Psychosocial Occupational Exposures and Mental Illness

Identifying key competencies for supporting second victims in different contexts: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Providing support to second victims in workplaces is crucial for maintaining high-quality performance. Peer support approach has proven to be one of the most effective and well-accepted approaches. However, the specific competencies required for peer supporters remain unclear. This review aims to address this gap by identifying and categorising these competencies.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review examines the competencies (skills, attitudes and knowledge) needed to support workers where the pressure of their roles may lead to errors that could cause harm to others. In such situations, these individuals may experience intense feelings of responsibility, potentially impacting their ability to perform their duties. In the healthcare sector, these workers are commonly referred to as 'second victims'.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

This review includes studies that define the competencies necessary for peer supporters assisting second victims in any industry. It covers all professional roles susceptible to human errors affecting people's well-being. The focus is on peer support and psychological first aid, encompassing relevant competencies, attitudes and knowledge for addressing safety-related incidents and workplace errors.

SOURCES OF EVIDENCE

The scoping review was conducted following Arksey and O'Malley's framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Studies were identified through a comprehensive search of databases, including Embase, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. References from eligible studies were also considered.

CHARTING METHODS

Data were extracted and categorised into competency domains through a standardised process. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction, with discrepancies resolved by consensus.

RESULTS

A total of 34 studies were included in the review. Across five identified domains, 91 specific and 30 general competencies were categorised. Additionally, the review identified 29 types of peer-based interventions designed to support professionals following incidents or stressful situations.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings underscore the need for well-defined competencies for peer supporters of second victims, emphasising training in communication, emotional support and role-specific knowledge. Tailoring peer support programmes to the professional context and industry-specific characteristics is essential for providing effective assistance.

Work re-entry and functioning in people with major depression: a longitudinal study of supported employment participants

BACKGROUND

People with major depression are affected by impaired daily functioning and non-participation in the workforce. At the same time, employment has been associated with improved mental health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between work re-entry and subsequent functioning and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

The present observational study included a sample of 129 participants of a supported employment intervention project in Germany diagnosed with depressive disorders. Participants were assessed before the start of the intervention (baseline) and after two years (follow-up). Functioning and depressive symptom severity were measured using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2 (WHODAS 2.0) and the Beck's Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). After multiple imputation, linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze the relationship between work re-entry and follow-up functioning and symptom severity, controlling for baseline scores and age.

RESULTS

Work re-entry was significantly associated with better overall functioning (p =.002), cognitive functioning (p =.001) and community participation (p =.002), adjusted for baseline scores and age. A significant interaction effect (p =.001) suggested that the association between work re-entry and overall functioning at follow-up was stronger in older participants. After adjustment for baseline functioning and age, work re-entry was not significantly associated with self-care, social interaction and household responsibilities, while associations with mobility (p =.072) and symptom severity (p =.054) were marginally nonsignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the association between work re-entry and lower disability in people with depression who participated in supported employment. Certain functional domains, especially cognition and participation, may be more closely associated with becoming re-employed. The association between work-re-entry and overall functioning may be stronger in older individuals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The data used for this study were collected as part of a clinical trial called "IPS-ZIB" which was prospectively registered with the German register for clinical trials on 12/14/2020 (DRKS; ID: DRKS00023521).

[Rationale, models, and impact of workplace-based psychotherapeutic services]

Mental illnesses and behavioral disorders are very common among the working population, affecting up to a third of employees each year, and are associated with great suffering, the risk of chronicity, and the loss of employment. Economically, mental illnesses cause high costs. In order to mitigate these consequences and increase the chances of recovery, rapid diagnosis, early and appropriate treatment where necessary, and-over and above the usual psychotherapy approach-attention to the work-related causes are of crucial importance.Psychotherapeutic Consultation at the Workplace (PT-A) attempts to meet these requirements. It offers psychotherapeutic help at short notice and close to the workplace for employees suffering from mental stress; provides (depending on the problem) counseling, diagnostics, prevention, and short-term or bridging therapy; and supports reintegration after a longer period of mental illness. It is helpful to cooperate closely with the company medical service, which consults the PT‑A, refers employees to it, provides information on the company situation, and can support reintegration if necessary. Funding is often provided by the company but can also be provided by health insurance companies in integrated care models.This article begins by describing the history and principles of PT‑A and the role of work stress in the development of psychological and psychosomatic disorders. The implementation of PT‑A is then outlined using two examples. Finally, the current study "Early Intervention at the Workplace" ("Frühe Intervention am Arbeitsplatz" [friaa]), to which several articles in this special issue refer, is briefly presented.

The Relationship Between Work-Related Stress and Depression: A Scoping Review

Objectives

Work-related stress is highly prevalent. Recent systematic reviews concluded on a significant association between common work-related stress measures and depression. Our scoping review aims to explore whether work-related psychosocial stress is generally associated with depression or depressiveness, the extent and methodology of the primary research undertaken on this topic and to elucidate inconsistencies or gaps in knowledge.

Methods

We searched for literature in Pubmed, PsycInfo and Web of Science including full reports in seven languages published between 1999 and 2022 and applied the PRISMA statement for scoping reviews criteria.

Results

Of 463 primarily identified articles, 125 were retained after abstract and full-text screening. The majority report significant associations between work-related stress and depression. Cross-sectional studies are most prevalent. Sufficient evidence exists only for job strain and effort-reward imbalance. Most studies are from Asia, North America and Europe. The health sector is the most studied. Several research gaps such as the lack of interventional studies were identified.

Conclusion

The consistency of most studies on the significant association between work-related stress and depression is remarkable. More studies are needed to improve evidence and to close research gaps.

[The Role of Specific Study-Related Demands and Resources to Student Health and Life Satisfaction]

BACKGROUND

Studies report an association between study conditions and student health outcomes. The aim was to investigate the influence of specific study-related demands and resources on self-assessed health.

METHOD

Students of the Technical University of Dresden were surveyed online about their health and their studies. Referring to the Study Demands-Resources Model descriptive and regression analytic methods were applied.

RESULTS

1,312 students were included in the analyses. About one-fifth of participants reported low life satisfaction and high exhaustion. Time and cognitive demands were associated with poorer health, social support and time margin in studies were linked to better health. This relationship was particularly evident with a combination of high demands and low resources.

CONCLUSION

The results provide approaches for preventive measures to strengthen the health of students.

Comparison of the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale with physiological and self-reported stress responses during ecological momentary assessment and during participation in a virtual reality version of the Trier Social Stress Test

Valid approaches to conveniently measure stress reactivity are needed due to the growing evidence of its health-impairing effects. This study examined whether the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale (PSRS) predicts cardiovascular and psychological responses to psychosocial stressors during daily life and during a virtual reality (VR) Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Medical students answered a standardized baseline questionnaire to assess perceived stress reactivity by the PSRS. The PSRS asks participants to rate the intensity of their typical affective responses to common stressors during daily life. They were further asked to participate in a VR-TSST and in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over a period of three consecutive workdays during daily life. Blood pressure and self-reported stress were repeatedly, heart rate variability (HRV) continuously measured during the VR-TSST and EMA. Furthermore, participants repeatedly assessed task demands, task control and social conflict during the EMA. Data was analysed using multilevel analysis and multiple linear regression. Results indicate that the PSRS moderates associations between blood pressure (but not HRV) and demands and control during daily life. Furthermore, the PSRS directly predicted self-reported stress, but did not moderate associations between self-reported stress and demands, control and social conflict. The PSRS did not predict physiological and self-reported stress responses to the VR-TSST. This study partly confirmed convergent validity of the PSRS to stress reactivity in daily life. Furthermore, the lack of association between the PSRS and stress responses to the VR-TSST calls for future studies to search for reliable and valid ways to assess stress reactivity.