A program to help staff cope with psychological sequelae of assaults by patients

Perceived psychological stress and associated factors in the early stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic: Evidence from the general Chinese population

INTRODUCTION

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infection caused by novel coronavirus 2019. Many individuals suffered psychological symptoms in the early stage when the epidemic was uncertain. We explored the perceived psychological stress and associated factors in the early stage of COVID-19 epidemic.

METHOD

The Perceived Stress Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Social Support Rating Scale and a general information questionnaire were integrated in an on-line survey conducted from February 1, 2020 until February 4, 2020. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to explore whether coping style, social support or other factors contributed to psychological stress.

RESULTS

A total of 1638 participants were included, of whom 44.3% showed moderate psychological stress. Individuals who were younger, female, unmarried, spent more time on the disease, felt more concern about it, reported lower social support (Subjective Social support; Objective social support; Utilization social support), or showed a negative coping style were more likely to suffer higher psychological stress in the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic.

CONCLUSION

Psychological interventions may be targeted to individuals with the risk characteristics identified in this study. It may be helpful to promote social support and positive coping style in the early stage of infectious disease epidemics. This initial evidence from the general Chinese population may be relevant to interventions in other countries for dealing with the COVID-19 and other epidemics.

The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP): common issues in fielding a team

Thirty-five years of empirical research have continuously documented the potential negative impact of patient assaults on staff. The Assaulted Staff Action Program (ASAP) is a voluntary, peer-help, systems-wide crisis intervention debriefing approach for employee victims of these assaults. ASAP has been associated with providing needed clinical support for victims, declines in violence, and cost-effectiveness in service delivery. A previous paper outlined the basic steps needed to field and ASAP team. This paper continues to address this need by outlining the most commonly encountered ASAP problems and solutions that have evolved in the first eight years of ASAP programs. The implications are discussed.

Dealing with disasters: does psychological debriefing work?

The psychological aftermath of disaster causes significant long-term psychiatric disability and suffering to victims and rescuers alike. This paper examines the effectiveness of psychological debriefing (PD), an early intervention that is widely used and claimed to reduce long-term psychiatric morbidity in the wake of disaster. Numerous factors hamper the design of methodologically sound research in this field and there is a lack of controlled studies supporting the efficacy of PD. Further research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of any immediate psychological intervention before significant resources are allocated to their routine provision.

Patient Suicide and Assault: Their Impact on Psychiatric Hospital Staff

Psychiatric nursing entails its own particular hazards, specifically patient suicide and patient assault on staff. The reactions to these occurrences are manifested in the symptoms of PTSD and grief, which often are exacerbated by administrative reactions and the staff's own countertransference issues.