The association of gratitude with perceived stress among nurses in Korea during COVID-19 outbreak

People-Oriented Culture and Its Association With Burnout, Depressive Symptoms, and Sleep Problems During COVID-19 Pandemic Among EMS Providers in Korea

OBJECTIVE

This study examined how perceived people-oriented culture (POC) was associated with burnout, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic among emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Korea.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 693 EMS providers in 2021.

RESULTS

Overall, prevalence of personal burnout, work-related burnout, and citizen-related burnout were 61.5%, 60.0%, and 60.6%, respectively. Prevalence of depressive symptoms was 25.1%. Prevalence of poor sleep quality, unrestful sleep, and sleep disturbance were 46.5%, 58.2%, and 52.2%, respectively. Compared to high POC group, higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was observed among medium (prevalence ratio: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.32) and low (prevalence ratio: 2.70, 95% CI: 1.92, 3.79) POC group. Similar trends were observed in the analysis of burnout and sleep problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings underscore that low POC could play a critical role in worsening burnout, depressive symptoms, and sleep problems among EMS providers.

Perceived Stress Among Nurses at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Saudi Arabia During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

The stress level of nurses, especially frontline staff, directly impacts their physical and mental health as well as work efficiency. However, few studies have been conducted to understand the stress level of nurses related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

AIM

The aim of this study is to assess the level of perceived stress among nurses at a tertiary care teaching hospital (King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah) in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey-based descriptive study involved 1044 nurses working at a tertiary care/teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess nurses' stress levels. The study was conducted in July 2021 by selecting clinical nurses from different nursing units. Considering the current situation of social isolation, an online cross-sectional survey using Google Forms was used. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21 (Released 2012; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States).

RESULTS

Out of 1044 nursing professionals, 93 (8.9%) reported experiencing low levels of stress, 915 (87.6%) reported moderate levels of stress, and 36 (3.4%) reported high perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that gender (p=0.001) and nationality (p=0.016) had significant effects on stress levels. The three major causes of stress identified by the nurses were workload, lack of resources, and fear of contracting COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Job-related stress continues to be an issue in the nursing workforce. The effects of stress experienced by nurses impact job satisfaction and retention, which, in turn, can affect the quality of patient care. This study highlights that nurses in a tertiary care (COVID care) teaching hospital in our setting often experience stress and anxiety during the pandemic. It is worth noting that this is the first study conducted to understand the level of stress perceived by nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in our current study setting. The findings indicate that a considerable number of nurses experienced moderate levels of stress during COVID-19, which can have implications for patient care. Recognizing and understanding the job-related stressors of nurses can help nurse leaders implement more effective strategies aimed at reducing nurses' stress and subsequently improving patient outcomes.

The Effect of Fear of COVID-19 Infection and Anxiety on Loneliness: Moderated Mediation Effects of Gratitude

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to identify factors related to loneliness during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and focused on how the fear of COVID-19 infection affects loneliness and the conditional effect of gratitude as a moderator in the relationship among the fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and loneliness.

METHODS

For the analysis of this study, a survey was conducted among 1,500 individuals aged 19 to 69 years living in three metropolitan areas in South Korea. Questionnaires included sociodemographic data, psychological experience and stress associated with COVID-19, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, UCLA Loneliness Scale-3, and Gratitude Questionnaire-6. An analysis was conducted by applying SPSS PROCESS macro models 4 and 7.

RESULTS

First, anxiety mediated the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 infection and loneliness. Second, the effect of the fear of COVID-19 infection on loneliness through anxiety was moderated by gratitude. The higher the gratitude, the more the fear of COVID-19 infection is buffered in the path to anxiety, and the lower the indirect effect on loneliness.

CONCLUSION

This suggests that in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, interventions for psychological problems such as anxiety and loneliness can be carried out through gratitude, a significant protective variable.

Psychological and Personality Characteristics Associated With COVID-19 Vaccination Behavior in Korean General Population

BACKGROUND

This study characterized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination behavior in the Korean general population using cluster analysis and explored related psychological factors.

METHODS

We categorized 1,500 individuals based on their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination using hierarchical clustering and identified their level of vaccine acceptance. We examined the associations between vaccine acceptance and behavioral and psychological characteristics.

RESULTS

Clustering revealed three groups according to vaccine acceptance: 'totally accepting' (n = 354, 23.6%), 'somewhat accepting' (n = 523, 34.9%), and 'reluctant' (n = 623, 41.5%). Approximately 60% of all participants who belonged to the 'totally accepting' and 'somewhat accepting' groups were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine despite concerns about its side effects. High vaccine acceptance was associated with older age, regular influenza vaccination, and trust in formal sources of information. Participants with high vaccine acceptance had higher levels of gratitude, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and neuroticism.

CONCLUSIONS

People weighed the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination against the risk of side effects when deciding to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings also indicate that this vaccination behavior may be affected by coping mechanisms and psychological factors.

Factors Associated with Job Stress and Their Effects on Mental Health among Nurses in COVID-19 Wards in Four Hospitals in Korea

Increased workload during the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened nurses' mental health. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job stress in COVID-19 nurses compared to other nurses. Nurses were recruited from four hospitals in Republic of Korea in November 2020. The general sociodemographic questionnaire, job stress, anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9) were used to conduct an online survey. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with job stress. A total of 290 participants were analyzed: 122 in the dedicated ward and 168 in the nondedicated ward nurse groups. Job stress, anxiety, and depression were higher in nurses dedicated to COVID-19 (4.19 ± 0.59, 5.98 ± 3.92, and 6.97 ± 4.47, respectively) than in the nondedicated group (3.92 ± 0.72 (p = 0.001), 4.98 ± 4.20 (p = 0.042), and 5.92 ± 4.36 (p = 0.047), respectively). Among COVID-19 nurses, job stress levels were higher in 30-39 year olds than in 20-29 year olds (3.71 ± 0.43 vs. 4.04 ± 0.54, p = 0.006) and in non-smokers compared with smokers (3.85 ± 0.49 vs. 3.38 ± 0.53, p = 0.24). Anxiety (β = 0.34, standard error (SE) = 0.01, p < 0.001) and clinical experience of 5-10 years (β = 0.23, SE = 0.10, p = 0.004) were associated with job stress. These findings can be applied when devising response strategies for infectious diseases and developing psychological and organizational intervention programs for alleviating job stress in nurses.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and related behavioral and psychological characteristics in individuals with mental disorders in Korea

Objective

This study aimed to investigate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and related factors in individuals with mental disorders in Korea.

Methods

We surveyed 572 individuals with mental disorders about their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination using a 7-item self-rating questionnaire on vaccine acceptance and hesitancy. We categorized the respondents into groups based on their level of vaccine acceptance using hierarchical clustering. In addition, we evaluated the respondents' vaccination status and trust in sources of information regarding COVID-19 vaccines, and assessed their psychological characteristics using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Gratitude Questionnaire-6, and Big Five Inventory-10.

Results

Clustering revealed three groups according to vaccine acceptance: 'totally accepting' (n= 246, 43.0%), 'somewhat accepting' (n= 184, 32.2%), and 'hesitant' (n= 142, 24.8%) groups. Three quarters of all participants, who belonged to the 'totally accepting' or 'somewhat accepting' groups, were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine despite concerns about its side effects. Individuals in the high vaccine acceptance group were older (F= 12.52, p< 0.001), more likely to receive the influenza vaccine regularly, and more likely to trust formal information sources. Additionally, they had higher levels of gratitude (F= 21.00, p< 0.001) and agreeableness (F= 4.50, p= 0.011), and lower levels of depression (χ²= 11.81, p= 0.003) and neuroticism (F= 3.71, p= 0.025).

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated that individuals with mental disorders were generally willing to receive COVID-19 vaccination. However, they weighed its need and effectiveness against potential side effects before coming to a decision. It is important to understand the behavioral and psychological characteristics associated with vaccine acceptance, to effectively communicate its importance to individuals with mental disorders.

Job satisfaction and burnout of psychiatric nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in China—the moderation of family support

Purpose

The study aimed at investigating the state of psychiatric nurses’ job satisfaction, job burnout, and the moderating effect of family support between them in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods

Online self-report questionnaires were distributed and 212 psychiatric nurses participated in the research. Pearson correlation analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis, and simple slope test were used for data analysis.

Results

The results showed that the status of their job satisfaction (53.67 ± 10.72) and burnout (33.62 ± 13.84) did not reach a satisfactory level and job satisfaction had a significant negative impact on job burnout. Meanwhile, family support played a negative moderating role between the two variables.

Conclusion

Psychiatric nurses suffered from job burnout in China during the COVID-19. Family support could have a counterproductive effect when the nurses were experiencing decreasing job satisfaction. It gave suggestions to the medical institutions and the government to improve the psychological well-being of the psychiatric nurses and even of all the medical staff.

Gratitude and kindness at work as predictors of employees' mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

This research explored the association of perceptions of gratitude and kindness at work with well-being outcomes, such as relatedness needs satisfaction, life satisfaction, and COVID-19 anxiety among selected Filipino employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that kindness positively predicted relatedness needs satisfaction even after controlling for participants' age, gender, employment status, and length of stay in the organization. Gratitude positively predicted life satisfaction. This research underscores the mental health payoffs associated with fostering gratitude and kindness in organizational contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiny Habits® for Gratitude-Implications for Healthcare Education Stakeholders

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to diminished sleep and increased stress, anxiety, and burnout for many health professionals and health professions students. One simple approach that may be effective for bolstering personal well-being is consciously cultivating gratitude. Gratitude is positively associated with physical health, psychological health, hope, sleep, and health behavior engagement; and randomized studies indicate that gratitude interventions can improve psychological well-being and sleep. The primary aim of this study was to assess the impact of practicing Tiny Habits^® on self-reported gratitude, as measured by the 6-Item Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6). In January 2021, 154 adult participants with GQ-6 <35/42 were randomized to one of 3 groups: Tiny Habits for Gratitude (n = 50), Tiny Habits Control (n = 52), and Inactive Control (n = 52). Both Tiny Habits groups chose 3 Tiny Habits Recipes to practice daily and participated in the free, email-based 5-Day Program with automated daily check-in emails and personalized feedback from a Certified Tiny Habits Coach. The Recipes for the Tiny Habits for Gratitude group focused on cultivating gratitude, while those for the Tiny Habits Control group did not. Post-intervention, the mean change in GQ-6 scores in the Tiny Habits for Gratitude (Δ = ↑6.9 ± 5.6; n = 37/50, 74%; p< 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.85) and Tiny Habits Control (Δ = ↑5.6 ± 4.1; n = 31/52, 60%; p = 0.009, Cohen's d = 0.71) groups were greater than that of the Inactive Control group (Δ = ↑2.5 ± 4.4; N = 42/52, 81%). At 1 month, the mean change in GQ-6 scores in the Tiny Habits for Gratitude group (Δ = ↑7.0 ± 5.3; N = 28/50, 56%) was greater than that of the Inactive Control group (Δ = ↑2.9 ± 5.4; N = 39/52, 72%; p = 0.002, Cohen's d = 0.78). These findings suggest that practicing Tiny Habits Recipes and participating in the 5-Day Program can significantly increase gratitude in the short term and focusing specifically on gratitude during this process can sustain the increase in gratitude for up to 1 month. Implementation is quick, simple, and free. This has significant implications for healthcare education stakeholders.