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Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant transformation of the SARS-COV-2 virus form, exposure to substantial psychosocial stress, environmental change, and isolation have led to the inference that the overall population's mental health could be affected, resulting in an increase in cases of psychosis. Objective(s): We initiated a systematic review to determine the impact of the SARS-COV-2 virus and its long-term effects-in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases-on people with or without psychosis. We envisioned that this would give us an insight into effective clinical intervention methods for patients with psychosis during and after the pandemic. Method(s): We selected fifteen papers that met our inclusion criteria, i.e., those that considered participants with or without psychiatric illness and exposed to SARS-COV-2 infection, for this review and were retrieved via Google, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsychINFO Database. Key Gap: There is a dearth of research in understanding how COVID-19 affects people with or without a prior personal history of psychosis. Result(s): The systematic review summary provides insight into the state of knowledge. Insights from the systematic review have also been reviewed from the salutogenesis model's perspec-tive. There is moderate evidence of new-onset psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in which some antipsychotics treated the psychotic symptoms of patients while treating for COVID-19. Suggestions and recommendations are made for preventive and promotive public health strategies. Conclusion(s): The Salutogenesis model and Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI) provide another preventive and promotive public health management approach.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Aims: The aim of the present study was to study the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and post-traumatic symptoms in Health-Care Workers (HCWs) of three Health Authorities of Emilia-Romagna, Italy during the COVID pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): An online questionnaire was spread to the staff of the University Hospital of Modena and the Local Health Agencies of Modena and Romagna, including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (IES-R), and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale - Short Version (UWES-9). The scores at DASS-21 and IES-R were used as dependent variables in multivariate logistic regression models. Result(s): A total of 5868 HCWs were reached (response rate of 22.4%), 76.1% of which were women, mostly aged between 45 and 54 years. Rates of positive scores were: 27.9% DASS-21 Depression;28.4% DASS-21 Anxiety;34.7% DASS-21 Stress;21.9% IES-R. At the multivariate logistic regression, the following were statistically significant risk factors for positive scores: female sex, young age, and working at the front line. An increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption and worsening of eating habits were also strongly associated with symptoms. At UWES-9, the three samples reported lower vigor than dedication and absorption, which are at a medium-high level. Conclusion(s): HCWs have experienced high levels of emotional distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Significant improvements are needed not only in terms of organization and distribution of resources, but also in provision of dedicated psycho-social interventions.Copyright © 2023
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Aims: COVID-19 leaves diverse sequalae beyond the acute illness, referred to as 'long COVID'. However, the aetiology, characteristics and risk factors of Long-COVID is still lacking. COVID-19 patients experience various stressful events and suffer emotional distress which causes post-traumatic stress disorders. This study aimed to investigate association between of perceived distress to COVID-19 infection and long COVID. Method(s): Data from 56 patients who visited the psychiatric department of our post-COVID clinic between March and June 2022 were analysed. All patients completed a subjective symptom checklist [32 symptoms in eight categories], selected cognitive function tests [digit span test, trail making test (TMT), and Stroop word colour interference test], and validated neuropsychological scales [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAS and HDS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Impact of event scale-revised (IES-R)]. We classified patients into two groups, 'High distress group'(N = 37) and 'Low distress group (N = 19) through IES-R score (cut-off = 25). The frequency and severity of long COVID-symptoms between the two groups were compared with Mann-whitney and chi-square test. Result(s): The average age of the patients was 53.34 years, and 70.53 days had passed from the SARS-CoV-2 confirmation using RTPCR. 'High distress group' showed higher HAS (284 vs. 455, p = .01), HDS (197 vs. 387, p = .032), and PSQI (238 vs. 428, p = .05) scores and suffered shortness of breath, palpitation, tingling, subjective memory deficit more frequently. Regarding neurocognitive functioning, there was no difference between two groups. Conclusion(s): Managing perceived distress due to COVID-19 could alleviate the long-covid sequalae especially in neuropsychiatric area.
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Introduction: ICU survivors may present symptoms of acute stress disorder(ASD) or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [1], as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Prevalence of PTSD in ARDS affects 20% of survivors but is higher in SARS/ MERS patients [2];risk factors are delirium, ICU sedation, altered memories or ICU amnesia [3]. Method(s): We enrolled patients discharged from our ICU (Pavia-Italy) after admission for acute respiratory failure due to COVID-19. Written consent was collected. Inclusion criteria: age >= 18 years, ICU admission between February 2020 and July 2021 for severe COVID-19, SARSCoV-2 infection confirmed by positive nasal swab/tracheal aspirate, available follow-up visit. Exclusion criteria: refuse to attend the follow up visit, refuse to perform the psychological tests. To assess ASD/ PTSD we used the IES-R: a total mean score >= 33 was the cut-off value for ASD/PTSD;subscale scores for avoidance, intrusion, hyperarousal were calculated. Quantitative and categorical variables are expressed as median [IQR] and number (%). Result(s): Of the 491 patients admitted to ICU, 113 patients were included (males 84(74.3%), age 61.0[52.0-66.0] years, BMI 28.2[25.8- 31.6] kg/m2, SAPS2 31.0[26.0-41.5], ICU stay 17.0[8.0-28.0] days, invasive mechanical ventilation 61(54.0%). They were assessed in median 107.0 [82.0-150.0] days after ICU discharge. 37 patients (32.7%) had ASD/PTSD, higher than the expected 20% in general ARDS population (p < 0.001). Both intrusion 11.0[5.0-17.0] and avoidance 7.0[3.0-13.0] median scores were higher than hyperarousal 5.0[2.0-9.0]. Conclusion(s): ASD/PTSD is frequent after discharge to ICU for severe COVID-19, this prevalence is higher than other ARDS population, maybe for stigma, difficulties with quarantine and isolation. Patients have higher intrusion and avoidance scores, maybe because during the pandemic isolation was unavoidable.
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Background. The Covid-19 pandemic has had considerable public health and socio-economic impact. Infront of this outbreak, fear of the infection risk, anxiety or more generalized psychological disorders such as symptoms of post-traumatic stress among primary health professionals. Objectives. Evaluate the psychological impact of the Covid-19 pandemic after the first French lockdown on primary health professionals in primary care and assess the evolution of their psychological state. Methods. Regional prospective observational study concerning primary care health professionals (general practitioners, community pharmacists, nurses) working in Lower Normandy (departments of Calvados, Manche and Orne) agreeing to participate in the study. Psychological assessment will be realized by the Perceived Stressed Scale, the Post-Traumatic Stress Scores (Impact of Event Scale-Revised), the burnout scores (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and the sense of feeling. personal efficiency (Generalized Self Efficacy Scale) at 1 month, 6 months and 1 year of the first national confinement (03/17/2020). Expected results. This study will assess the Covid-19 outbreak psychological impact in primary care with a longitudinal design. It also provides information likely to lead to the creation of a longer-term longitudinal cohort follow-up of primary care health professionals in Lower Normandy.
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Purpose:The devasting effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have warranted the rapid development of evidence surrounding the physical therapy (PT) management of the disease within inpatient settings. However, the medical community is still working to define the long-term effects of COVID-19, referred to as Postacute Sequalae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), and ways for physical therapists to manage them in outpatient settings. The primary objective of this review was to summarize the available evidence related to the PT management of PASC in outpatient settings. Method(s):A systematic search in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane CENTRAL, Academic Search Complete, and MedLine yielded systematic and scoping reviews and randomized controlled trials, among others. Data extraction was performed independently by 2 reviewers with 8 studies included. Result(s):Only 3 publications were specific to the outpatient setting area, with 5 more studies that focused on outpatient practice as part of a multisetting study, or the postacute setting. Although the limited number and quality of publications creates challenges applying the interventions provided across a population, each were specific to PASC. Conclusion(s):This review supports the need for further research focused on the PT management of patients who are experiencing PASC in outpatient settings.Copyright © Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Section, APTA.
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The present study aimed to generate evidence on the role of core elements of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) such as empathy, resilience, gratitude and hope in mitigating the psychological distress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants (N = 203) were recruited from the island of Ireland (mean age = 37.7 years, +/- 13.2) and completed an online questionnaire including measures of resilience, hope, gratitude, empathy, depression, stress, anxiety and the subjective distress of COVID-19. A four-step hierarchical regression model was applied. Resilience showed positive significant correlations with gratitude, hope and empathy. Age, gender, presence/absence of a chronic health condition (CHC) and country of residence were not predictors of the subjective distress of COVID-19. Resilience and empathy were a negative and a positive predictor of the subjective distress respectively, while gratitude and hope had no predictive value in this model. Upon adding depression, stress and anxiety, the explained variance in scores of the distress of COVID-19 increased considerably from 16% to 55%. Individuals who experience higher levels of depression and anxiety without necessarily the presence of a CHC and regardless of age, gender, and country of residence, may be more susceptible to experience the subjective distress of COVID-19. These findings can be used to inform the design and delivery of PPIs either as a public health prevention measure or as a treatment programme within a broader context of a public mental health promotion strategy to tackle the psychological impact of this pandemic in adults of the general population.Copyright © 2022 Institute of Health Promotion and Education.
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Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a growing recognition of its psychiatric implications. Anxiety, stress and sleep disorders are the main issues faced by healthcare professionals but less is known on the general population. We sought to determine the prevalence of neuro-psychiatric disorders, pain and fatigue in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. The secondary outcome was to define the determinants of such disorders. Method(s): This single centre, prospective, observational, cohort study enrolled adult patients referring to the postCOVID-19 outpatient clinic of our University hospital from January 2021 to June 2021. Anthropometrical and functional respiratory data were collected, pain and fatigue were evaluated through a VAS scale while stress, anxiety, quality of sleep and the impact of the event were evaluated through questionnaires: perceived stress scale, ZUNG 1971, Pittsburgh and impact of events scale. Result(s): 301 cases and 115 controls were enrolled. The COVID-19 group had a higher prevalence of stress (scale points 18 vs 3, p<0.01), anxiety (ZUNG score 39 vs 21, p<0.01), and poor sleep (68.1% vs 6.1%, p<0.01). Alongside they had a significantly higher VAS pain score (2 vs 0, p<0.001) and VAS fatigue (3 vs 0, p<0.001). Female gender was the only feature that could predict fatigue, pain, anxiety, poor sleep quality and post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome. COVID-19 severity wasn't associated with any psichological sequelae. Conclusion(s): In an outpatient setting, stress, anxiety, sleep quality, pain and fatigue should be assessed in the holistic view of post-COVID-19 patients, especially in females.
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Background: India was one of the worst affected countries during the second wave of COVID-19 infection. The pandemic brought in a multitude of psychological problems leading to a negative impact on the mental health of affected individuals. Several studies across the globe have assessed the psychological impact of this pandemic in general and vulnerable populations with a scanty data in the assessment of those found positive for this condition. Material(s) and Method(s): This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study conducted at a tertiary health care centre involved in the management of COVID-19 cases. Cases were assessed using a semi structured proforma for socio demographic and clinical details, Impact of Events Scale Revised (IES-R) and Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 S6(PHQ-9) to assess psychological impact. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Result(s): A total of 60 individuals participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 50.8 +/- 14.10 years, with a majority of males (65%). More than half (53%) of the individuals had minimal severity on IES-R while about 9% showed moderate to severe levels. About 32% had minimal depression while 25% had moderately severe or severe depression on PHQ-9 score. A significant positive correlation was observed between number of deaths due to COVID-19 infection in the family and IES-R scores. Conclusion(s): Higher levels of stress and depression were found among those found positive for COVID-19. This highlights the need for early assessment of psychological problems and timely intervention to avoid long term psychiatric sequelae to those affected by COVID-19 infection.
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Background Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS-TS) is a rare inflammatory condition affecting children and young people (CYP) weeks after infection with the COVID-19 virus. The aim of this study was to understand the potential psychological needs of these families. Methods PIMS-TS patients and their parents admitted to the hospital between April 2020 and May 2021 were reviewed by a psychologist 6-8 weeks post discharge as part of their clinical care. Young people over the age of 7 were asked to complete 2 measures for psychological distress and PTSD symptoms (CRIES-13 and PIED) and their parent/carer completed a measure of PTSD symptoms (IES-R). Ethical approval was not required for this study. Results 118 CYP and parents/carers who were admitted to GOSH were screened 6-8 weeks post discharge. 85 of the 118 CYP were aged 8 or over. 76.8% (n=91) of parents/carers completed the IES-R 78% (n=66) of CYPs completed the PIED and CRIES. 15% (n=10) of CYPs scores on the PIED suggested they were at risk of anxiety and depression. 24% (n=16) of CYPs reported clinically significant difficulties for PTSD on the CRIES-13 placing them in high probability of for a diagnosis of PTSD. 35% of parents/carers met the threshold for clinical concern on IES-R with 23% (n=21) scoring in the range for a likely diagnosis of PTSD. Discussion The findings of both the self-report screening questionnaires, indicate that significant number for CYP and their parent/carers are at risk of developing symptoms of psychological distress and trauma in 6-8 week period post discharge after PIMS-TS admission. Conclusion The result of this study clearly show identification of high levels of trauma and emotional distress for the CYP and their parents and carers and a potential need for ongoing psychological support to be provided as part of ongoing care.
