Validation of the Korean Version of Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) in Korean Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Young Suk Park,Kwang-Hi Park,Juna Lee

doi:10.3390/ijerph182111311

Abstract

Nurses working amid the COVID-19 pandemic are at increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study was conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the Korean version of Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R), one of the most used tools for assessing trauma. Secondary data of 249 nurses who performed face-to-face nursing tasks during the COVID-19 pandemic, collected through an online survey, were analyzed by conducting a factor analysis of the K-IES-R and testing the internal consistency and concurrent validity with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7), and Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5). The result of an exploratory factor analysis of the K-IES-R supported a three-factor structure of intrusion, avoidance, and sleep disturbance, with CMIN/DF = 2.98, RMSEA = 0.09, SRMR = 0.03, CFI = 0.93, and TLI = 0.90. The Cronbach’s alpha of each subscale was 0.88–0.94. The total K-IES-R score and each factor’s value showed a significant correlation (moderate or higher) with the PSS, GAD-7, and DAR-5. The K-IES-R was verified as a useful tool for assessing post-traumatic stress symptoms in nurses who directly perform nursing tasks in crises such as COVID-19. This study suggests the tool be used for early assessment of post-traumatic stress symptoms in nurses and providing appropriate interventions.

Highlights

According to the World Health Organization, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) started in December 2019 and as of 16 May 2021, there have been more than 160 million cumulative confirmed positive cases and 3.3 million cumulative deaths worldwide [1]
According to a systematic literature review conducted based on previous studies, the incidence of depression, anxiety, and stress among healthcare personnel (HCP) engaging in COVID-19 treatment amounted to approximately 24.3, 25.8, and 45.0%, respectively [2]
There are studies [4,5] that report prolonged and repeated anxiety, depression, fear, anger, guilt, tough decisions, and ethical conflicts experienced while performing COVID-19-related tasks in situations that are short of human resources and protective equipment can cause post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) in nurses

Summary

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization, Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) started in December 2019 and as of 16 May 2021, there have been more than 160 million cumulative confirmed positive cases and 3.3 million cumulative deaths worldwide [1]. It has been confirmed that sociodemographic characteristics and work experience, a rapidly increasing number of critically ill patients and high mortality rates, the burden of decision-making and uncertainty, and the demand for up-to-date information can cause post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). There are studies [4,5] that report prolonged and repeated anxiety, depression, fear, anger, guilt, tough decisions, and ethical conflicts experienced while performing COVID-19-related tasks in situations that are short of human resources and protective equipment can cause PTSD in nurses. The Impact of Event Scale—Revised (IES-R) is one of the most commonly used tools to assess the health of people who have experienced trauma [6].

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion