean knowledge, attitude practice and psychological response score of nurses. A total of 415 nurses participated in this study, resulting in a 100% response rate. Of the participants, 241 (58.1%) were female. Of the 415 nurses, 307 (74%), 278 (67%), 299 (72%) and 354 (85.3%) had good knowledge, good infection prevention practice, a favourable attitude and disturbed psychological response towards COVID-19, respectively.

Emotional Responses and Self-Protective Behavior Within Days of the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Promoting Role of Information Credibility.

Due to changes in the information environment since the last global epidemic, high WHO officials have spoken about the need to fight not only the current COVID-19 pandemic but also the related infodemic. We thus explored how people search for information, how they perceive its credibility, and how all this relates to their engagement in self-protective behaviors in the crucial period right after the onset of COVID-19 epidemic. The online questionnaire was circulated within 48 h after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Slovenia. We gathered information on participants' demographics, perception of the situation, their emotional and behavioral responses to the situation (i.e., self-protective behavior), perceived subjective knowledge, perceived credibility of different sources of information, and their level of trust. We looked into the relationships between perceived credibility and trust, and self-protective behavior of 1,718 participants and found that mass media, social media, and officials received relatively low levels of trust. Conversely, medical professionals and scientists were deemed the most credible. The perceived credibility of received information was linked not only with lower levels of negative emotional responses but also with higher adherence to much needed self-protective measures, which aim to contain the spread of the disease. While results might vary between societies with different levels of trust in relevant governmental and professional institutions, and while variances in self-protective behavior scores explained by our model are modest, even a small increase in self-protective behavior could go a long way in viral epidemics like the one we are facing today.

Psychological Impact of Quarantine on Caregivers at a Children's Hospital for Contact with Case of COVID-19.

Quarantine often provokes negative psychological consequences. Thus, we aimed to identify the psychological and behavioral responses and stressors of caregivers quarantined with young patients after a close contact to a coronavirus disease 2019 case at a children's hospital. More than 90% of the caregivers reported feelings of worry and nervousness, while some of them reported suicidal ideations (4.2%), and/or homicidal ideations (1.4%). Fear of infection of the patient (91.7%) and/or oneself (86.1%) were most frequently reported stressors. A multidisciplinary team including infection control team, pediatrician, psychiatrist, nursing staff and legal department provided supplies and services to reduce caregiver's psychological distress. Psychotropic medication was needed in five (6.9%), one of whom was admitted to the psychiatry department due to suicidality. Quarantine at a children's hospital makes notable psychological impacts on the caregivers and a multidisciplinary approach is required.