Social workers as key informants: Identifying disenfranchised grief in nursing home interdisciplinary teams during COVID-19

The grief and mental health needs of frontline health care personnel became clear in 2020, as COVID-19 ravaged long-term care facilities, causing frequent and unexpected deaths in a short amount of time. By 2022, mortality had decreased, but coronavirus strains remained in adult congregate living, adding to the emotional load on professional caregivers. This study investigated the grief supports and barriers experienced by members of the interdisciplinary team (IDT) who work in nursing homes during the pandemic. A multiple case study using nursing home social workers (NHSWs) as key informants explored the phenomenon of disenfranchised grief in the IDTs. The findings demonstrate that when witnessing and experiencing a pandemic, as well as enduring co-occurring social isolation, survival takes precedence over grief expression. The additional mitigation of bereavement and work overloads during the pandemic presented the phenomena of Trauma-Related Employment Stressors, which include vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue as the primary types of burnout. The personal and professional identities of the team members, as well as their relational bonding, all contribute to social engagement resiliency. Potential solutions and future research should involve nursing home policy changes that address staff shortages, emotional and work overloads, compassionate care, and a grief and trauma-informed organizational model. Prioritizing the increase of social work staffing ratios and the levels of required certification can prepare nursing home social workers to best assist with psychosocial recommendations for grief and mental health support for IDT healthcare workers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Interdisciplinary Bridging Response Teams in the COVID-19 outbreak aid provision in China

This essay provides a brief introduction of a social-worker-led interdisciplinary work model and its operating process which is inspired by the well-known Holistic Model of Spirituality. The Interdisciplinary Bridging Response Team(IBRTs) model was applied to communities, centralized isolation sites, and shelter hospitals in Wuhan. A survey of 316 clients after 53 days of service revealed that the mental and physical health of most clients improved. Moreover, compared to the early days of the pandemic, most clients' social relationships were strengthened. Nevertheless, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF scores show that this service was more effective for uninfected rather than infected people. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (French) Cet essai fournit une breve introduction d'un modele de travail interdisciplinaire dirige par un travailleur social et de son processus de fonctionnement qui s'inspire du celebre modele holistique de spiritualite. Le modele d'equipes interdisciplinaires d'intervention de transition (IBRT) a ete applique aux communautes, aux sites d'isolement centralises et aux hopitaux-abris a Wuhan. Un sondage aupres de 316 client.e.s apres 53 jours de service a revele que la sante mentale et physique de la plupart des client.e.s s'est amelioree. De plus, par rapport aux premiers jours de la pandemie, les relations sociales de la plupart des client.e.s se sont renforcees. Neanmoins, les scores WHOQOL-BREF montrent que ce service etait plus efficace pour les personnes non infectees que pour les personnes infectees. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Spanish) Este ensayo proporciona una breve introduccion de un modelo de trabajo interdisciplinario dirigido por trabajadores sociales y su proceso operativo, inspirado en el conocido Modelo Holistico de Espiritualidad. El modelo de equipos de respuesta puente interdisciplinarios (EIRP) se aplico a comunidades, sitios de aislamiento centralizados y hospitales refugio en Wuhan. Una encuesta de 316 clientes despues de 53 dias de servicio revelo que la salud fisica y mental de la mayoria de los clientes mejoro. Ademas, en comparacion con los primeros dias de la pandemia, se fortalecieron las relaciones sociales de la mayoria de los clientes. No obstante, las puntuaciones del WHOQOL- BREF muestran que este servicio fue mas eficaz para las personas no infectadas que para las infectadas. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

No Community Left Behind: A Call for Action During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 has affected many people worldwide. Beyond the physical symptoms brought on by this virus, it has adversely affected those without the illness through isolation, social distancing, and changes in job and housing security. Clinicians are trying to address the mental health needs of millions of strained Americans with and without COVID-19 and are operating without a systematic strategy. Informed by the authors' experiences during the pandemic, this Open Forum attempts to answer two questions: What are the specific considerations in working with economically compromised Hispanic/Latino and Black/African American populations with mental illness? How can mental health providers and researchers best help?

A case report on a severely ill COVID-19 patient with rapid clearing of chest infiltrates 43 hours after treatment with multiple modalities.

A 44-year-old COVID-19 positive patient was transferred to our hospital with worsening acute hypoxemic respiratory failure. She was admitted to ICU and was started on high flow oxygen. Her CXR showed worsening bilateral infiltrates. In order to prevent her progression from severe to critical disease, we adopted a multiple modality treatment approach, utilizing clinical judgment and most recent publications. She was treated with antibiotics, convalescent plasma, steroids, hydroxychloroquine and self-proning. After 43 hours, her CXR showed rapid clearing of infiltrates and we could discharge her on day three of hospitalization. Previously reported case series on convalescent plasma showed the number of days taken for significant improvement in chest x-ray varied from 4 to 7 days. The rapidity of improvement in this patient is remarkable and could be due to the multiple modality treatment approach.

Mysterious Virus: A Review on Behavior and Treatment Approaches of the Novel Coronavirus, 2019-nCoV.

At the end of the year 2019, the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was spreading in Wuhan, China, and the outbreak process has a high speed. It was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020. Coronaviruses are enveloped and single-stranded RNA that have several families including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The pathogenesis mechanism and disease outcomes of SARS and MERS are now clear to some extent, but little information is available for 2019-nCoV. This newly identified corona virus infection represents flu-like symptoms, but usually the first symptoms are fever and dry cough. There has been no specific treatment against 2019-nCoV up to now, and physicians only apply supportive therapy. In the present article, we made an attempt to review the behavior of the virus around the world, epidemiology, a pathway for influx into the host cells, clinical presentation, as well as the treatments currently in use and future approaches; nitazoxanide may be our dream drug. We hope that this review has a positive impact on public knowledge for helping to deal with the 2019-nCoV and move one step forward toward its treatment in the near future.