Mental Health Screening of Healthcare Professionals Who Are Candidates for Psychological Assistance during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Work-related factors of mental health among Chicago residents two years into the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread consequences for economic, social, and general wellbeing with rates of anxiety and depression increasing across the population and disproportionately for some workers. This study explored which factors were the most salient contributors to mental health through a cross-sectional 68-item questionnaire that addressed topics related to the pandemic. Data were collected through an address-based sampling frame over the two months from April 2022 to June 2022. A total of 2,049 completed surveys were collected throughout Chicago's 77 Community Areas. Descriptive statistics including frequency and percentages were generated to describe workplace characteristics, work-related stress, and sample demographics and their relationship to psychological distress. Independent participant and workplace factors associated with the outcomes were identified using multivariable logistic regression. The weighted prevalence of persons experiencing some form of psychological distress from mild to serious was 32%. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, certain marginalized communities experienced psychological distress more than others including females, adults over the age of 25 years of age, and people with higher income levels. Those who had been laid off, lost pay, or had reduced hours had increased odds of psychological distress (aOR = 1.71, CI95% 1.14-2.56; p = 0.009) as did people that reported that their work-related stress was somewhat or much worse as compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic (aOR = 2.22, CI95% 1.02-4.82; p = 0.04, aOR = 11.0, CI95% 4.65-26.1; p < 0.001, respectively). These results warrant further investigation and consideration in developing workplace and mental health interventions.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and previous natural disasters on the mental health of healthcare workers in Puerto Rico

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic worries (e.g., fear of contagion) and previous exposure to natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes) on Healthcare Workers (HCWs) mental health in Puerto Rico. Participants completed a self-administered online survey including items on sociodemographic information, working conditions, fears, and worries about the COVID-19 pandemic, past natural disaster experiences, depressive symptoms, and resilience. Logistic regressions models were performed to explain the relationship between depressive symptomatology and COVID-19 experiences and worries. 40.9% (n = 107) of the sample were classified as having some level (mild to severe) of depressive symptomatology (PHQ-8 ≥5). Results reflect normal to high levels of psychological resilience (BRS; M = 3.7, SD = 0.7). A significant association was found between depressive symptomatology and psychological resilience (OR = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.25-0.77). The odds of having depressive symptomatology were almost five times higher (OR = 4.79, 95% CI: 1.71-13.44) among those who reported emotional coping difficulties during the pandemic after experiencing a natural disaster compared to those that did not, when adjusting for psychological resilience and residence region. Despite normal to high psychological resilience levels, HCWs who reported emotional coping difficulties due to previous disasters were at risk of developing depressive symptomatology. Results suggest interventions to address the mental health of HCWs could benefit from considering other individual and environmental factors beyond resilience. Findings could inform future interventions to promote HCWs' well-being before, during, and after a natural disaster or pandemic outbreak.

Searching for the 'Aha Moments': Healthcare Social Workers' Experiences of Hope and Meaning-Making during COVID-19

While serving as the leading mental health providers in healthcare systems during COVID-19, social workers have faced numerous career-defining moments, both negative and positive; however, limited research highlights how healthcare social workers process these pivotal professional and personal encounters to find hope and meaning. The purpose of this study was to gather a deeper understanding of how healthcare social workers navigated oppressive healthcare systems, social injustice, and their personal and professional caregiving roles to sustain hope, meaning, and purpose during COVID-19. Participants were recruited through healthcare social work professional organizations from October to December 2020. Participants (N = 54) completed an individual interview over Zoom or telephone. The study incorporated feminist phenomenology to understand how the predominantly female (96%) sample sustained hope amidst institutional, societal, and personal despair. Five themes emerged from social workers' responses: withstanding existential dread; reclaiming family time and community; embracing "aha moments"; answering the call to action; and yearning for normalcy while balancing personal risk. Findings from this study highlight how social workers confronted oppressive systems and gendered social roles to find hope and meaning in the care that they provided for their clients, families, and communities.

Mental Health of Nurses during the Fourth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

In the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis, healthcare professionals, including nurses who provide direct care for patients, are at particular risk of mental health problems. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses working in healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional observational study. A total of 333 professionally active nurses participated in the study. Data was collected in the period from 10 November to 20 November 2021. We collected sociodemographic data and used the short form of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) to assess the mental health among nurses.

RESULTS

Severe and very severe symptoms of depression were found in 23.1% of nurses, whereas moderate symptoms were detected in 30.3%. High to very high levels of anxiety were observed in 46.5% of respondents, while 25.8% of nurses showed a moderate level of anxiety. Moderate and high levels of stress were found in 35.4% and 14.1% of the respondents, respectively. Contact with a patient suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infection was a significant predictor of depressive symptoms. Gender, workplace, and contact with patients suspected of SARS-CoV-2 infection and patients with COVID-19 were significant predictors of anxiety, whereas contact with patients suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 patients was a significant predictor of stress.

CONCLUSIONS

High scores for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and stress among Polish nurses during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic are indicative of a direct threat to the mental health of nurses. Targeted support strategies need to be developed and implemented to prevent the deterioration of mental health in this group.

Acute Stress in Health Workers during Two Consecutive Epidemic Waves of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked generalized uncertainty around the world, with health workers experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, and stress. Although the effects of the pandemic on mental health may change as it evolves, the majority of reports have been web-based, cross-sectional studies. We performed a study assessing acute stress in frontline health workers during two consecutive epidemic waves. After screening for trait anxiety/depression and dissociative experiences, we evaluated changes in acute stress, considering resilience, state anxiety, burnout, depersonalization/derealization symptoms, and quality of sleep as cofactors. During the first epidemic wave (April 2020), health workers reported acute stress related to COVID-19, which was related to state anxiety. After the first epidemic wave, acute stress decreased, with no increase during the second epidemic wave (December 2020), and further decreased when vaccination started. During the follow-up (April 2020 to February 2021), the acute stress score was related to bad quality of sleep. However, acute stress, state anxiety, and burnout were all related to trait anxiety/depression, while the resilience score was invariant through time. Overall, the results emphasize the relevance of mental health screening before, during, and after an epidemic wave of infections, in order to enable coping during successive sanitary crises.