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Introduction: The practice of mindfulness, formalised in the structuring of well-known protocols such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), have proven to be very effective in reducing stress related to chronic conditions (Cherkin et al., 2016;Johns et al., 2015) and of depression (Hilton et al, 2017;Schumer, Lindsay, & David Creswell, 2018). However, these protocols generally require a high level of engagement for participants, which is why, in the present exploratory study, we opted to evaluate the implementation of a shor and less intensive Mindfulness-based protocol, but which showed good results on health-related outcomes, even with a single session (Howarth, Smith, Perkins-Porras, & Ussher, 2019). The overall objective of this exploratory study was to develop and evaluate the implementation of a short-term, Mindfulness-based intervention conducted in telemedicine, compared with usual care alone, on the symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Stress Disorder (PTSD) of persons who have previously tested positive for COVID-19, admitted to a resuscitation and/or intensive care unit and then in pulmonary rehabilitation following negativization. Method(s): The present pilot randomised controlled trial compared the impact of a Mindfulness-based brief intervention conducted in telemedicine (n=20) for a period of 5-6 sessions of 45 minutes each, for a total commitment of 3 weeks, to a wait-list control (n=20), involving people who have been previously tested positive for COVID-19, admitted to intensive care or reanimation and subsequently in respiratory rehabilitation following negativization. The General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Impact of Event Scale (IES), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), State Shame and Guilt Scale-8, Peritraumatic Perceptions of Fear and life threat, Psychological General Well-being Index (PGWBI), respiratory functions, oxygen saturation, haemogasanalysis were detected at baseline, 3 weeks, and 3 months. Descriptive analyses were conducted with respect to clinical and socio-demographic variables, as well as the primary and secondary outcomes. All statistical analyses were conducted according to an intention-to-treat system. In addition, using linear mixed models, intra- and inter-group comparisons were carried out on the primary and secondary outcome indices. The analyses were considered statistically significant for p<.005. Moreover, semi-structured interviews conducted according to the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach detected the participants' emotional experiences, expectations, and beliefs about their experience of illness. Themes that emerged and recurring themes during the course and interviews were analysed from a qualitative point of view, distinguishing the data emerged from the participants' interviews and those from the carers. Result(s): This pilot study found that the Experimental Group pursued improvements in terms of symptoms related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the secondary outcomes outlined above over the course of the three surveys. Furthermore, with regard to the parameters pertaining to respiratory function, spirometry and arterial and venous haematochemical examinations, these were not inferior to those achieved by the Control Group. From the qualitative analysis part, it was possible to detect the presence of descriptive, linguistic, and conceptual comments. Relevant was the theme of contact with death and the emotional experiences associated with it, which emerged in different keys in both patients and caregivers. It is also useful to note the reported progressive change of perspective on how the patient deals with the remaining symptoms of COVID-19 during the proposed sessions. Conclusion(s): This study showed the potential of an affordable and widely accessible Mindfulness-based brief intervention in clinical practice, offering a view of hospital-territory continuity following the acute phase of COVID-19 disease.
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Introduction: Over the last two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of both COVID-19 patients and the general population. Adults with COVID-19 risked their lives, lost their loved ones, struggled with comorbid clinical conditions to manage, and have been unable to enjoy the physical presence of their families during the infection, quarantine, and lockdown periods. During hospitalization and discharge, family members often did not receive clinical updates from providers and patients, were unable to offer in-person assistance, and to receive psychological support. Incidence and prevalence of depression and anxiety among COVID- 19 older adults and their family members skyrocketed beyond the possibilities of any mental health system to address psychological aftermath of this pandemic and intervene with in-person services. In response to the urgent need for treatments that could be remotely delivered at a large scale, we designed DigiCOVID, a digital mental health approach that offered remote brief tele-psychotherapy to COVID-19 patients and/or their first-degree relatives. The main goal of this single arm, naturalistic study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and usability of DigiCOVID. Additionally, we assessed the impact of DigiCOVID on psychopathology by means of self-report questionnaires. Method(s): Participants underwent an initial phonebased screening to of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were: 18-80 years old;positive nasopharyngeal swabs or serology to COVID-19 (for the patients' subgroup);absence of visual/ motor deficits that might interfere with study participation;good level of Italian;and adequate tech literacy. Participants were excluded if they had a previous or actual DSM-5 diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, or substance use disorder;if they had a diagnosis of dementia;or if they presented suicidal ideation assessed through the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Next, they completed a neuropsychological test over video to assess IQ (if lower than 70 participants were excluded), and filled out online gold-standard selfreports for depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), insomnia (ISI), post traumatic symptoms (IES-R) and general wellbeing (GHQ-12). Participants were then assigned to a psychotherapist who remotely conducted eight remote tele-psychotherapy sessions. After treatment, online questionnaires were filled out again to collect data on preliminary efficacy. Result(s): Since November 2021, 138 patients were recruited, 83 completed the intervention (57 patients, 26 fist-degree relatives), and 55 dropped out. At a group level, participants showed significant improvements on all clinical outcomes (PHQ-9: R2=0.12, p=.0019;ISI: R2=0.15, p=.0004;IES-R: R2=0.11, p=.0003;GHQ- 12: R2=0.23, p<.0001;GAD-7: R2=0.12, p=.0011). Given the high heterogeneity in illness severity and psychopathology, we conducted clustering on baseline data coming from the five online questionnaires: 55% of the whole sample had no psychopathology (Cluster 1), whereas 45% showed severe psychopathology (Cluster 2). When clustering was conducted on post-treatment data, three clusters emerged: no psychopathology, residual psychopathology and severe psychopathology. 71% of Cluster 1 participants remained asymptomatic;25% of Cluster 2 participants showed full symptom remission, while 48% and 28% of Cluster 2 participants showed partial symptom remission and no significant effect of treatment, respectively. Conclusion(s): Remote brief tele-psychotherapy for COVID-19 patients and their first-degree relatives is feasible and preliminary efficacious at reducing COVID-related psychopathology. Further research is needed to investigate distinct profiles of treatment response.
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Background: Patients suffering from long COVID-19 syndrome have reduced emotional status) and impaired functional capacity;the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) on emotional status and functional capacity remain inconclusive. Aim(s): To investigate the effect of a hybrid PR program on QoL, emotional status and functional capacity in patients with long COVID-19 syndrome. Method(s): 15 patients (age (mean+/-SD): 55+/-14 yrs.) with excessive fatigue due to COVID-19 syndrome (FACIT score (25+/-11) were allocated to PR (n=10) or usual care (UC) (n=5), 85+/-29 days following hospital discharge. PR consisted of 8 outpatient PR sessions (twice weekly for 4 weeks), and 24 home-based PR sessions (3 times/week for 8 weeks). Patients in the UC declined PR and instructed to be physically active. Psychological status was assessed via HADS and Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Functional capacity was assessed via SPPB, 6MWD, and steps/day. Result(s): Data are presented in table 1. Conclusion(s): PR improves QoL and functional capacity in patients with long COVID-19 syndrome. (Table Presented).
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Introduction: The current Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a highly stressful event that may lead to significant psychological problems, particularly among cancer patients who are immunocompromised, thus at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. The aim of this study was to measure the level of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): Prospective and descriptive study was conducted at the medical oncology department of the Salah Azaiz institute during five months, from April to August 2021. The data collection was done via two questionnaires, one assessed the Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the other assessed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Each patient was requested about this COVID-19 psychological impact during the last week. The IES-R is a questionnaire measuring a person's subjective reaction after a traumatic event. The HADS is a questionnaire investigating anxiety and depression. Results and discussion: A total of 147 patients was included. The mean age was 46,8 +/- 14,4 years, ranging from 18 to 77 years. The male/female sex ratio was equal to 1,2. The mean IES-R total score was 20,4615,4, ranging from 0 to 68. Themean IES-R intrusion was 7,966,4, ranging from 0 to 26. Themean IES-R avoidance was 866,9, ranging from 0 to 30. Themean IESR hyperarousal was 4,564,5, ranging from 0 to 20. 66%of patients had no diagnosis of PTSD, 15% of them had PTSD mild, 4,1% of them had PTSD moderate and 15% of them had PTSD severe. The mean HADS-General score was 14,6 +/- 8,2, ranging from 0 to 39. The mean HADS-Anxiety was 8,164,6, ranging from 0 to 21. Anxiety symptoms were normal in 49,7%of patients, borderline abnormal in 17,7% of them and abnormal in 32,7% of them. The mean HADS-Depression was 6,4 +/- 4,2, ranging from 0 to 21. Depression symptoms were normal in 63,9% of patients, borderline abnormal in 20,4% of them and abnormal in 15,6% of them. Conclusion(s): This study revealed high rates of distress, anxiety and depression in cancer patients during the pandemic.These results contributed to a better understanding of the psychological consequences of a global pandemic in the context of cancer and they highlighted the need to better support this vulnerable population during such a challenging time.
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Background: Post Traumatic stress disorder usually occurs after a traumatic event and the pa the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health to a great extent. So this study was taken up to assess the risk of Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms using impact of event scale-revised (IES-R), their main stressors and coping measurements among the industrial workers of Hyderabad. Material(s) and Method(s): A telephonic interview schedule was adopted to fill the online questionnaire among Industrial workers of age group 20- 55 years during the lock down period. Result(s): Depicted 20.6% at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and 13.8% at risk of suppressed immune system functioning which is presumed to have its effect for the next 10 years. The main stressors of COVID -19 with increased IES-R score were-not staying with family members, Any acquaintance with COVID-19 infected persons and effect on daily life. Coping measurements with brief resilient coping scale found 17.4% as low resilient copers. Conclusion(s): This needs to be addressed earlier to bring up preventive strategies to improve the quality of life by including counselling services in the occupational health care centers of our industries.
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The emergence of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China during late 2019 spread quickly and creating international emergency and tremendous challenges for healthcare workers (HCWs) including dental and oral healthcare professionals. The brisk spread of this new viral disease forced HCWs to suffer from different types of stress including mortality and morbidity, delayed patient dealing, scarcity of complete personal protective equipment (PPE), and fear of being COVID-19 virus target and carriers to their family members. The dental and oral HCWs were also advised to apply mobility restrictions and social distancing measures. All of a sudden, most of the regular medical check-ups including dental clinic appointments were cancelled, reducing the number of patients flow. The abrupt cancellation of appointments put a sudden break on medical profession including dental practice. Different scales like progression of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Chinese Health Questionnaire-12 (CHd-12), Davidson Trauma Scale-Chinese (DTS-C), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Impact of Event Scale (IES), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) etc. have been devised in different countries to assess the overall mental health status. The reports from earlier SARS outbreak in 2007 had also put a psychological impact on HCWs but least has been learned from this out break. The reports from previous Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks and early COVID-19 pandemic have a considerable negative impact (short and long-term) on mental status of HCWs. Different types of negative impacts on mental health like depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and distress were reported in HCWs during COVID-19 pandemic. The current COVID-19 pandemic given a broader understanding of how much, how far and how fast an outbreak can occur and affect HCWs psychologically. In this review, authors summarize the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the psychology of HCWs, as reported from different countries.Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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INTRODUCTION Healthcare workers (HCWs), at the heart of the unparalleled crisis of COVID-19, face challenges treating patients with COVID-19 . The psychological burden and overall wellness of HCWs has received heightened awareness showing high rates of burnout, psychological stress, and suicide. HCWs experience emotional exhaustion, which may lead to medical errors, lack of empathy in treating patients, lower productivity, and higher turnover rates. AIM To determine the impact of COVID-19 on HCWs including (Consultants, Postgraduate students-both medical and naturopathy, Interns and Nursing staff) and to identify the potential risk factors . METHOD A web based cross-sectional study done in SDM, Dharwad was done among 50 participants to identify the main mental health outcomes that include Depression, Anxiety, Insomnia and Distress using Patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale , Insomnia severity index and The impact of event scale-revised. RESULT Out of 50 participants , 38(76%) were in age group of 26-30 years,31 (62%) were females and 28(56%) were Post graduates,10 (20%) Interns and 10(24%) Nursing staff. This study found that mod-severe GAD was seen in 6 % participants,2 % had high PTSD & mod-severe Depression was seen in 3 (6%) & 1(2%) had mod Insomnia CONCLUSION It is thus very important to assess the prevalence of psychological manifestations in the HCWs and help them to adequately cope with stressors to function adequately.
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Aim: To assess impairment in health status and psychological burden, subjects with Long Covid enrolled in a multidisciplinary follow-up outpatient programme underwent a multidimensional psychological assessment including Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDIII), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy, Fatigue subscale (FACIT-F), 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Result(s): Ninety-nine subjects (36M;age 52.6+/-14.5) participated to a self-administered multidimensional psychological evaluation from january2021 to january 2022 (5.5+/-4.4 months after acute infection). Sixty-one out of 99 (61.6%) subjects (20M, age 48.7+/-14.5y) were treated at home during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Thirtyfive patients (35.4%) had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 21 patients (21.2%) had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, 47 (47.4%) exhibited clinically significative anxiety. No significant differences in symptoms and psychological evaluation were found in home treated, compared with the subgroup of 38 (38.3%) hospitalized subjects (16M, age59.0+/-13.0y). Irrespective of hospitalization, persistent asthenia was reported in 34 out of 63 females (54.0%), and in 11 males (30.6%) (p=.005);Clinically significant anxiety was found in 37(58.7%) females and in 7(19.4%) males (p=.001). Gender associated significant differences were found as well in FACIT-F, SAS, SF-12, but not in BDI-II and IES-R scores. Conclusion(s): Among a cohort of long covid subjects, gender differences were observed in symptoms reported and in psychological well-being.
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Introduction: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is an extremely uncommon global epidemic crisis. The study aimed to identify changes in the severity of PTSD symptoms, suicide risk, loneliness and subjective life satisfaction level in the general population, regarding the gender differences, during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): The study group included 303 general population subjects aged 16-84 (50.2% females and 49.8% males). The research was conducted in two phases. The first stage included 150 subjects, the second 153. The following diagnostic tools were used: Impact of Event Scale (IES-R), the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS), Suicide Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R), the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale (CSASS) and the demographic-descriptive questionnaire. The study was conducted via the Internet. Result(s): In both waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a positive correlation between the feeling of loneliness and the suicide risk, as well as the general level and symptoms intensity of PTSD (intrusion and agitation). In women we observed an increased PTSD level and higher level of intrusion and avoidance symptoms. Having children was a suicide protective factor in women in both waves of the pandemic, and only during the second wave in men. The difference in the declared life satisfaction in both waves was significantly higher in the second study phase only in terms a life satisfaction before the pandemic. Conclusion(s): It is a mental health prevention priority to implement proper crisis interventions and long-term risk assessments in terms of people exposed to the COVID-19 virus and those in social isolation.Copyright © 2022 Via Medica. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) is the most popular measure of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has been recently validated in Arabic. This instrumental study aimed to determine optimal cutoff scores of the IES-R and its determined six subscales in Arab samples of psychiatric patients (N = 168, 70.8% females) and healthy adults (N = 992, 62.7% females) from Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic as a probable ongoing collective traumatic event. Based on a cutoff score of 14 of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 8-items (DASS-8), receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis revealed two optimal points of 39.5 and 30.5 for the IES-R in the samples (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.86 & 0.91, p values = 0.001, 95% CI: 0.80-0.92 & 0.87-0.94, sensitivity = 0.85 & 0.87, specificity = 0.73 & 0.83, Youden index = 0.58 & 0.70, respectively). Different cutoffs were detected for the six subscales of the IES-R, with numbing and avoidance expressing the lowest predictivity for distress. Meanwhile, hyperarousal followed by pandemic-related irritability expressed a stronger predictive capacity for distress than all subscales in both samples. In path analysis, pandemic-related irritability/dysphoric mood evolved as a direct and indirect effect of key PTSD symptoms (intrusion, hyperarousal, and numbing). The irritability dimension of the IES-R directly predicted the traumatic symptoms of sleep disturbance in both samples while sleep disturbance did not predict irritability. The findings suggest the usefulness of the IES-R at a score of 30.5 for detecting adults prone to trauma related distress, with higher scores needed for screening in psychiatric patients. Various PTSD symptoms may induce dysphoric mood, which represents a considerable burden that may induce circadian misalignment and more noxious psychiatric problems/co-morbidities (e.g., sleep disturbance) in both healthy and diseased groups.