Acute Stress Disorder Among Frontline Health Professionals During the COVID-19 Outbreak: A Structural Equation Modeling Investigation

Somatic symptoms associated with mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this article was to systematically review the prevalence of somatic symptoms in patients, healthcare workers and general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary objectives were to record the association between somatic symptoms and indices of mental distress and to record the qualitative characteristics of such somatic complaints.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA methodology we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar for primary research reporting on somatic symptoms in association with mental distress. We specifically sought papers reporting on bodily distress disorder, somatic symptoms disorder or medically unexplained symptoms.

RESULTS

1569 papers were retrieved, which yielded 36 relevant studies after screening. 15 studies referred to healthcare workers, 13 to general population, 5 to COVID-19 patients, 2 compared medical with non-medical professionals and 1 was studying COVID-19 patients some of which were also healthcare workers. The reported prevalence of somatic symptoms ranged from 7.4% to 67.8%. Commonly seen symptoms were shortness of breath, dyspnea, palpitations and pain in arms, legs and joints.

CONCLUSIONS

Our systematic review suggests that somatic symptoms are very frequent during the pandemic and are often linked to mental distress. All three population groups are affected.

Bibliometric visualisation of industrial and organisational psychology during COVID-19 pandemic: Insight for future research

Orientation

Industrial and organisational psychology (IOP) researchers have shown their contribution to solving COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace through the enormous number of studies.

Research purpose

This study intended to map IOP research related to the COVID-19 crisis to provide the research issues that have emerged and potential for future research.

Motivation for the study

All the IOP levels (worker, team and organisation) were impacted by COVID-19, and they continuously change. Researchers must be careful in directing their research and avoid focusing on certain levels or problems.

Research approach/design and method

A bibliometric visualisation analysis method was adopted in this study.

Main findings

The bibliometric results showed that the prominent keywords in IOP research-related COVID-19 are ‘human(s)’, ‘COVID-19’, keywords related to subject characteristics and mental health. Six clusters on the map showed the prominent themes: mental health, health care workers as the research subject, specific workplace issues, digital technology, methodologies used, and country. Furthermore, in every cluster, the depth overview of study results is presented. The top issues were at the worker-level, while the organisational-level issues gained limited attention.

Practical/managerial implications

For practitioners and managers, this study provides a complete picture of emerging issues during COVID-19 crisis ranging from causes, risk factors and solutions. For researchers, this study can provide insight for further research.

Contribution/value-add

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the IOP issues related-COVID-19 that will be beneficial as the basis for policymaking and recommendations for future potential areas.

Acute Stress among Nurses in Sweden during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sweden was hit hard in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with deaths per capita among the highest in Europe. The pandemic was a stressful time especially for healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients. Various studies have evaluated whether nurses caring for these patients had higher levels of acute stress, but typically with measures that either used older DSM-IV criteria for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) or general measures of acute stress. We recruited an online sample (N = 101) of nurses in Sweden from COVID-19 specialized units (ICU), Emergency (ER), and other units (Other), and asked them to answer questionnaires retrospectively to the peak of infections in Sweden. We aimed to evaluate: 1) the psychometric properties of the translation of the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire-II (SASRQ-II, which follows DSM-5 criteria for ASD) into Swedish, 2) whether nurses in COVID-19 units had experienced more acute stress than nurses in other units, and 3) the extent of potential acute stress disorder. The SASRQ-II evidenced good construct, convergent and divergent validity, and good reliability. It showed that ICU nurses reported significantly more acute stress than the other two groups, a difference that could not be accounted for by demographic or other variables. A retrospective diagnosis of ASD using the SASRQ-II suggested that 60% of nurses might have fulfilled ASD criteria, but no differences across groups were found.

Acute stress disorder in patients with accidental traumatic fractures: What can we do

AIM

To evaluate the potential influencing factors of acute stress disorder (ASD) in patients with accidental traumatic fractures to provide evidence for clinical nursing care.

DESIGN

A retrospective study.

