Unheard voices: The sexual challenges of families of patients with bipolar disorder: A qualitative content analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the voices of the family members of Bipolar Disorder (BD) patients about the challenges ahead of them. METHODS: In this qualitative study, 22 participants shared their experiences of sexual challenges of patients with BD through in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: An overarching theme entitled "Unheard voices" reflected this experience. It comprised four main categories include sexual promiscuity, a change in sexual patterns, sexual support, and sexual indifference. The results revealed that the families of patients with BD have to deal with sexual promiscuity and change in sexual patterns in their family, and the family system attempts to respond to these changes by sexual support mechanisms and sexual indifference. CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant impact of healthy sexual behaviors on the quality of life of both the individual and the family, therapists and family support systems are advised to strengthen and educate families to support their patients' sexual health and needs and protect their sexual existence; they should also address the sexual challenges faced by these families as a diagnostic and therapeutic priority, and early sexual health interventions should be provided to these families.

Novice nurses' experiences from teamwork in the emergency department: A qualitative content analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Teamwork is assumed crucial in nursing. Nevertheless, nursing shortages in medical centers have thus far compelled nurse managers to use novice nurses. The present study aimd to explaining the challenges and experiences of novice nurses regarding teamwork in emergency departments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using qualitative content analysis, 11 novice nurses working at emergency department, participated in this study. Data were collected with semi structured interview and analyzed by Graneheim and Lundman. RESULTS: The data analysis led to the emergence of four themes of "essential teamwork skills development", "contradictory relationships between team members", "unpleasant feelings and experiences", and, "personal growth and maturation during teamwork". CONCLUSION: Fostering different personal aspects as prerequisites for teamwork, novice nurses will be able to deal with unpleasant feelings and experiences as well as contradictory relationships between team members in an effective manner. This challenging experience will thus give rise to personal growth and maturation during teamwork among them in emergency department.

The health-related quality of life in Iranian patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a public health emergency with a high mortality rate and it reduces the patient's Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) significantly. This effect is measured in the current study. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study in Iran, 320 randomly selected treated patients from COVID-19 were studied. To collect the required data, we applied a questionnaire that included socio-demographic factors, clinical characteristics, and questions on the patients' HRQoL. Time trade-off (TTO) approach was used to measure the lost HRQoL attributed to COVID-19. Besides, we applied a two-limit Tobit regression model to determine the effects of the socio-demographic factors on patients' health utility and the visual analogue scale approach was used to estimate the perceived total current health status. RESULTS: The overall mean (SE) and median (IQR) of the health utility values were 0.863 (0.01) and 0.909 (0.21) respectively. These values for the traders (those who were willing to lose a part of their remaining time of life to avoid the disease) were estimated at 0.793 (0.01) and 0.848 (0.17), respectively. The lowest amount of utility value belonged to the elderly (mean (SE) = 0.742 (0.04); median (IQR) = 0.765 (0.42)) and those living in rural areas (mean (SE)) = 0.804 (0.03); median (IQR) = 0.877 (0.30)). The univariate analysis showed that age, place of residence, and household size had a statistically significant effect on health utility. Moreover, findings of the regression analysis indicated that the participants' age and hospitalization status were the key determinants of COVID-19 health utility value. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 is associated with a substantial and measurable decrease in HRQoL. This decline in HRQoL can be directly compared with that induced by systemic health states.

The relationship between mental workload and job performance among Iranian nurses providing care to COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: To evaluate the relationship between mental workload and job performance among nurses providing care to patients with COVID-19, and to explain the factors predicting their performance. BACKGROUND: The increased workload of health care workers in the COVID-19 pandemic affects their job performance, causes medical errors, contributes to patients' mortality and is a major concern for all health care organisations in the world. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited 139 nurses selected from the ICUs, infectious disease wards and emergency units of two hospitals in Iran. The NASA-Task Load Index and Paterson's job performance questionnaire were used. RESULTS: Mean scores of mental workload and job performance of the nurses were 67.14 ± 30.53 and 37.37 ± 7.36, respectively. A total of 71.95% and 96.4% of the nurses had high mental workload and job performance levels, respectively. The results indicated a weak positive correlation between mental workload and the mean score of job performance(r = .057). Unlike the mental demand (r = .175, p = .04) and temporal demand (r = .307, p < .001) that had a significant positive correlation with job performance, frustration had a significant negative correlation with job performance (r = -.183, p = .032). The following variables explained 33% of the variance of nurses' job performance: age, gender, type of ward, working shift, experience of providing care to patients with COVID-19 and frustration. CONCLUSION: The nurses' mental workload increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the negative effect of mental workload on the nurses' behaviour and performance, the rise in their job performance and its weak positive correlation with their mental workload should be further addressed. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The present study results support the need for focusing on implementing strategies such as providing social and psychological support to moderate mental workload and improve job performance of nurses who provide care to patients with COVID-19.

Exploring the lived experiences of the suicide attempt survivors: a phenomenological approach.

Purpose: Suicide is a complex phenomenon that needs to be studied with a variety of approaches. The purpose of this study is to explore the lived experience of attempted suicide with the phenomenology approach.Method: An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to analyse semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 participants (ages 19-57) who were recruited by means of purposive sampling from October to November 2017 at the Farshchian Psychiatric Hospital in Hamadan/Iran. Data analysis was conducted according to van Manen's phenomenological method.Results: Identified three themes and eight subthemes: Mental pain (subthemes: living through grief, internal conflict, the world is better without me), Social challenges (lack of social connection, financial problems, social support services) and Need for love and belonging (feeling understood, need of empathy).Conclusions: Outcomes and key implications of the study related primarily to improving the treatment experiences of suicide attempt survivors and other at-risk population, and also advancing suicide prevention efforts and to provide support for suicide attempt survivors.