Family Visits Research Articles

Selected Aspects of the Mental Functioning of Women After Childbirth in a Hospital During a Pandemic.

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic is stressful for pregnant women, their families, and their unborn baby.Aim of the StudyThe study aimed to assess the impact of a pandemic on the mental state of women after childbirth.Material and MethodsThe study included 363 women hospitalized after delivery. The study used a diagnostic survey method using the proprietary questionnaire and the Family Affluence Scale (FAS), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS), The Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-12), and General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES).ResultsSuspicion of postpartum depression was found in 109 women (mean: 15.28 ± 2.22)—group I, and no suspicion of it in 254 subjects (mean: 6.03 ± 2.63)—group II. Mean values of the sense of loneliness in group I (27.11 ± 6.00) were higher than in group II (21.35 ± 7.02), and the basic hope—BHI-12, in group I—lower (27.92 ± 5.14) than in group II (31.75 ± 4.97). In the Generalized Own Efficacy Scale, the group I obtained lower mean values (28.07 ± 4.86 points and 5.87 ± 1.96 points) than group II (30.97 ± 3.77 points and 6.02 ± 1 points, 38 sten).ConclusionsAs much as 30% of the respondents showed a risk of postpartum depression. The most felt was the limitation of family visits during the hospital stay. In addition, the respondents were most concerned about the child's health in both groups. The feeling of loneliness in group I was higher, and basic hope and generalized self-efficacy were lower than in group II. The differences between these relationships were statistically significant.

Evaluation of an Inpatient Psychiatric Mother-Baby Unit Using a Patient Reported Experience and Outcome Measure.

Understanding the patient experience of admission to a psychiatric mother-baby unit (MBU) informs service improvement and strengthens patient-centered care. This study aims to examine patients’ experience, satisfaction, and change in mental health status related to MBU admission. At discharge, 70 women admitted to a public MBU completed the Patient Outcome and Experience Measure (POEM), rated the usefulness of therapeutic groups, and provided written qualitative feedback. Paired sample t-tests, correlations, and thematic content analysis were completed. Women were highly satisfied with the level of care and support received, particularly for those who were voluntarily admitted. Women reported an improvement in mental health from admission to discharge. Women appreciated the staff’s interpersonal skills, provision of practical skills, education, advice, support from other women, and therapeutic groups offered. Women suggested improvements such as having greater food choices, more MBU beds, more group sessions, family visitations, which had been restricted due to COVID-19, environmental modifications, and clarity of communication surrounding discharge. This study highlights the benefits of MBUs and the specific aspects of care that are favorable in treating women with mental illnesses who are co-admitted with their baby in an MBU.

Country-specific lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on tuberculosis control: a global study.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to describe country-specific lockdown measures and tuberculosis indicators collected during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on lockdown/social restrictions (compulsory face masks and hand hygiene; international and local travel restrictions; restrictions to family visits, and school closures) were collected from 24 countries spanning five continents. The majority of the countries implemented multiple lockdowns with partial or full reopening. There was an overall decrease in active tuberculosis, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and latent tuberculosis cases. Although national lockdowns were effective in containing COVID-19 cases, several indicators of tuberculosis were affected during the pandemic.

The Effect of Family’s Scheduled Visitation on Vital Signs and Satisfaction Level of Patients Admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Visiting the family can have a great impact on hospitalized patients. Investigation of these effects is necessary to provide better care for patients admitted to the cardiac care unit (CCU). Methods: This randomized clinical trial study was performed in the Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2021. Sixty-two CCU patients were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The scheduled family visit was performed twice a day, 60 minutes each time, for 3 days in the evening and night shifts for the intervention group. The routine family visit was used for the control group. Data were collected by a satisfaction questionnaire and a checklist on vital signs. Data were analyzed using the chi‑square, t-test, and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Results: In the intervention group, unlike the control group, there was a significant difference between the mean heart rate and systolic blood pressure of patients during different times (P < 0.000). Also, the level of satisfaction was higher in the intervention group than controls (P < 0.000). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that scheduled family visits not only did not interfere with patients' vital signs but also increased their satisfaction. Therefore, it is necessary to design appropriate visitation policies for patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit.

The role of family support and conflict in cyberbullying and subjective well-being among Chilean adolescents during the Covid-19 period

IntroductionLife satisfaction plays a crucial role in integral development and mental health during childhood and adolescence. Recently, it has been shown that cyberbullying has severe consequences for the mental health and wellbeing of victims such as increased anxiety, depressive symptoms and even suicide risk. Although the role of the family in life satisfaction and cyberbullying behaviors has been studied, there is limited information on its impacts during the current pandemic period. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to determine the role of family variables regarding students’ levels of life satisfaction and cyberbullying victimization during the pandemic period. MethodStructural equation modeling was done using data from a cross-sectional study (n = 287; age ranged 14–18) conducted in six schools in Santiago, Chile during 2020. ResultsThe tested model has a good fit and parsimonious adjustment. It explained 25.9% of the life satisfaction and 9% of the variance of cyberbullying victimization. Family support was positively associated with life satisfaction (p < 0.001) and negatively associated with cyberbullying victimization (p < 0.05). Likewise, family conflict was positively associated with levels of cyberbullying victimization (p < 0.05) and negatively associated with life satisfaction levels (p < 0.001). Finally, family visits were only positively associated with life satisfaction (p < 0.01). ConclusionsGenerating interventions on several levels focused on positive family bonds has become essential and urgent. This is especially important considering their protective impacts on cyberbullying victimization in promotion of adolescent well-being and quality of life.

Exploration of the uptake of asymptomatic COVID-19 lateral flow testing in Birmingham, UK: survey and qualitative research

AimTo examine public perspectives on lateral flow testing (LFT) for COVID-19.DesignOnline survey with nested semi-structured interviews.SettingBirmingham, UK.Participants220 Birmingham residents, 21 of whom took part in an interview.ResultsFifty-six per cent of...

A Survey on family visits, and perceptions of nurses and infecion managers during Covid-19 patients’ end-of-life time and dying in emergency and intensive care settings

A Survey on family visits, and perceptions of nurses and infecion managers during Covid-19 patients’ end-of-life time and dying in emergency and intensive care settings

Infant colic, young children\u2019s temperament and sleep in a population based longitudinal cohort study

BackgroundColic and sleep problems are common among infants, constitute challenges and distress for parents, and are often reasons for seeking help from health professionals. The literature debates whether infant colic and sleep problems are linked together or not. Further, limited evidence exists on how colic impacts on child temperament and sleep during early childhood. Thus, the purpose of this study was to increase our knowledge of the characteristics of infants with a history of colic compared to infants without, and to study how infant colic is associated with the development of child temperament and sleep over time.MethodsThe study is based on The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), a population-based cohort study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. This sample contains 88,186 mothers and children. Data was retrieved from questionnaires distributed to mothers at recruitment (in pregnancy) and when the child was 6 months, 18 months, 3 years, and 5 years. Data was analysed using linear mixed models and GLM models for repeated measures.ResultsAt 6 months, infants with reported colic are described as fussier, present more sleeping problems, are breastfed less, and the families visit the child health centre more often when compared to the non-colic group. Mothers of children with reported colic perceive their children’s temperament significantly more challenging from the age of 6 months to 5 years. Further, children with reported colic were more likely to sleep less than recommended (22%) and to have more frequent night awakenings (14%) than usual for their age (6 months to 5 years).ConclusionInfant colic often occurs together with other signs of regulatory problems which may amplify the load on the parents. Moderate differences in temperament and sleep-problems across time, between those with colic and those without, indicate that the diagnosis of colic is moderately associated with later behavioural difficulties. However, it is demanding for the parents, and important to be aware of and act upon symptoms of colic in the child health centres to reduce the parents’ load and prevent adverse long-term outcomes.

Community-based rehabilitation intervention for people with schizophrenia in Ethiopia (RISE): results of a 12-month cluster-randomised controlled trial

