“Feeling Trapped in Prison” Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perceptions and Practices among Healthcare Workers and Prison Staff from a Brazilian Maximum Security Unit

The COVID-19 pandemic had several repercussions on prison staff, but the currently available evidence has mainly ignored these effects. This qualitative study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the prison system through the narratives of health and security professionals, using the methodological framework of the constructivist grounded theory proposed by Charmaz. The sample included 10 healthcare workers and 10 security professionals. Data collection took place between October and November 2022 through individual in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using the MaxQDA software. Three categories of interrelated data emerged: (1) “Confrontation and disruption” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the prison system; (2) “Between disinfodemic and solicitude” referring to the tension between information management and the practice of care centered on the needs of inmates; and, finally, (3) “Reorganization and mitigation strategies during the fight against COVID-19”. Continuous education and the development of specific skills are essential to enable professionals to face the challenges and complex demands that arise in prison contexts. The daily routines professionals had previously taken for granted were disrupted by COVID-19. Thus, investing in adequate training and emotional support programs is crucial to promote the resilience and well-being of these professionals, ensuring an efficient and quality response to critical events.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Meanings and Experiences of Prisoners and Family Members Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Brazilian Prison Unit: A Grounded Theory Analysis

Funding: This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brasil (CAPES) (finance code 001). This work was also supported by the Fundaçãopara a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), I.P. (UIDB/05704/2020 and UIDP/05704/2020), and the Scientific Employment Stimulus—Institutional Call (CEECINST/00051/2018).Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic represented a health emergency for prisons. This study sought to understand the meanings and experiences through the narratives of prisoners and family members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a maximum-security state penitentiary complex in southern Brazil. For this purpose, a qualitative study was developed based on the methodological framework of constructivist grounded theory. Data were collected between February and August 2022 through individual in-depth interviews and field notes. The sample consisted of 41 participants: 28 male prisoners, and 13 family members. Guided by the Charmaz method of grounded theory analysis, the study afforded the core category “Feeling trapped in prison during the COVID-19 pandemic” with three interrelated phases: “Triggering”, “Escalating”, and “Readjustment”. The “Triggering” phase refers to COVID-19-related elements or events that triggered certain reactions, processes, or changes in prison. During the “Escalating” phase, participants became overwhelmed by the suffering caused by incarceration and the pandemic crisis. The “Readjustment” phase involved adapting, reorienting, or reformulating previous approaches or strategies for dealing with a specific situation. Prisons faced complex challenges during the pandemic and were forced to prioritize protecting public health. However, the measures adopted must be carefully evaluated, ensuring their needs and that they are based on scientific evidence. The punitive approach can undermine inmate trust in prison authorities, making it difficult to report symptoms and adhere to preventive measures. © 2023 by the authors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Perceived quality of life and associated factors in long COVID syndrome among older Brazilians: A cross‐sectional study

Funding information Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações - Brazil; Ministério da Saúde - Brazil; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico Tecnológico (CNPq) - Brazil, Grant/Award Number: 402882/2020–2; FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia - Portugal: Scientific Employment Stimulus-Institutional Call, Grant/Award Number: CEECINST/00051/2018Aims and objectives This paper aims to: (a) determine the personal, sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural, and social characteristics of older Brazilians with clinical evidence of long COVID; (b) evaluate perceived quality of life and determine its association with personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical and social variables; and (c) assess significant predictors of high perceived QoL. Background Given the inherent vulnerabilities of the ageing process, the older people are an at-risk group for both contagion of SARS-CoV-2 and the perpetuation of residual symptoms after infection, the so-called long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. Design A cross-sectional survey design using the STROBE checklist. Methods Brazilian older people with long COVID syndrome (n = 403) completed a phone survey measuring personal, sociodemographic, behavioural, clinical, and social characteristics, and perceived Quality of Life (QoL). Data were collected from June 2021–March 2022. A multiple linear regression model was performed to identify salient variables associated with high perceived QoL. Results The mean age of participants was 67.7 ± 6.6 years old. The results of the multivariate regression model showed that race, home ownership, daily screen time, musculoskeletal and anxiety symptoms, and work situation were the significant predictors of QoL among COVID-19 survivors. Conclusions Knowledge about the persistence of physical, emotional, and social symptoms of COVID-19 can help nurses and other healthcare providers to improve the management of survivors, bringing benefits to the whole society. Relevance to clinical practice Given the novelty of long-COVID and its heterogeneous trajectory, interventions focusing on the repercussions and requirements unique to more vulnerable older persons should be developed and these aspects should be included in public health recommendations and policymakers' concerns. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution was required to design, to outcome measures or undertake this research. Patients/members of the public contributed only to the data collection.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio