Vaccination day and perceived stress among university teachers

Introduction

Covid-19 vaccination in adults become a common behaviour nowadays. It may induce stress in some of the vaccinated patients.

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate perceived Stress among university teachers desiring to be vaccinated.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study on Tunisian university teachers who participated in a COVID-19 vaccination campaign organized in June 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was administered. The survey dealt with socio-professional data and the level of stress assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).

Results

A total of 100 participants were included. The mean age was 51 years ±7. The Sex Ratio (M/F) was 1.7. The majority of participants were married and reported living with their families (96%). On a 0 to 10 scale, 71% of participants described an excellent health status and rated it greater than or equal to 8. The average job tenure was 15 years. The PSS-10 showed moderate and high perceived stress in 86% and 4% of participants, respectively. Only 10% of university teachers presented low-stress perception.

Conclusions

Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is crucial in order to protect the population. This behaviour could be associated with a big amount of stress. Taking into account the psychiatric mental condition is crucial for the vaccinating health care providers in order to alleviate this experience.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Mental health and life satisfaction among nurses: a cross-sectional study

Introduction

Nursing is highly demanding and stressful profession. Therefore, maintaining and improving psychological wellbeing among nurses seems essential to have a better life satisfaction and a better productivity.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between mental health and life satisfaction among nurses.

Methods

The study was conducted in a group of active nurses from Hedi Chaker hospital in Sfax- Tunisia. Standardized questionnaires were used, including the general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the satisfaction with life scale (SWLS).

Results

A total of 100 (males = 40; females = 60) nurses participated in this study. The mean age was 50.20 ±7.20 years. The average of job tenure was 25.25 ± 9.70 years. The majority of participants (66.7%) reported having chronic diseases. Rotating shifts work was noted in 72.50% of cases. Average scores for the GHQ-28 and the SWLS were respectively 30.66 ± 11.07 and 21.61± 6.23. The presence of chronic conditions was associated with psychological distress (higher GHQ-28 scores) (p = 0.01). Life satisfaction score was positively correlated with age (r= 0.29, p= 0.023), whereas it was negatively correlated with GHQ-28 scores (r= -0.36, p= 0.01). Low life satisfaction (SWLS scores between 5 and 14) was significantly associated with three domains of the GHQ-28: somatic symptoms (p = 0.008), anxiety (p = 0.001) and social dysfunction (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

According to our study, low life satisfaction was associated with psychological disorder. Hence, nurses need support and subsequent interventions in order to improve psychological wellbeing and life-satisfaction.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Psychosocial determinants of job satisfaction: the case of employees of a Tunisian electricity and gas company

Introduction

Over the past decades, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated the impact of the psychosocial work environment on workers’ health, safety and wellbeing. These factors may also affect employees ’job satisfaction.

Objectives

To explore psychosocial determinants of job satisfaction among workers in a Tunisian electricity and gas company.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among male workers in a Tunisian electricity and gas company. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), the Job Content Questionnaire and the general health questionnaire (GHQ12) were used to assess psychosocial risk factors at work. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to assess correlations between instruments ’scores. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to explore the specific factors associated with job satisfaction. Data were analysed using R software.

Results

A total of 83 workers participated in the survey (the age range: 21-60 years). Job satisfaction score varied from 0 to 100% with a mean of 73.09 %. In the PCA, job satisfaction had a positive correlation with high social support and a negative one with work-family conflicts, a high psychological demand, stress, burnout and quantitative demands. In multivariate analysis, factors negatively associated with job satisfaction were: age, stress and low social support. In contrast, seniority was positively associated with job satisfaction.

Conclusions

Job satisfaction is deeply influenced by the psychosocial work environment. Therefore, it is necessary to provide supervision, communication, and social support for these workers to increase or maintain a high level of job satisfaction.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Anxiety and depression among victims of work-related upper extremity injuries

Introduction

Being a victim of work-related upper extremity injuries is a source of physical damage and mental damages. Psychological distress related to this type of accident is usually underestimated.

Objectives

Evaluate anxiety and depression among victims of work-related upper extremity injuries.

Methods

We conducted a 10-month cross-sectional analysis on workers consulting for an Impairment Rating Evaluation after an upper extremity injury due to an occupational accident. We collected socio-professional data, characteristics and outcomes of the accident. Anxiety and depression were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. The pain was evaluated by a Visual Analogue Scale.

Results

Our population consisted of 90 cases of work-related upper-extremity injuries. The mean age was 43.10 and the sex ratio 3.7. The most represented category was blue-collar workers (71.1%). Medical history of chronic diseases was reported in 23% of cases and 3.3 % had mental health antecedent. Dominant upper limb injuries were found in 62% of cases. Hand and wrist injuries were the most affected part (63%), and 33.3% had fingers’ injuries. The prevalence of anxiety and depression were 31.1% and 20% respectively. About thirty-one per cent rated their current pain greater than or equal to 8. Both anxiety and depression were positively correlated with male gender (p= 0.001, p=0.007) and shoulder injuries (p=0.001, p=0.018). Depression was correlated to fingers’ injuries and pain (p=0.002).

Conclusions

The studied population present an important rate of anxiety and depression. Assessing Mental health after upper extremities injuries are necessary to prevent serious mental illness and to promote a successful return to work.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Perceived Stress and risk of infection among Covid-19 frontline Healthcare workers

Introduction

Working at Covid-19 frontline may threaten physical and mental health healthcare workers (HCWs). Assessing perceived Stress in HCWs is important to prevent serious mental illness

Objectives

Assess the association between perceived stress and risk perception among healthcare workers working in the Covid-19 unit.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among healthcare workers working in a COVID-19 unit between March and July 2021 through a self-administered questionnaire. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to assess perceived stress. The perceived risk of getting infected was assessed by a 5-item Likert Scale. The perceived risk of family members’ infection was evaluated by a Scale from 0 to 10.

Results

A total of 85 participants were included. The mean age was 31±6 years. About 87% of participants lived with their families. Seventy-six per cent of HCWs rated their health status greater than or equal to 8/10. A percentage of 18,8% of HCWs have been infected with the Covid-19. Our population consisted of 44.7% technicians and 24,7% nurses, and 80% of the participants reported direct contact with COVID-19 confirmed patients. The level of the perceived risk of getting infected was high to very high in 95% of the HCWs. The mean score of the perceived risk of family members contracting the virus was 5.7 and 27,1% rated it greater than or equal to 8. The PSS-10 showed moderate and high perceived stress in 82,3% and 7,1% of participants, respectively. Only 10,6% of HCWs presented low-stress perception.

Conclusions

Frontline healthcare providers have high perceived stress and are at risk of mental health disorders

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Quality of life in midwives after post-traumatic stress disorders

Introduction

Post-traumatic stress disorder frequently alters the quality of life.

Objectives

Assess the quality of life in midwives who have post-traumatic stress disorder.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among midwives in a single university hospital centre using a self-administered questionnaire. We screened post-traumatic stress disorder using the Impact of event scale and the quality of life using 5 items Likert scale.

Results

Our response rate was 82%. Out of 42 midwives who answered us, 18 had post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (42.8%). They were all female. Their mean age was 45.6± 10.3 years. The traumatic event occurred mainly at work and was related to the death of a mother or a baby. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were severe in 5 midwives. The quality of life was altered in 38.8% of participants. Both post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and alteration of the quality of life were more frequent in patients who don’t have leisure activities.

Conclusions

In conclusion, midwives are vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Encouraging sports and other leisure activities may protect them from having severe repercussions on their life.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Occupational stress and musculoskeletal symptoms in a Tunisian footwear industry

Introduction

A growing body of literature has documented that occupational stress is associated with increased risks of musculoskeletal injuries or symptoms.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of occupational stress on the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms among workers in a Tunisian footwear industry.

Methods

Material and methods: This was an exhaustive and cross-sectional study including workers in a footwear industry. Musculoskeletal symptoms were assessed using a modified Nordic questionnaire. We used the Job Demand/Control model of Karasek to measure occupational stress. The Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method was used as an ergonomic risk assessment tool. Data were analysed using R software.

Results

A total of 337 workers participated in the survey (the age range: 18-60 years). A total of 83.7 of workers reported musculoskeletal symptoms at one site or more. Elbows and upper back were the most symptomatic sites in respectively 84% and 65%. We noted job-strain and iso-strain situations in respectively 57% and 32%. In 78.1% of the workers studied, the QEC score was high and very high in 21.9%. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression model showed that iso-strain situation was associated with the number of symptomatic sites (p= 0.0003, OR=1.34), having musculoskeletal symptoms in elbows (p= 0.03, OR=2.33) and upper back (p=0.009, OR=2.40), and the final QEC score (p= 0.018, OR= 1.04).

Conclusions

Occupational stress constitutes a significant risk for this leather industry. It is associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the workplace and with work-related biomechanical exposure.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Rotational (de)-excitation of C5 by collision with He at low temperature

An appropriate estimation of the abundance of the observed C₅ radical in the interstellar medium requires accurate radiative and collisional rate coefficients. We present the first two-dimensional potential energy surface (2D-PES) for the ground electronic state of the C₅(X¹Σ⁺)-He(X¹S) van der Waals system, obtained using an explicitly correlated coupled-cluster method with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations (RCCSD(T)-F12). This PES is subsequently used in quantum close-coupling (CC) scattering calculations. Collisional excitation cross-sections of the rotational levels of C₅ by He were calculated for energies up to 1500 cm^-1 using the standard (CC) method. The thermal dependence of the corresponding rate coefficients is given for the low and moderate temperature T ≤ 300 K regime of interstellar molecular clouds. This is the first study on the collisional rate coefficients for this system and may have important implications for the astrophysical detection of C₅(X¹Σ⁺) and modeling of carbon-rich media.

Rotational quenching of an interstellar gas thermometer: CH3CNHe collisions

Among all the molecular species found in the interstellar medium, molecules with threefold symmetry axes play a special role, as their rotational spectroscopy allows them to act as practical gas thermometers. Methyl-cyanide (CH3CN) is the second most abundant of those (after ammonia). We compute in this paper the collisional dynamics of methyl-cyanide in collision with helium, for both the A- and the E-symmetries of CH3CN. The potential energy surface is determined using the CCSD(T)-F12b formalism and fit with convenient analytic functions. We compute the rotationally inelastic cross sections for all levels up to 510 cm-1 of collision energy, employing at low energy exact Coupled Channels methods, and at higher energies, approximate Coupled States methods. For temperatures from 7 K up to 300 K, rates of quenching are computed and most are found to differ from those reported earlier (up to a factor of a thousand), calling for a possible reexamination of the temperatures assigned to low density gasses.

Interaction of the simple carbene c-C3H2with H2: potential energy surface and low-energy scattering

Cyclopropenylidene, c-C₃H₂, is a simple hydrocarbon, ubiquitous in astrophysical gases, and possessing a permanent electric dipole moment.

Rotational (de)-excitation of cyclic and linear C3H2 by collision with He

In astrochemistry, the carbenes c- and l-C₃H₂ are the lightest hydrocarbons to be detectable by rotational spectroscopy. We compute their interaction energy with helium atoms and the collisional quenching rates.

Collisional excitation of interstellar CCN(X2Π) induced by He

The CCN radical has been recently detected in the interstellar medium. Accurate modeling of its abundance in such media requires one to model its excitation by both radiation and collisions. Here, we report the first quantum mechanical close-coupling study of CCN-He collisions. Calculations of fine-structure resolved excitation cross sections of CCN(X²Π) induced by collision with He are performed for kinetic energies below 500 cm^-1. The calculations are based on new two-dimensional potential energy surfaces obtained from coupled cluster approaches. We found that the inelastic cross sections for spin-orbit conserving transitions are larger than those for spin-orbit changing transitions. The new collisional data should significantly help the interpretation of interstellar CCN emission lines observed with current and future telescopes and we expect that they will allow accurate determination of the CCN abundance in the interstellar medium, which is crucial to understand the chemistry of carbon chain species in the interstellar gas.

Rotational Excitation of the CP(Χ2Σ+) Open Shell Molecule Due to Collision with He(1S)

Phosphorus bearing molecules have been discovered in the circumstellar and interstellar media. Modeling their abundance accurately requires computations of rate coefficients induced by collision with He and H₂ (i.e., the most abundant gaseous components). These calculations may be carried out by first determining highly accurate potential energy surface (PES) and cross sections. In this paper, we present the first PES of the CP(X²Σ⁺)-He(¹S) van der Waals collisional complex. The ab initio interaction potential was performed using the explicitly correlated restricted coupled cluster approach with simple, double, and perturbative triple excitation (RCCSD(T)-F12) in connection with the augmented-correlation consistent-polarized valence triple-ζ Gaussian basis set (aug-cc-pVTZ). The potential presents two minima of -18.62 cm^-1 and -18.72 cm^-1. From the PES obtained, we have computed state-to-state excitation cross sections of CP due to collision with He for energies up to 500 cm^-1. Rotational transitions involving the fine-structure levels of the CP molecule were treated with a recoupling technique based on the scattering matrix calculated with the exact quantum mechanical close coupling method. Discussions on the propensity rules between the fine-structure levels were made and we found that the Δj = ΔN transitions are favored with respect to the Δj ≠ ΔN ones. The data presented in this paper may have a great impact on the accurate determination of the CP abundance in space.

Newab initiopotential energy surface for the (HOCO+-He) van der Waals complex

A three-dimensional potential energy surface has been calculated for the ground electronic state of the HOCO+-He system. The calculations were performed at the coupled electron pair approximation level with an extended basis set which ensures a balance between accuracy and feasability. The validity of the method and of the basis set was tested through calculations of the polarizability of the He atom and of the spectroscopic constants of the HOCO+ ion. The calculated potential energy surface has been fitted to a spherical harmonic expansion to facilitate calculations of rotational excitation of HOCO+ by collisions with He.