METHODS

Patients with traumatic fractures treated in our hospital from 1 January 2020 to 30 November 2021 were included. The characteristics of ASD and no ASD patients were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 468 patients with traumatic fractures were included, the incidence of ASD was 28.20%. Logistic regression analysis showed that age ≤50 years (OR2.918, 95% CI1.994 ~ 3.421), female (OR2.074, 95% CI1.489 ~ 3.375), AIS-ISS at admission ≥20 (OR3.981, 95% CI2.188 ~ 5.091), VAS at admission≥7 (OR2.804, 95% CI2.027 ~ 3.467), introverted personality (OR1.722, 95%CI1.314 ~ 2.432) and CD-RISC at admission≤60 (OR3.026, 95% CI2.338 ~ 4.769) were the risk factors of ASD in patients with traumatic fractures (all p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The development of ASD in patients with traumatic fractures is affected by multiple factors. Medical workers should take early and timely management and nursing measures for related risk factors to reduce the occurrence of ASD.

The impact of COVID-19 on social support perception and stress of prehospital care providers

Background

This study seeks to explore the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on the social support perception and acute stress disorder of prehospital care providers (PCPs) in the province of Denizli.

Methods

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between December 25, 2020 and January 25, 2021. Out of 510 ambulatory care staff constituting the study population, there were 287 PCPs (%56.2), including 13 physicians, 89 paramedics, 134 emergency medical technicians, and 51 individuals from other occupational groups (nurse, driver, cleaning staff, medical secretary) based at emergency health services. The data collection tools employed in the study include an introductory information form, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and National Stressful Events Survey Acute Stress Disorder Short Scale (NSESSS), which was organized as an online questionnaire.

Results

We analyzed the data from 287 PCPs that completed the form and scales. The mean score of the NSESSS was calculated as 1.53 ± 0.79. The PCPs who experienced health problems (1.85 ± 0.69), suffered from mental problems and received psychotherapy and medication (2.57 ± 0.57), encountered COVID-19 patients (1.58 ± 0.8), provided care for COVID-19 patients (1.59 ± 0.79), and took polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests (1.68 ± 0.78) had higher acute stress symptom levels. The total mean score of MSPSS was calculated as 66.28 ± 17.22. Total MSPSS scores of the participants varied significantly in terms of age, marital status, taking a COVID-19 test, suffering from mental problems, status of encountering a COVID-19 patient, and workplace satisfaction (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The findings are suggestive of high perceptions of multidimensional social support and low acute stress symptom levels of the PCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

Do environmental pollutants carrier to COVID-19 pandemic? A cross-sectional analysis

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly transmitted disease that spreads all over the globe in a short period. Environmental pollutants are considered one of the carriers to spread the COVID-19 pandemic through health damages. Carbon emissions, PM2.5 emissions, nitrous oxide emissions, GHG, and other GHG emissions are mainly judged separately in the earlier studies in different economic settings. The study hypothesizes that environmental pollutants adversely affect healthcare outcomes, likely to infected people by contagious diseases, including coronavirus cases. The subject matter is vital to analyze the preventive healthcare theory by using different environmental pollutants on the COVID-19 factors: total infected cases, total death cases, and case fatality ratio, in a large cross-section of 119 countries. The study employed the generalized least square (GLS) method for robust inferences. The results show that GHG and CO2 emissions are critical factors likely to increase total coronavirus cases and death rates. On the other hand, nitrous oxide, carbon, and transport emissions increase the case fatality ratio through healthcare damages. The study concludes that stringent environmental policies and improving healthcare infrastructure can control coronavirus cases across countries.

Exploring the Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Dental Team: Preparedness, Psychological Impacts and Emotional Reactions

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed increased demands on clinical staff in primary dental care due to a variety of uncertainties. Current reports on staff responses have tended to be brief enquiries without some theoretical explanation supported by developed measurement systems.

Aim: To investigate features of health and well-being as an outcome of the uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 for dentists and dental health professionals in primary dental care and for those in training. In addition, the study examined the well-being indices with reference to normative values. Finally a theoretical model was explored to explain depressive symptoms and investigate its generalisability across dentists and dental health professionals in primary dental care and those in postgraduate training.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of dental trainees and primary dental care staff in Scotland was conducted in June to October 2020. Assessment was through “Portal,” an online tool used for course bookings/management administered by NHS Education for Scotland. A non-probability convenience sample was employed to recruit participants. The questionnaire consisted of four multi-item scales including: preparedness (14 items of the DPPPS), burnout (the 9 item emotional exhaustion subscale and 5 items of the depersonalisation subscale of the MBI), the 22 item Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and depressive symptomatology using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2. Analysis was performed to compare the levels of these assessments between trainees and primary dental care staff and a theoretically based path model to explain depressive symptomology, utilising structural equation modelling.

Results: Approximately, 27% of all 329 respondents reported significant depressive symptomology and 55% of primary care staff rated themselves as emotionally exhausted. Primary care staff (n = 218) felt less prepared for managing their health, coping with uncertainty and financial insecurity compared with their trainee (n = 111) counterparts (all p's < 0.05). Depressive symptomology was rated higher than reported community samples (p < 0.05) The overall fit of the raw data applied to the theoretical model confirmed that preparedness (negative association) and trauma associated with COVID-19 (positive association) were significant factors predicting lowered mood (chi-square = 46.7, df = 21, p = 0.001; CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.03). Burnout was indirectly implicated and a major path from trauma to burnout was found to be significant in primary care staff but absent in trainees (p < 0.002).

Conclusion: These initial findings demonstrate the possible benefit of resourcing staff support and interventions to assist dental staff to prepare during periods of high uncertainty resulting from the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

A cross-sectional study of the psychological status of 33,706 hospital workers at the late stage of the COVID-19 outbreak

BACKGROUND

Hospital workers have been under intense psychological pressure since the COVID-19 outbreak. We analyzed the psychological status of hospital staff in the late period of the COVID-19 to provide a basis for the construction of global health care after the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHODS

We used online surveys to assess participants' self-reported symptoms at the late stage of the outbreak. This study collected data on sociodemographic characteristics, epidemic-related factors, psychological status (PHQ-9, GAD-7, and PHQ-15), psychological assistance needs, perceived stress and support, PTSD symptoms (PCL-C) and suicidal and self-injurious ideation (SSI). Participants were hospital workers in all positions from 46 hospitals. Chi-square tests to compare the scales and logistic regression analysis were used to identify risk factors for PTSD and SSI.

RESULTS

Among the 33,706 participants, the prevalences of depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, PTSD symptoms, and SSI were 35.8%, 24.4%, 49.7%, 5.0%, and 1.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that work in a general ward, attention to the epidemic, high education, work in non-first-line departments, insufficient social support, and anxiety and somatization symptoms were influencing factors of PTSD (P<0.05). The independent risk factors for SSI were female gender; psychological assistance needs; contact with severe COVID-19 patients; high stress at work; single or divorced marital status; insufficient social support; and depression, anxiety or PTSD symptoms (P<0.05).

LIMITATIONS

This cross-sectional study could not reveal causality, and voluntary participation may have led to selection bias. The longer longitudinal studies are needed to determine the long-term psychological impact.

CONCLUSION

This COVID-19 pandemic had a sustained, strong psychological impact on hospital workers, and hospital workers with PTSD symptoms were a high-risk group for SSI in the later period of the epidemic. Continuous attention and positive psychological intervention are of great significance for specific populations.

Emotional distress, occupational stress and burnout among Family Doctors in Europe: Monitoring and testing of interventions is required

In recent years, the medical literature from a wide range of medical specialities has exploded with publications on the theme of emotional distress, stress and burnout in the practice of medicine. Improving the work-life of health care providers is necessary to optimise health system performance. COVID-19 has caused considerable additional pressure on health services across Europe and there have been calls for interventions to address the psychological and occupational stress caused by the pandemic. Although there is an ongoing need to monitor these factors among family physicians, and other staff working in primary care across Europe, we must also identify supports and promote them. Further research is needed to explore causative factors and provide convincing evidence in relation to effective interventions.

Pain experience and mood disorders during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: an opportunistic study

INTRODUCTION

The unknown and uncontrollable situation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have triggered changes in pain, anxiety, and depression along with a perception of nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms.

OBJECTIVES

We determined how anxiety, depression, and pain outcomes varied during the "Stay-at-Home" order compared with the prepandemic period and whether nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms would occur.

METHODS

We conducted an online survey to opportunistically reassess clinical anxiety, depression, pain intensity, and pain interference while controlling for somatic symptom severity during the prepandemic and Stay-at-Home order period. During the Stay-at-Home period, anxiety, depression, pain intensity, and pain interference were reassessed. Coping strategies were assessed as a critical factor influencing pain behaviors. In addition, we explored the occurrence of nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms with an ad hoc survey referencing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publicly available COVID-19 symptoms.

RESULTS

We observed a significant increase in depression and anxiety levels during the Stay-at-Home period. Coping strategy changes (eg, increased exercise) were linked to lower pain severity and interference which improved overall. Participants who self-reported nonspecific COVID-19 symptoms had higher prepandemic depression. Among the 72 participants not diagnosed with COVID-19, 70.8% of the participants experienced symptoms resembling those associated with COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

We suggest the parallel between pain outcome improvement and worsening anxiety and depression during the Stay-at-Home order might reflect a shift in symptoms, indicating that those patients with underlying mood disorders may require more help than they did before the pandemic.

Prevalence of problematic Internet use and its association with quality of life among undergraduate nursing students in the later stage of COVID-19 pandemic era in China

Background and Objectives

The prevalence of problematic Internet use (PIU) in the post‐COVID‐19 pandemic era is not known. This cross‐sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence of PIU among baccalaureate nursing students (hereafter: nursing students) in the post‐COVID‐19 era.

Methods

A total of 1070 nursing students were consecutively invited to participate in this study from the nursing schools of five universities. PIU and quality of life (QOL) were assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief Version (WHOQOL‐BREF), respectively. t Tests, χ², tests, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to compare basic demographic and clinical characteristics between participants with and without PIU. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine independent correlates.

Results

The prevalence of PIU was 23.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 20.7%–25.8%). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that second‐ (p = .024) and third‐year (p = .012) students were more likely to suffer from PIU compared with first year students. Students with more severe depressive (p = .014) and anxiety symptoms (p = .011) were independently and significantly associated with more severe PIU. After controlling for covariates, nursing students with PIU had a lower overall QOL score (p = .002).

Conclusion and Scientific Significance

Problematic Internet use (PIU) was common among nursing students in the post‐COVID‐19 era. Considering the negative impact of PIU on QOL and academic performance, regular screening should be conducted and effective interventions implemented for nursing students with PIU. This was the first study on the prevalence of PIU among nursing students in the post‐COVID‐19 era. The findings of this study could help health professionals and education authorities to understand the patterns of PIU and its influence on QOL among nursing students and to allocate health resources and develop effective measures to reduce the risk of PIU in this population.

How the occupational balance of healthcare professionals changed in the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed design study

BACKGROUND

Although it has been possible for many people to make a gradual transition to normal life or routine activities, the same seems far off for healthcare professionals. The current study examines in depth how the occupational balance of healthcare professionals has changed in the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The current study has a mixed design, which involves collecting both qualitative and quantitative data. In the first stage of the study, which is the quantitative one, Turkish Occupational Balance Questionnaire (OBQ11-T) was used to collect data, whereas the second stage of the study, which is the qualitative one, was designed to explore occupational balance and the related issues via using semi-structured interviews. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare parameters between the groups (working in active-passive contact with COVID patients). On the other hand, qualitative data were evaluated via consensual qualitative data analysis.

RESULTS

The level of occupational balance of healthcare professionals included in the study group was found to be significantly lower than the level of occupational balance of healthcare professionals included in the control group (P = .005). Although there was no clear problem in self-care activities of healthcare professionals, the balance between productivity and leisure time activities was disrupted.

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational balance and leisure time use of healthcare professionals, especially those who have active contact with COVID patients, have been affected. A further investigation can be carried out according to gender, age, and other demographic qualities.

Depression and anxiety symptoms to COVID-19 outbreak among the public, medical staff and patients during the initial phase of the pandemic: an online questionnaire survey by a WeChat Mini Program

OBJECTIVES

To survey anxiety and depression symptoms to COVID-19 outbreak in the public, medical staff and patients during the initial phase of the pandemic.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey administered through WeChat Mini Program using Chinese versions of Zung Self-rating Depression Scale and Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale.

SETTING

Guangzhou, China.

PARTICIPANTS

47 378 public, 1512 medical staff and 125 patients with COVID-19.

RESULTS

Higher rates of depression (47.8%) and anxiety symptoms (48.7%) were shown by patients who were screened positive compared with those of the public (35.6%, 25.7%) or medical staff (15.4%, 13.3%). The professional identity of a nurse, conditions of 'with an infected family member' and 'working at the frontline' were risk factors to depression or anxiety symptoms for the medical staff. Younger age, lower educational level, female and not having adequate masks were the risk factors for the public.

CONCLUSION

The COVID-19 outbreak increased people's depression or anxiety emotion responses, which varied extensively among the patients, public and medical staff.

