Dataset Information

Ambivalent heroism? - Psychological burden and suicidal ideation among nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the risk for nurses' mental health has rapidly increased. The two main goals of this study were the examination of (1) the psychological burden and (2) of suicidal ideation and its associated risk factors one year after the Covid-19 pandemic begun.

Design

This was a cross-sectional online survey.

Methods

N = 1311 nurses (96.9% female) aged 18-63 years (M = 30.96, SD = 8.48) were assessed for various symptoms of psychological burden, suicidal ideation and behaviour and its risk factors.

Results

Almost half of participants (41.5%) reported heightened levels of depressive symptoms, 691 (52.7%) reported a medium to high risk for burnout. One fifth of participants (21.7%) reported suicidal ideation in the past 4 weeks. The direct contact to people with Covid-19 was not related to the extent of the psychological burden. Depression, agitation, perceived burdensomeness and previous suicide attempt were associated with suicidal ideation.

SUBMITTER: Holler I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8661563 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic can induce psychological distress in individuals. We investigated perceived stressors, prevalence of psychological distress and suicidal ideation, and predictors of psychological distress among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Eswatini. This study was a cross-sectional, population-based household telephone survey of 993 conveniently sampled adults (18+ years) from all the four administrative regions of Eswatini. Data were collected between 9 June and 18 July 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the country was under a partial lockdown. COVID-19-related psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6-item Psychological Distress Scale (K6). We performed weighted modified Poisson regression analyses to identify significant predictors of moderate/severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥5). The weighted prevalences of moderate (K6 scores: 5-12) and severe psychological distress (K6 scores: ≥13) were 41.7% and 5.4%, respectively. Participants reported several perceived COVID-19-related stressors, including worries and fears of the contagion-specific death, serious need for food and money, and concerns about loss of income or business. The weighted prevalence of suicidal ideation was 1.5%. Statistically significant predictors of increased risk for moderate/severe psychological distress included living in the Hhohho and Manzini regions; feeling not well informed about COVID-19; feeling lonely; having received COVID-19 food or financial relief from the government; feeling burdened by the lockdown; being married; and being youth (18-24 years). The results call for the government to urgently augment the provision of mental health services during the pandemic. Mental health practitioners and programs may use several stressors and risk factors identified in this study to inform interventions and government policies aimed at reducing psychological distress induced by the pandemic.

Project description:BackgroundIn the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have played vital roles in clinical treatment. Their success in providing adequate care services depends on their psychological state, which determines their physical health, work status, therapeutic outcomes, and response to public health emergencies. However, a limited number of studies have evaluated psychological care needs from the perspective of nurses. This study aimed to describe the psychological care needs for frontline nurses in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis was a qualitative descriptive study. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 frontline nurses who had been involved in the care of COVID-19 positive patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, and received psychological care. The conventional content analysis was used to identify themes from the interview transcripts.ResultsFour major themes about the psychological care needs of frontline nurses were identified: (1) psychological service providers (categories: professional service team, trustworthy person or group, ability to empathize with nurses); (2) problems with psychological care (categories: lack of universal screening and focused attention, online group counseling lacks targeting, psychological interventions lack individualization); (3) psychological care content (categories: mental health-related education, recognition of nurses' contributions, problem-solving therapy, psychological counseling and venting); (4) organization and management of psychological services (categories: focus on the psychological care needs of frontline nurses, build a standardized psychological service process system).ConclusionIt is important to understand individual psychological care needs of frontline nurses and to provide them with tailor-made psychological care that meet their needs. This will improve their mental health, promote clinical care and quality responses to public health emergencies.