From fearful to hopeful: A thematic content analysis of COVID-19 survivors' YouTube videos

The relationship between the strength of religious faith and spirituality in relation to post-traumatic growth among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in eastern Poland: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic had forced intensive care unit (ICU) nurses to adapt to extreme conditions in a short period of time. This resulted in them experiencing extremely stressful situations. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between post-traumatic growth (PTG) and religiosity and spirituality (R/S) among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in intensive care during the pandemic.

Materials and methods

120 nurses working in Lublin, eastern Poland, participated in the cross-sectional study. The questionnaire was made up of three standardised tools: The Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, The Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire, The Spiritual Attitude and Involvement List.

Results

In terms of spirituality, the study group of nurses achieved the highest score in the Connectedness with Nature subscale (4.37 ± 1.07), while the strength of religious beliefs had a positive correlation with post-traumatic growth only in the Spiritual changes subscale (r = 0.422, p < 0.001). The following dimensions of spirituality were significantly correlated with post-traumatic growth in the multi-factor model that included religiosity and spirituality: Transcendent experiences, Spiritual activities, Meaningfulness, Acceptance, and Trust. We saw that increase in the assessment of the Transcendent experiences, Meaningfulness and Trust subscales significantly mirrors increase in post-traumatic growth, while increase in the assessment of the Spiritual activities and Acceptance subscales significantly mirrors decrease in post-traumatic growth. The above variables explained up to 44% of the dependent variable.

Conclusion

Both religiosity and spirituality were significantly associated with post-traumatic growth in the group of ICU nurses, but spirituality appears to have played a larger role. Our findings support the value and significance of the development of spiritual and religious identity as a means of enhancing positive psychological changes in the face of traumatic events.

Quality and Content Analysis: Can YouTube Videos on Agoraphobia Be Considered a Reliable Source?

BACKGROUND

YouTube, known as an online video platform, is one of the most popular and dynamic video platforms in the world. it provides access to videos with a variety of content, both in health and many other areas. The fact that it is accessible to everyone and free of charge makes it frequently preferred by individuals. The effectiveness of social media platforms on the thoughts and behaviors of individuals has caused YouTube and other similar platforms to be the subject of health research in recent years. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense fear of feeling trapped somewhere. Agoraphobia is a common type of anxiety disorder in society, and cognitive behavioral and psychopharmacological agents are used in its treatment. Our aim in this research is to examine YouTubeTM videos on agoraphobia in terms of reliability and quality.

METHODS

The first 50 videos related to agoraphobia were included in the analysis, and the duration (minutes), video content, institutions/individuals who uploaded the video, the time elapsed since uploading, total views, and likes were recorded. In addition, all videos were evaluated on two different scales: Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN) and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The obtained data were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

The mean video duration was 11.4±9.38 minutes, the mean views count was 113299.5±333091, and the mean like count was 8512.76±31429.37. Videos were evaluated in terms of content; 50% included general information, 28% agoraphobia experience, and 22% information about overcoming agoraphobia. The GQS and DISCERN scores were significantly higher in professional videos than in non-professionals (p<0.005).

CONCLUSION

As a result of the evaluation of YouTubeTM videos about agoraphobia in terms of quality and content, it has been determined that it is necessary to increase the rate of videos prepared by mental health professionals. Psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals working in the field of anxiety should be encouraged to provide videos with scientific and reliable content.