Prevalence and Related Factors of Depression, Anxiety, Acute Stress, and Insomnia Symptoms Among Medical Staffs Experiencing the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Xinjiang, China

The prevalence and related factors of mental health impact among medical staffs who experienced the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in China is unknown. Therefore, this survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence and related factors of depressive, anxiety, acute stress, and insomnia symptoms in medical staffs in Kashi, Xinjiang, China during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among medical staffs working in First People's Hospital of Kashi, Xinjiang. The questionnaire collected demographic data and self-design questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Impact of Events Scale-6, the Insomnia Severity Index, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15, and the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire were used to measure psychological symptoms or characteristics. Binary logistic regression was carried out to examine the associations between socio-demographic factors and symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. In total, data from 123 participants were finally included, among which the prevalence rate of depressive, anxiety, acute stress, and insomnia symptoms is 60.2, 49.6, 43.1, and 41.1%, respectively. The regression model revealed that minority ethnicity, being worried about infection, spending more time on following pandemic information, and neurotic personality were positively associated with the mental health symptoms, while extraversion personality, higher education level, and better social support were negatively associated. In our study, the prevalence of mental health impact was high among medical staffs in Kashi, China who experienced the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several factors were found to be associated with mental health conditions. These findings could help identify medical staffs at risk for mental health problems and be helpful for making precise mental health intervention policies during the resurgence. Our study may pave way for more research into Xinjiang during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biopsychosocial Processes of Health and Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

The biopsychosocial model provides a useful perspective for understanding the development and characteristics of the COVID-19 pandemic and its anticipated long-term consequences for society as well as individuals. This article provides a biopsychosocial perspective on the COVID pandemic and an editorial comment on the articles in this Special Issue of Psychosomatic Medicine. Based on analysis of the PubMed database, it is shown that the attention to psychological and social factors is 74% higher in COVID-19-related articles compared to all other health-related scientific articles published during the same time-period (between 1/1/2020 and 4/18/2021). Specifically, 18.6% of the ≈123,500 articles addressing COVID-19-related topics also included psychological or social factors in their content vs. 10.7% of articles that did not address COVID-19. The biopsychosocial model is relevant to understanding the interrelationships among risk factors and the multidimensional clinical and psychosocial COVID-19 outcomes. Clinical outcomes directly related to COVID-19 range from severe but rare events (mortality and intensive care treatment) to less severe common outcomes such as positive screening tests for COVID-19 with or without symptoms. In addition, psychosocial outcomes range in severity from frequently observed reduced psychological wellbeing to less common clinical mood and anxiety disorders and, in rare cases, suicidality. The COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by an unusually strong and short-term link between social factors and biological aspects of the disease, without mediating psychological factors. After a review of the articles presented in this Special Issue, this editorial concludes with suggestions for biopsychosocial models in research on COVID-19 and other large-scale health threats.

Psychological and occupational impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK surgeons: a qualitative investigation

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic represents the greatest biopsychosocial emergency the world has faced for a century. The pandemic has changed how individuals live and work, and in particular, frontline healthcare professionals have been exposed to alarming levels of stress.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to understand the professional and personal effects of COVID-19 pandemic on surgeons working in the UK National Health Service (NHS).

SETTING

Surgical departments in the NHS.

DESIGN

Between May and July 2020, as part of an ongoing study, we asked surgeons two open-ended questions: 'What challenges are the COVID-19 crisis currently presenting to you in your work and home life?' and 'How is this stress affecting you personally?' Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. Responses to the second question were also categorised into four groups reflecting valence: positive, neutral, mildly negative and strongly negative.

RESULTS

A total of 141 surgeons responded to the survey and the results indicated that 85.8% reported that they were generally negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, of which 7.8% were strongly affected in a negative way. Qualitative thematic analysis identified four key themes from responses relating to the impact of the pandemic: (1) changing and challenging work environment as a result of COVID-19; (2) challenges to professional life and development; (3) management of change and loss in the respondents' personal lives; (4) emotional and psychological impacts.

CONCLUSION

The results highlighted the substantial emotional and psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on surgeons' mental health, particularly in relation to fear and anxiety, loss of motivation, low mood, stress and burnout. There is an urgent need for workplace support and mental health interventions to help surgeons cope with the difficulties they face during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Relationship Between Acute Stress Responses and Quality of Life in Chinese Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak

This study aimed to determine the relationship between acute stress and quality of life and explore their influencing factors on health care workers. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted, and a sample of 525 health care workers was recruited from 15 hospitals through a convenient sampling method. Participants completed an online self-report questionnaire to assess their acute stress and quality of life. Descriptive and multiple linear regression statistics were used for this analysis. The results regarding acute stress responses varied significantly among the differences in marital status, physical activity, work status, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, and the expected duration of the pandemic. Moreover, a younger age, lack of physical activity, being a front-line medical staff, and higher acute stress scores indicated a worse quality of life. Healthcare workers’ acute stress was negatively correlated with their quality of life. Therefore, the authorities should pay special attention to health care workers’ mental health and provide them with timely protection during the pandemic.

Report of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Task Force on Lessons Learned From the COVID-19 Pandemic: Executive Summary

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic forced consultation-liaison psychiatrists to adapt to unprecedented circumstances. The Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) recognized the need and opportunity to assess its response and convened a task force in mid-2020 to review the lessons learned from the initial experience of the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to summarize experience and make recommendations to the ACLP Board of Directors about potential ACLP directions related to current and future pandemic response.

METHODS

In August-November 2020, the task force reviewed local experiences, ACLP list-serv contributions, and the published literature and generated recommendations for ACLP actions.

RESULTS

Recommendations addressed telepsychiatry, hospital staff wellness, support for consultation-liaison psychiatrists, the need for additional research on psychiatric and neuropsychiatric aspects of COVID-19, and the ACLP's role in advocacy and dissemination of information. The task force report was submitted to the ACLP Board of Directors in November 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

As the preeminent organization of consultation-liaison psychiatrists, the ACLP can implement actions related to pandemic awareness and preparedness for the benefit of consultation-liaison psychiatrists, other health care workers, patients, and the general population.

Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder after infectious disease pandemics in the twenty-first century, including COVID-19: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Pandemics have become more frequent and more complex during the twenty-first century. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following pandemics is a significant public health concern. We sought to provide a reliable estimate of the worldwide prevalence of PTSD after large-scale pandemics as well as associated risk factors, by a systematic review and meta-analysis. We systematically searched the MedLine, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang, medRxiv, and bioRxiv databases to identify studies that were published from the inception up to August 23, 2020, and reported the prevalence of PTSD after pandemics including sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1, Poliomyelitis, Ebola, Zika, Nipah, Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), H5N1, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 88 studies were included in the analysis, with 77 having prevalence information and 70 having risk factors information. The overall pooled prevalence of post-pandemic PTSD across all populations was 22.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 19.9-25.4%, I²: 99.7%). Healthcare workers had the highest prevalence of PTSD (26.9%; 95% CI: 20.3-33.6%), followed by infected cases (23.8%: 16.6-31.0%), and the general public (19.3%: 15.3-23.2%). However, the heterogeneity of study findings indicates that results should be interpreted cautiously. Risk factors including individual, family, and societal factors, pandemic-related factors, and specific factors in healthcare workers and patients for post-pandemic PTSD were summarized and discussed in this systematic review. Long-term monitoring and early interventions should be implemented to improve post-pandemic mental health and long-term recovery.

Risk and Protective Factors for the Mental Health of Brazilian Healthcare Workers in the Frontline of COVID-19 Pandemic

The objective was to compare the mental health indicators of health workers providing care to individuals with COVID-19 in Brazil, considering sociodemographic and occupational variables and the risk perception of contamination by the Sars-CoV-2 of workers from different professions, identifying risk and protective factors. A sample of 916 health workers was assessed: physicians, nursing workers, and workers from other professions (psychologists, physical therapists, nutritionists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, dentists, pharmacists, and social workers). REDCAP software was used to collect data online, using standardized instruments to assess anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, and insomnia, and one questionnaire addressed risk and protective variables. Statistical techniques for comparing groups were used along with logistic regression analysis. The results revealed that all the groups presented indicators of significant mental health problems (>36%), especially the nursing group. A larger percentage of participants, regardless of the profession, presented a high rate of insomnia disorders, while posttraumatic stress was the least expressive. Occupational variables stand out as risk factors for mental health, with specificities among the different groups. A protective factor for all the groups was having positive professional prospects. The protective factors for the physicians group included support provided by co-workers, being older and a man, while being satisfied with physical protective measures implemented by the employing institution was a protective factor for the groups composed of nursing workers and other professionals. These findings are relevant for devising mental health care strategies.