Interventional Studies on Nurses' Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

This systematic review's primary aim is to examine the interventional studies on the mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the secondary aim is to determine the interventions that can be planned for future pandemics. For this, databases were searched, and a total of 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. It was determined that most of the studies were conducted online due to pandemic restrictions. The effects of the interventions (diaphragmatic breathing relaxation, emotional freedom techniques, sending motivational messages, a mobile wellness program, acceptance and commitment therapy, a neuro-meditation program, laughter yoga, gong meditation, distant Reiki, e-aid cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based breathing, and music therapy) on the parameters affecting the mental health of the nurses working actively in the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. In these studies, the interventions applied to nurses were seen to have positive results on mental health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is a traumatic experience for healthcare professionals, shows that more interventional studies are needed to protect and improve the mental health of nurses who take care of critically ill patients during difficult times.

The effectiveness of motivational messages to intensive care unit nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of motivational messages on optimism, hopelessness, and life satisfaction of intensive care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: This is a multicentre, randomized controlled, open-label study. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: The study was conducted with a total of 87 nurses working in the COVID-19 intensive care units of three hospitals in Istanbul. Motivational messages were sent via SMS to the participants in the motivational group (n = 41) for 21 days. The data were obtained using a Personal Information Form, the Life Orientation Test, Beck Hopelessness Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. RESULTS: The nurses' mean age in the motivational and control groups was 28.4 ± 7.6 and 26.9 ± 3.7 years, respectively. Before the messages, no statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of life orientation (p = 0.059), hopelessness (p = 0.214), and satisfaction with life (p = 0.898) scores. After the messages, life orientation (p = 0.042) and life satisfaction (p = 0.040) scores were significantly higher in the motivational group compared with the control group, and the hopelessness score was significantly lower (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION: According to our study, motivational messages sent to intensive care nurses during the pandemic increased their level of optimism and life satisfaction and decreased their level of hopelessness. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04751474.

Ribavirin shows antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and downregulates the activity of TMPRSS2 and the expression of ACE2 in vitro.

Ribavirin is a guanosine analog with broad-spectrum antiviral activity against RNA viruses. Based on this, we aimed to show the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of this drug molecule via in vitro, in silico, and molecular techniques. Ribavirin showed antiviral activity in Vero E6 cells following SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas the drug itself did not show any toxic effect over the concentration range tested. In silico analysis suggested that ribavirin has a broad-spectrum impact on SARS-CoV-2, acting at different viral proteins. According to the detailed molecular techniques, ribavirin was shown to decrease the expression of TMPRSS2 at both mRNA and protein levels 48 h after treatment. The suppressive effect of ribavirin in ACE2 protein expression was shown to be dependent on cell types. Finally, proteolytic activity assays showed that ribavirin also showed an inhibitory effect on the TMPRSS2 enzyme. Based on these results, we hypothesized that ribavirin may inhibit the expression of TMPRSS2 by modulating the formation of inhibitory G-quadruplex structures at the TMPRSS2 promoter. As a conclusion, ribavirin is a potential antiviral drug for the treatment against SARS-CoV-2, and it interferes with the effects of TMPRSS2 and ACE2 expression.

Determination of stress, depression and burnout levels of front-line nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All healthcare professionals, especially nurses, are affected psychosocially due to reasons such as uncertainty and work intensity experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this descriptive study, it was aimed to determine the stress, depression and burnout levels of front-line nurses. Data were obtained from 705 nurses who worked at hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic between May and July 2020, using a Personal Information Form, the Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and Maslach Burnout Inventory. The data collection tools were sent online to nurse managers, requesting front-line nurses to answer the forms and scales. The nurses were mostly women and had bachelor's degrees, single and worked as nurses for between 1 and 10 years. They had high levels of stress and burnout and moderate depression. Those who were younger and had fewer years of work experience felt inadequate about nursing care and had higher levels of stress and burnout. More burnout was detected in nurses who had a positive COVID-19 test and did not want to work voluntarily during the pandemic. The authors suggest that preventive and promotive interventions in mental health should be planned and implemented to improve the mental health and maintain the well-being of front-line nurses during the pandemic, and to prepare nurses who may work during pandemics in the future.