Tag: Healthcare Worker

What are the Challenges of Mental Healthcare during COVID-19?

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

Current and Future Challenges in the Delivery of Mental Healthcare during COVID-19.

Background

The USA is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers assess the impact of COVID-19 on psychiatric symptoms in healthcare workers, those with psychiatric comorbidities, and the general population.

They highlight the challenges ahead and discuss the increased relevance of telepsychiatry.

Methods

The researchers analysed all available literature available as of 25 March 2020, on PubMed, Ovid Medline, and PsychInfo.

They utilised the MeSH term “covid AND (psychiatry OR mental health)” and included all articles.

Duplicates were removed resulting in 32 articles, of which 19 are cited. Four additional references are included to examine suicide data. During the review process, an additional 7 articles were identified which are also included.

Results

Frontline healthcare workers are currently experiencing increased psychiatric symptoms and this is more severe in females and nurses. Non-frontline healthcare workers, as well as the general population, are experiencing vicarious traumatisation.

People with psychiatric comorbidities, and the general population, face increased psychiatric symptom burden. Migrant workers, the elderly, children, and the homeless may be disproportionately impacted. Suicide rates may be impacted.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a severe disruption to the delivery of mental healthcare.

Psychiatric facilities are facing unprecedented disruptions in care provision as they struggle to manage an infected population with comorbid psychiatric symptoms.

Telepsychiatry is a flawed but reasonable solution to increase the availability of mental healthcare during COVID-19.

Reference

Gautam, M., Thakrar, A., Akinyemi, E. & Mahr, G. (2020) Current and Future Challenges in the Delivery of Mental Healthcare during COVID-19. SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine. 1-6. doi: 10.1007/s42399-020-00348-3. Online ahead of print.

Is the Mental Health Literacy Scale for Healthcare Students (MHLS-HS) Useful for Identifying Gaps in Student Knowledge?

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

Mental Health Literacy in Healthcare Students: An Expansion of the Mental Health Literacy Scale.

Background

Although the recently developed mental health literacy scale showed significant score differences between general population and mental health professionals, to this date there is no published scale intended to specifically assess mental health literacy (MHL) in healthcare students.

This study constructed a 26-item scale-based measure to assess multiple components of MHL and associated psychometric properties in a sample of medical and public health students of 11 universities in Taiwan.

Methods

The development and validation of the scale comprised three phases: measure development, pilot testing (n = 32), and psychometric properties examination (n = 1294).

Results

26 items were generated for five factors:

  1. Maintenance of positive mental health;
  2. Recognition of mental illness;
  3. Attitude to mental illness stigma;
  4. Help-seeking efficacy; and
  5. Help-seeking attitude.

The scale demonstrated good:

  • Content validity;
  • Internal consistency; and
  • Construct validity (factorial validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and known groups validity).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the Mental Health Literacy Scale for Healthcare Students (MHLS-HS) is a valid, reliable, and practical tool for identifying MHL gaps in medical and public health students.

It has the potential to inform remedial curricular interventions for educators and evaluate intervention effectiveness.

Reference

Chao, H-J., Lien, Y-J., Kao, Y-C., Tasi, I-C., Lin, H-S. & Lien, Y-Y. (2020) Mental Health Literacy in Healthcare Students: An Expansion of the Mental Health Literacy Scale. International Journal of of Environmental Reaearch and Public Health. 17(3), pp.948. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17030948.

Coronavirus: Healthcare Workers & their Mental Health

Published on by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background

Health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be psychologically stressed.

Objective: To assess the magnitude of mental health outcomes and associated factors among health care workers treating patients exposed to COVID-19 in China.

Methods

This cross-sectional, survey-based, region-stratified study collected demographic data and mental health measurements from 1257 health care workers in 34 hospitals from January 29, 2020, to February 3, 2020, in China. Health care workers in hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 were eligible.

The degree of symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress was assessed by the Chinese versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, the 7-item Insomnia Severity Index, and the 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with mental health outcomes.

Results

A total of 1,257 of 1,830 contacted individuals completed the survey, with a participation rate of 68.7%. A total of 813 (64.7%) were aged 26 to 40 years, and 964 (76.7%) were women. Of all participants, 764 (60.8%) were nurses, and 493 (39.2%) were physicians; 760 (60.5%) worked in hospitals in Wuhan, and 522 (41.5%) were frontline health care workers.

A considerable proportion of participants reported symptoms of depression (634 [50.4%]), anxiety (560 [44.6%]), insomnia (427 [34.0%]), and distress (899 [71.5%]).

Nurses, women, frontline health care workers, and those working in Wuhan, China, reported more severe degrees of all measurements of mental health symptoms than other health care workers (eg, median [IQR] Patient Health Questionnaire scores among physicians vs nurses: 4.0 [1.0-7.0] vs 5.0 [2.0-8.0]; P = .007; median [interquartile range {IQR}] Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale scores among men vs women: 2.0 [0-6.0] vs 4.0 [1.0-7.0]; P < .001; median [IQR] Insomnia Severity Index scores among frontline vs second-line workers: 6.0 [2.0-11.0] vs 4.0 [1.0-8.0]; P < .001; median [IQR] Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores among those in Wuhan vs those in Hubei outside Wuhan and those outside Hubei: 21.0 [8.5-34.5] vs 18.0 [6.0-28.0] in Hubei outside Wuhan and 15.0 [4.0-26.0] outside Hubei; P < .001).

Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed participants from outside Hubei province were associated with lower risk of experiencing symptoms of distress compared with those in Wuhan (odds ratio [OR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43-0.88; P = .008).

Frontline health care workers engaged in direct diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with COVID-19 were associated with a higher risk of symptoms of depression (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.11-2.09; P = .01), anxiety (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.22-2.02; P < .001), insomnia (OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.92-4.60; P < .001), and distress (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.25-2.04; P < .001).

Conclusions

In this survey of heath care workers in hospitals equipped with fever clinics or wards for patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan and other regions in China, participants reported experiencing psychological burden, especially nurses, women, those in Wuhan, and frontline health care workers directly engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, and care for patients with COVID-19.

Reference

Jianbo, Lai., Simeng, Ma., Ying, Wang., Zhongxiang, Cai., Jianbo, Hu., Ning, Wei., Jiang, Wu., Hui, Du., Tingting, Chen., Ruiting, Li., Huawei, Tan., Lijun, Kang., Lihua, Yao., Manli, Huang., Huafen, Wang., Gaohua, Wang., Zhongchun, Liu. & Shaohua, Hu. (2020) Factors Associated With Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA Network Open. 3(3):e203976. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976.