SummaryBackgroundCommunity-based rehabilitation (CBR) is recommended to address the social and clinical needs of people with schizophrenia in resource-poor settings. We evaluated the effectiveness of CBR at reducing disability at 12 months in people with schizophrenia who had disabling illness after having had the opportunity to access facility-based care for 6 monthsMethodsThis cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted in a rural district of Ethiopia. Eligible clusters were subdistricts in Sodo district that had not participated in the pilot study. Available subdistricts were randomised (in a 1:1 ratio) to either the intervention group (CBR plus facility-based care) or to the control group (facility-based care alone). An optimisation procedure (accounting for the subdistrict mean WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS) score and the potential number of participants per subdistrict) was applied for each of the eight health facilities in the district. An independent statistician, masked to the intervention or control label, used a computer programme to randomly choose the allocation sequence from the set of optimal ones. We recruited adults with disabling illness as a result of schizophrenia. The subdistricts were eligible for inclusion if they included participants that met the eligibility criteria. Researchers recruiting and assessing participants were masked to allocation status. Facility-based care was a task-shared model of mental health care integrated within primary care. CBR was delivered by lay workers over a 12-month period, comprising of home visits (psychoeducation, adherence support, family intervention, and crisis management) and community mobilisation. The primary outcome was disability, measured with the proxy-rated 36-item WHODAS score at 12 months. The subdistricts that had primary outcome data available were included in the primary analysis. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02160249.FindingsEnrolment took place between Sept 16, 2015 and Mar 11, 2016. 54 subdistricts were randomised (27 to the CBR plus facility-based care group and 27 to the facility-based care group). After exclusion of subdistricts without eligible participants, we enrolled 79 participants (66% men and 34% women) from 24 subdistricts assigned to CBR plus facility-based care and 87 participants (59% men and 41% women) from 24 subdistricts assigned to facility-based care only. The primary analysis included 149 (90%) participants in 46 subdistricts (73 participants in 22 subdistricts in the CBR plus facility-based care group and 76 participants in 24 subdistricts in the facility-based care group). At 12 months, the mean WHODAS scores were 46·1 (SD 23·3) in the facility-based care group and 40·6 (22·5) in the CBR plus facility-based care group, indicating a favourable intervention effect (adjusted mean difference −8·13 [95% CI −15·85 to −0·40]; p=0·039; effect size 0·35). Four (5%) CBR plus facility-based care group participants and nine (10%) facility-based care group participants had one or more serious adverse events (death, suicide attempt, and hospitalisation).InterpretationCBR delivered by lay workers combined with task-shared facility-based care, was effective in reducing disability among people with schizophrenia. The RISE study CBR model is particularly relevant to low-income countries with few mental health specialists.FundingWellcome Trust.

Cost-Benefit Analysis of an Intervention in Divorced Parents: Implications for Society, Public Administrations and Family Visitation Centers.

Families going through conflictive divorce processes are at increased risk of developing mental health problems. The Egokitzen program is a group intervention for parents who have undergone a divorce process, funded by the public administration. Budgetary constraints cause funding institutions to be interested in the effectiveness and economic efficiency of these programs. Therefore, the objective of this research is to carry out an efficiency analysis of the Egokitzen program, implemented by family visitation centers in Spain, through a cost-benefit analysis, to determine whether the positive impact on symptomatology (measured using CBCL and SCL-90 instruments) is translated into a positive economic impact for society. A sample of 382 parents participated. Costs will be first identified and valued; secondly, benefits achieved with the program will be identified through a prevalence analysis and, finally, the cost-benefit comparative analysis will be carried out. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis will be performed. The results obtained in the analysis indicate that for every euro spent on this program, the public administration and society save 3.10 euros in future interventions through medical costs and productivity losses. The study has practical implications for public administration, organizations, and the family visitation centers that implement the program.

Direct and Indirect Effects of COVID-19 on Long-Term Care Residents and Their Family Members

Introduction: The first cases of COVID-19 in Israel were reported in February 2020. Family visits were prohibited from March 10, 2020, and then allowed on a limited basis on April 20, 2020. This article examines how COVID-19 impacted long-term care residents and their family members from the perspective of long-term care facility (LTCF) administrative staff. Methods: An online survey was sent to Israeli LTCF administrators between mid-July and mid-October 2020, resulting in 52 completed questionnaires. Quantitative analysis involved descriptive statistics using SPSS, with differences compared via t tests, ANOVA, and χ² tests. Qualitative analysis involved thematic analysis of responses to open-ended questions. Results: COVID-19 was reported to have multiple types of negative impact on residents, including direct effects on morbidity and mortality as well as indirect effects manifested as negative reactions to measures aimed at limiting infection, including isolation from relatives, decreased activities for residents, and COVID-19 testing. The impact of isolation on LTCF residents was reported as negative or very negative by over three-quarters of the respondents. Behavioral problems among residents increased in 32% of the facilities. The qualitative results suggested that adverse effects on residents and family members were partially mitigated by the use of communication technologies. Discussion/Conclusion: The interplay of multiple factors affected LTCF residents against the backdrop of COVID-19 restrictions. The emergence of mitigating factors which provide solutions to some of the challenges has the potential of improving quality of care for LTCF residents as the pandemic continues and thereafter.

Psychiatric Outcomes in ICU Patients With Family Visitation: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

Lack of family visitation in the ICU can have long-term consequences on patients in the ICU after discharge. The effect of family visitation on the incidence of patient psychiatric disorders is unknown. What is the association between family visitation in the ICU and incidence of psychiatric outcomes in patients in the ICU 1 year after hospital discharge? This study assessed a population-based retrospective cohort of adult patients admitted to the ICU from January 1, 2014, through May 30, 2017, surviving to hospital discharge with ICU length of stay of≥ 3days. To be eligible, patients needed to have minimum of 5 years of administrative data before ICU admission and a minimum of 1 year of follow-up data after hospital discharge. An internally validated algorithm that interpreted natural language in health records determined patients with or without in-person family (ie, relatives, friends) visitation during ICU stay. The primary outcome was risk of an incidence of psychiatric disorder (composite outcome), including anxiety, depressive, trauma- and stressor-related, psychotic, and substance use disorders, identified using coding algorithms for administrative databases. Propensity scores were used in inverse probability weighted logistic regression models, and average treatment effects were converted to risk ratios (RRs) with 95%CIs. Secondary outcomes were incidences of diagnoses by type of psychiatric disorder. We included 14,344 patients with (96%[n= 13,771]) and without (4.0%[n= 573]) in-person family visitation who survived hospital discharge. More than one-third of patients received a diagnosis of any psychiatric disorder within 1 year after discharge (34.9%; 95%CI, 34.1%-35.6%). Patients most often received diagnoses of anxiety disorders (17.5%; 95%CI, 16.9%-18.1%) and depressive disorders (17.2%; 95%CI, 16.6%-17.9%). After inverse probability weighting of 13,731 patients, in-person family visitation was associated with a lower risk of received a diagnosis of any incident psychiatric disorder within 1 year after discharge (RR, 0.79; 95%CI, 0.68-0.92). ICU family visitation is associated with a decreased risk of psychiatric disorders in critically ill patients up to 1 year after hospital discharge.

Structural and Managerial Risk Factors for COVID-19 Occurrence in French Nursing Homes.

Nursing home (NH) residents accounted for half of the deaths during the 2020 spring wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in France. Our objective was to identify structural and managerial factors associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in NHs. We conducted in July 2020 a retrospective study by questionnaire addressed to NH directors in the Brittany region of France. The questions related to structural characteristics of the establishment, human resources, and crisis management decisions. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of at least one confirmed case of COVID-19 among residents between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020. The secondary endpoint was total mortality during this period. We used multivariate regressions to identify factors associated with these outcomes. Responses were collected from 231 NHs hosting 20,881 residents, representing a participation rate of 47%. In 24 (10%) NHs, at least one resident presented confirmed COVID-19. NHs often implemented stringent protective measures, with 65% of them choosing to confine residents to their rooms. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with a reduced risk of case occurrence were in-room meal service, early ban of family visits, and daily access to an outdoor space. No association was found between mortality and the factors studied. Our results show an early and strict implementation of lockdown measures, with good epidemiological results in a context of shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and non-vaccination. Nevertheless, it raises ethical questions concerning respect of residents' wellbeing and rights. Cessation of communal dining seems to be the main measure likely to be effective in preventive terms. It does not seem that room lockdown and cessation of group activities should be recommended, particularly if mask wearing is possible.

Global householding and gendered citizenship: Family visits as care support for Vietnamese marriage migrants in South Korea

The citizenship of marriage migrants in South Korea has been discussed in terms of their roles as mothers in the context of Korea’s aging population and care crisis. However, as marriage migrants increasingly participate in the labor market, their individual rights as workers, and more specifically as working mothers, bring attention to the question of women’s citizenship in South Korea. Care provision is a key issue in the discussion on working mothers’ citizenship. This article focuses on global householding as a process of supporting the participation of marriage migrants in paid work. It highlights the role of the natal family of marriage migrants, especially their parents, as sources of care support to marriage migrants as well as recipients of care. The family visits of the parents of marriage migrants show how parents participate in the internationalization of social reproduction. This article contributes to understanding the household and family as a unit of analysis in the discussion of social reproduction and citizenship in East Asia. It also raises the issue of the embedded gender division of labor in the process of global householding.

Abundance Against Scarcity

Abundance Against Scarcity

Parental Instructional Strategies During Family Visit to An Agricultural Exhibition at A Science Museum

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how parents use exhibits’ features during a family visit to a science museum. We observed 44 families during 9 hours and 45 minutes at the “Fields of Tomorrow” exhibition hall. The analysis showed that parents used the physical environment as a resource to engage children with science, taking on the role of “experts” and instructing the novice children. The analysis revealed that parents mainly used four instructional strategies while engaging with the exhibits: 1) connection to everyday life; 2) observation; 3) asking questions; and 4) reading, interpreting, and naming. We also found that parents took advantage of the signs near the exhibits to facilitate their instruction, and their scientific interpretations rarely related to the exhibit’s goals. This study highlights the need for better mediational means at science museums to support visitor engagement.

Abstract WP65: Evaluation Of Visitation Restrictions On Stroke Caregiver Preparedness During Inpatient Rehabilitation

Introduction: Family caregivers (CG) are an essential component of stroke care transitions. Restrictions in family visitation in inpatient rehabilitations units due to COVID-19 has limited training opportunities for CGs. In this study, visitation to the inpatient rehabilitation unit was restricted by policy to one day of CG training as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caregivers were assessed using the 25-item self-reported Preparedness Assessment for the Transition Home (PATH) instrument. Methods: The study cohort was stratified into 2 study groups: pre- (discharge [D/C] from the IRU before 3/16/2020; n=136) and post- (D/C after 3/16/2020; n=142) visitation policy change We calculated proportions of categorical clinical and demographic variables (age, income, gender, race, marital status, CG gender, relationship) and compared them between 2 study groups using Chi-squared tests. Means (standard deviations) for the overall PATH score and for each PATH domain were calculated and compared between study groups using independent samples t-tests. Results and Conclusions: No statistically significant differences in characteristics between groups were found, nor in the overall PATH score. However, the difference between the pre- and post- policy change groups in the domain of prognosis and insight was significant (P=0.04). The items in this domain are listed below. Providers must find innovative ways to communicate information about recovery, the impact of stroke, required preparations, and care needs during times of restricted visitation to improve caregiver preparedness during inpatient rehabilitation.

Pedagogical strategy to strengthen the oral tradition

The present research is carried out with the objective ofstrengthening the oral tradition from the bonfire as a pedagogical strategy inthe fifth grade students of the Quebrada Oscura Educational Center of theindigenous reservation of Yascual, for which the qualitative - ethnographicresearch approach is used to collect some life stories whose research designwill be action research. The population to work with is composed of 5 fifthgrade students, between the ages of 10 and 12 years old of both sexes,belonging to socioeconomic strata 0 and 1. To achieve this objective, threecategories are proposed, which are: hearth and family, territory and orality.This research interprets the cultural and social patterns of a community or aspecific group of people by conducting participatory workshops such asmingas of thought, family visits, also using observation and collection of life stories, emphasizing the way in which the researchers involved recordevents, facts, or words that have relevance for the achievement of thesepurposes in the community of Quebrada Oscura, to achieve an affective linkand integral development with the transmission of knowledge andstrengthen the oral tradition.

Virtual visiting in intensive care during COVID-19

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges. One that struck at the humanitarian core of our ICU staff was the inability to have families visit and support their loved ones in ICU. Visiting restrictions impacted patients, families and ICU staff and required the implementation of the novel approach of Virtual Visiting.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle among Iranian population: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background:Quarantine, an unpleasant experience, was implemented in many countries to limit the spread of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which it could associated whit lifestyle changes. The present study aimed to determine the changes in Iranian's lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods:In the present cross-sectional study, 2710 Iranian people completed an online researcher-made questionnaire asking lifestyle regarding COVID-19, which includes five sections about physical activity, stress and anxiety, nutrition habit, sleep disorders, and interpersonal relationship in addition to demographic data from January to February 2021, using the multistage cluster sampling method.Results:The participants’ mean age was 33.78 ± 11.50 years and 68.3% of them were female. Traveling, sightseeing, and family visits have been eliminated from 91%, 83.5%, and 77.5% of participants’ lives, respectively. There were increase in stress level (P < 0.001), weight of the participants (P < 0.001), sleep problems (P < 0.001), and healthier foods (P < 0.001) but decrease in interpersonal communication (P < 0.001) and the amount of physical activity (P < 0.001).Conclusion:In summary, this study indicates some changes in lifestyle of Iranian people, including changes in some eating practices, physical activity, social communication, and sleeping habits during the pandemic. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, a comprehensive understanding of these behaviors and habits can help develop interventions to mitigate the negative lifestyle behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic.