History of contact with the SARS-COV-2 virus and the sense of coherence in the development of psychological distress in the occupational health professionals in Spain

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological well-being of healthcare professionals, among them, on medical and nursing occupational specialists. This study describes the psychologi cal distress that this group has suffered, analyzing the effect that the sense of coherence related with the history of contact with infected people has generated in their mental health. Cross-sec tional descriptive study using online questionnaires. Data were collected on a sample of 499 sub jects, representing 42.0% and 38.8% of the associations of specialists in Occupational Medicine and Nursing, respectively. A univariate data analysis, independence test, and the CHAID multivari ate method were carried out. The percentage of workers with high psychological distress was higher among women than among men; this was also higher in public sector workers than in the private sector. No differences have been observed regarding psychological distress and educa tional level, coexistence, having children, working away from home, having a pet, or between being a physician or nurse. The most efficient measure to prevent psychological distress was act ing regarding the comprehensibility dimension of the sense of coherence. Sex, contact with any infected person, age, living as a couple, working in public or private centers, the availability of diagnostic tests, and the correlation with the manageability dimension were modulating factors. Sense of coherence is an effective measure to prevent psychological distress due to contact with people affected by COVID-19 in Occupational Health professionals

Adaptation and psychometric study of the scale for the measurement of fear and anxiety of COVID-19 disease in pregnant women (AMICO_Pregnant)

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1225822/full#supplementary-materialObjective: The aim of this research was to adapt and explore the psychometric properties of a specific scale to assess the levels of fear and anxiety of COVID-19 disease in pregnant women. Methods: An adaptation phase, by a panel of experts, and a psychometric descriptive cross-sectional study were carried out on the final version of the 16- item, self-administered AMICO_Pregnant scale. Univariate and bivariate analyses were carried out, followed by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The consistency of the scale was assessed using the Omega coefficient and Cronbach’s Alpha. Results: With a sample of 1,013 pregnant women living in Spain and over 18 years of age, the mean age was 33 years. The scale showed a bifactor structure (anxiety and fear) that was confirmed with good fit parameters. Reliability was assessed in terms of internal consistency by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient (0.95) and McDonald’s Omega coefficient (0.94) as indicators of robustness of the scale’s reliability. Conclusion: The AMICO_Pregnant scale of 16 items with scores ranging from 1 to 10 is a valid and reliable tool to assess levels of anxiety and fear of COVID_19 in Spanish pregnant women. Pregnant women have shown moderate levels of anxiety and fear regarding the COVID_19 disease in the final phase of the pandemic

COVID-19 information received by the Peruvian population, during the first phase of the pandemic, and its association with developing psychological distress Information about COVID-19 and distress in Peru

It is suspected that the information the population has about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) determines both its preventive measures and its effects on mental health. The internet and social media are the sources that have largely replaced the official and traditional channels of information. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the sources used by the population in Peru to obtain information on COVID-19 and its association with developing psychological distress (PD) and preventive measures against contagion. 1699 questionnaires were analysed. A previously validated instrument adapted to Peru was used. Participants were questioned about the information received regarding COVID-19, its sources, time of exposition, assessment, or beliefs about it. Mental health was measured with the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and bivariate analysis were performed, developing a classification and regression tree for PD based on beliefs and information about the pandemic. The most used source of information on COVID-19 in Peru was social media and this is associated with developing PD, both in the general population and among health professionals. The quality of the information about treatments for COVID-19 is associated with PD in the general population, whereas prognosis generates more distress among healthcare professionals. The biggest concern is transmitting the virus to family members, close persons, or patients, with more confidence in health professionals than in the health system. The health authorities should use the social media to transmit quality information about COVID-19 and, at the same time, to gather in real time the opinions on the implemented preventive measures. For all, this it is necessary to have higher credibility in the population to increase the confidence in the health system, looking at basic aspects for compliance with prevention measures and improvement of mental healt

Adaptation and initial psychometric study of the anxiety and fear of COVID-19 scale in the United Kingdom population

Objective: The aim of the study was the initial psychometric study to validate the anxiety and fear of COVID-19 (AMICO) assessment scale in the general population of the United Kingdom population. Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, psychometric validation and descriptive study was conducted, performing univariate and bivariate analyses, as well as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The sample was 658 people living in the United Kingdom over 16 years. Of the total, 80.5% were female, with a mean age of 48.25 years (SD = 14.861). A mean score for the AMICO scale of 4.85 (SD = 2.398) was obtained, with a range of scores from 1 to 10. The study of percentiles and quartiles allowed for the identification of three proposed levels of anxiety. Conclusion: The AMICO_UK scale is reliable to measure the presence of anxiety and fear related to the COVID-19 disease in the United Kingdom population. The majority of the United Kingdom population presented low levels of anxiety and fear at the time the scale was administeredFunding for open access charge: University of Huelva / CBUA

Relationship Between Psychological Distress, Burnout and Work Engagement in Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Objective: The psychological distress that the COVID-19 pandemic has produced has generated negative effects on workers, and in one way or another this has affected their work engagement within companies. The aim of this research was to assess the relationship between psychological distress, burnout and work engagement in workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA methodology, taking articles from the Scopus, Pubmed, and Web of Science databases from the beginning of the pandemic until November 2022. The methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools for non-randomised studies. Results: 24 articles were selected. All the articles found an association between psychological distress, burnout or other factors and work engagement. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on work engagement and a negative relationship with psychological distress and burnout, hence the importance of companies taking measures to minimise levels of psychological distress and burnout

Use of preventive measures, beliefs and information received about COVID-19 and their effects on mental health, in two stages of the pandemic in Colombia

Background: Several studies have highlighted the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both physical and mental health. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects on mental health in two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020 and February 2021) in the population of Colombia. Methods: Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study along two periods, April 2020 and February 2021. The sample (N=1309) was extracted from the Colombian population, only including individuals over the age of 18 and residing in Colombia during the pandemic. The IMPACTCOVID-19 questionnaire was used, previously validated in Spain and cross-culturally adapted to the Colombian population, which included sociodemographic data, use of preventive measures, information received and the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for psychological distress (PD). Participants had to sign an informed consent before taking part in the investigation. Results: A higher level of PD was observed among women (M=3.99, SD = 3.39) (p<.001), in those who lived without a partner (M=3.83, SD = 3.47) (p = .036), and in those with a worse perception of health (M=6.27, SD = 3.51) (p<.001). PD decreased in the second period from M=3.99 (SD = 3.36) to M=2.98 (SD = 3.30) (p<.001), coinciding with a higher use of preventive measures, less distress caused by COVID-19 and greater confidence in healthcare professionals and clinical structures. In the second period, the time spent in getting informed decreased, but the sources of information were the same, principally social media and official sources. Conclusions: Better information on the effects and preventive measures to prevent the pandemic improves confidence in the health system and its professionals, reducing the level of PD. There is a need for quality information on social networks and an adaptation of telemedicine to address the pandemic effects on mental health

Levels of Anxiety and Fear among Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

[Abstract] Aim. The aim of this review is to find out what levels of anxiety and fear have been shown by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Background. Health security crises affect not only physical health but also the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare professionals due to a higher level of exposure. Evaluation. A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. The literature search was carried out in the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (WoS) electronic databases based on the keywords that the research question yielded following the PECOT strategy. For the selection of articles, original articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, short communication articles, and case reports were included. Then, a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, screening the results to obtain a total of 18 articles, which were used to elaborate the study. Key Issues. Fear and anxiety levels were described in a total of 18 selected studies. The main fear-related concerns of the nurses were associated with the fear of infecting their family or friends and the fear of the death of a family member or friend. Conclusions. The main psychological impact on nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to fear, anxiety, stress, and depression. Fear of infecting family members or of being infected were the main impacts perceived by nurses. Implications for Nursing Management. In general, high scores were found for levels of fear and anxiety, although the figures varied by country and time of data collection. Resilience was considered the main tool for coping with the loss and trauma experienced by nurses

Implications of Lifestyle and Occupational Factors on the Risk of Breast Cancer in Shiftwork Nurses

Shift work that involves circadian disruption has been highlighted as a likely carcinogenic factor for breast cancer in humans. Also, unhealthy lifestyle habits observed in night work nurses could be causally related to an increase in the incidence of estrogen-positive breast tumours in this population. Assessing baseline risk of breast cancer in nurses is essential. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk of breast cancer that nurses had in relation to their lifestyle and labour factors related to shift work. A cross-sectional descriptive study through a questionnaire about sociodemographic variables, self-perception of health, and working life was designed. The sample consisted of 966 nurses. The relationship between variables was tested. A binary logistic regression and a classification and regression tree were performed. The most significant labour variables in relation to the risk of breast cancer were the number of years worked (more than 16 years; p < 0.01; OR = 8.733, 95% CI = 2.811, 27.134) and the total years performing more than 3 nights per month (10 or more years; p < 0.05; OR = 2.294, 95% CI = 1.008, 5.220). Also, the nights worked throughout life (over 500; OR = 4.190, 95% CI = 2.118, 8.287) were significant in the analysis. Nurses who had or ever had breast cancer valued their self-perceived health more negatively (p < 0.001) and referred a lower quality of sleep (p < 0.001) than the non-cases nurses. The occupational factors derived from night work could have several impacts on nurses’ health and their family-work balance. Promoting healthy lifestyles, informing about shift work risks, and adjusting shift work schedules are critical methods to decrease the possible effects of circadian disruption in nurses.This research was part of the project “Working exposure to breast cancer risk factors: night work in nursing” which was funded by the Andalusian Institute for the Prevention of Occupational Hazards (IAPRL) 17 June 2019

Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the UK general population: A cross-sectional study

There is still a generalized feeling of uncertainty in the population due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as restrictions on daily routines and social contact, accompanied by a large number of infections, negatively affect different areas of people’s lives and, therefore, their mental health. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the general UK population, using the Anxiety and Fear to COVID-19 Assessment Scale (Ansiedad y Miedo al COVID-19) (AMICO) scale. A descriptive, cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted in a sample of the UK general population in 2021. Socio-demographic and employment variables were included. The AMICO scale was included to measure fear and anxiety about COVID-19. The relationship between variables was studied with a categorical regression analysis. In general, participants regarded themselves as well-informed about the pandemic, although 62.6% had only received 1 dose of the vaccine. Regarding the AMICO scale the total score was 4.85 (out of 10; standard deviation 2.398). Women showed higher scores for the AMICO than men. The bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in relation to self-confidence, amount of information received, and vaccination variables as related to the mean AMICO scores. An average level of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 is shown in the general UK population, which is lower than most of the studies that assessed the impact of the pandemic on the general population

Work Engagement, Work Environment, and Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Ecuador

Work environments can interfere with the mental health of workers as generators or reducers of psychological distress. Work engagement is a concept related to quality of life and efficiency at work. The aim of this study was to find the relationship between work environment factors and work engagement among the Ecuadorian general population during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their levels of psychological distress. For this purpose, a crosssectional, descriptive study using a set of questionnaires was performed. Sociodemographic and work environment data, work engagement (UWES-9 scale) scores, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scores were collected. The variables that predicted 70.2% of psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic were being female, with a low level of vigour (work engagement dimension), being stressed at work, and low job satisfaction. The sample showed an intermediate level of engagement in both the global assessment and the three dimensions, being higher in those without psychological distress. With effective actions on work environment factors, mental health effects may be efficiently prevented, and work engagement may be benefited. Companies can reduce workers’ psychological distress by providing safe and effective means to prevent the risk of contagion; reducing the levels of work conflict, work stress, or workload; and supporting their employees with psychological measures in order to maintain ideal working condition