Negative Psychological Symptoms Research Articles

The Effectiveness of Spirituality-Centered Cognitive Therapy on Body Image, Sexual Function, Illness Perception and Intrusive Thoughts in Iranian Women after Mastectomy

Spirituality-centered cognitive therapy refers to the way in which people search for and express the meaning and purpose of their lives, as well as experience connection with themselves, others, nature, and spirituality. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of spirituality-centered cognitive therapy on body image, sexual function, disease perception, and disturbing thoughts in women after mastectomy. This was semi-experimental research, which was conducted via a pre-test–post-test method and had a control group. The samples included 85 women with breast cancer who had undergone mastectomy, and, based on the inclusion criteria, 78 individuals were randomly selected and were then divided into two groups (39 individuals in the intervention group and 39 individuals in the control group). The intervention group received eight 120 min sessions of spirituality-centered cognitive therapy, and the control group did not receive any training. Data were collected using questionnaires on illness perception, body image, sexual function, and rumination and were then analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measurements using SPSS-24. Before the training, there was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the scores obtained by the scales. After the intervention, the mean scores in all scales except sexual function were significantly different from the control group. Therefore, spirituality-centered cognitive therapy may be useful for improving negative psychological symptoms among women in Iran with breast cancer after mastectomy surgery.

Unveiling the mirage of mindfulness profiles through mindfulness-based stress reduction

ObjectivesThe Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) stands out as a standard of mindfulness assessment in scientific literature, although scientific understanding of its properties is still in development. Among them, the FFMQ seems to present latent profiles with specific patterns in its facets. However, no study has explored the behavior of mindfulness profiles across mindfulness-based interventions. This study explores how Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) impacts mindfulness profiles. MethodsAn overall sample of 624 participants were measured pre and post-MBSR in mindfulness, decentering, self-compassion, psychopathological symptoms, well-being, and positive and negative emotional states. ResultsMBSR altered the structure of latent profiles, shifting from 3 profiles to 2 profiles: A High Mindfulness minority profile and a General Mindfulness majority profile. These profiles could be interpreted as a single dispositional mindfulness continuum. The Judgmentally Observing and Non-Judgmentally Aware profiles were more present in the High Mindfulness profile post-MBSR. All profiles tended to display increased decentering, self-compassion, well-being, and positive states, while decreased negative states and psychological symptoms. Thus, MBSR seemed to “arrange” latent profiles in a continuum of overall mindfulness. ConclusionsMBSR seems to dissipate heterogeneities in the FFMQ, allocating its measurements to a more homogeneous continuum of mindfulness. Implications and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Correlation between Different Psychological Variables in Women with Fibromyalgia with Symptoms of Neurogenic Inflammation: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome hypothesized to arise from a state of neurogenic inflammation. Mechanisms responsible for pain, as well as psychological variables, are typically altered in this condition. The main objective of this research was to explore somatosensory and psychological alterations in women with FM. The secondary objective was to carry out a secondary analysis to correlate the different variables studied and delve into the influences between them. The relationship between different psychological variables in fibromyalgia is not clear in the previous scientific literature. Forty-four individuals participated, of which twenty-two were controls and twenty-two were women with fibromyalgia. The main outcome measures were the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, pressure pain threshold, conditioned pain modulation, anxiety and depression symptoms, catastrophizing and kinesiophobia cognitions. The main analysis showed that there is a moderate correlation between the psychological variables of depression and fear of movement and the ability to modulate pain. There is also a moderately inverse correlation between pain catastrophizing cognitions and pain intensity/disability. Multiple moderate and strong correlations were found among the various psychological variables studied. FM patients exhibit somatosensory alterations alongside negative psychological symptoms that influence the experience of pain, and they may perpetuate the state of neurogenic inflammation.

Understanding the Interplay between Wellness Motivation, Engagement, Satisfaction, and Destination Loyalty.

Increased awareness of negative psychological symptoms and the negative impact of the pandemic has led to a rising demand for wellness-related travel experiences. There is a need for research on tourists' experiential and reflective engagement in order to maximize positive outcomes such as overall satisfaction, positive WOM, and recommendations. These positive outcomes are crucial for attracting tourists and strengthening destinations' brands. As there are few empirical studies, research on the effects of engagement on satisfaction and behavioral intentions is necessary. This study aimed to examine the relationships between wellness motivation, engagement, satisfaction, and destination loyalty among wellness tourists. It also aimed to examine the mediating effects of two engagement factors, experiential and reflective engagement, between wellness motivation and positive outcomes. A total of 319 respondents were used for the analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted. The results found that wellness motivation is composed of six wellness motivation components, namely physical motivation, transcendence, relaxation, social motivation, self-esteem, and escape, each representing first-order factors. Wellness motivation is positively associated with reflective and experiential engagement. Engagement positively affects satisfaction and destination loyalty. This study provides several implications, theoretically and practically.

Happy Moments between Children and Their Parents: A Multi-method and Multi-informant Perspective

Research interest in children’s happiness has increasingly grown in recent years. Studies of children’s happiness have shown that happiness promotes greater social and emotional well-being during childhood. The present study explores the different perspectives of children and their parents on happy moments spent together, examining potential discrepancies in points of view. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 154 children (6–13 years old: Mage=8.72, SD = 2.00; 57% girls), their mothers (Mage=42.30, SD = 4.50), and their fathers (Mage=45.47, SD = 5.42). Children were asked to indicate their level of happiness using a single item and to recount their happy moments spent with their fathers and mothers. Parents were asked to evaluate their children’s happiness and to identify what they thought was the happiest moment their children had experienced with them. The data was analyzed using Thematic Analysis. Six main themes related to children’s happy moments emerged from the transcripts: (1) Activities outside the home; (2) Shared activities between parents and children; (3) Happy moments of play between parents and children; (4) Parent-child moments of affection; (5) Relevance of material gifts; (6) Non-specified happy moments. Emotional interactions characterized the happiest moments reported with mothers, while those with fathers were more frequently playful and fun situations. Results showed that parents and children disagree on children’s happiness levels and tend to identify different episodes as the happiest moments spent together. The study examined parent-child interactions in the context of family happiness, considering the protective role of a child’s happiness against negative psychological symptoms. It aimed to identify components of happier moments as potential indicators of family well-being, given the family’s role in psychological development.

The Silver Lining of Posttraumatic Growth around the Dark Side of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A School-Based Intervention with Mindfulness and Character Strengths Practices among Children.

The theory of posttraumatic growth (PTG) proposes that from life difficulties positive changes can happen, such as deepened personal relationships and an awareness of new possibilities in life. PTG can occur naturally or can be facilitated. This study aimed to promote PTG through a school-based intervention of eight sessions of 45 min each with mindfulness and character strengths practices (the so-called "The exploration of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic"). The study conducted assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and follow-up (i.e., one month after the intervention). The post-intervention results showed that the participants in the intervention group experienced an improvement in PTG, well-being, mindfulness, strengths use, and PTS symptoms compared to the children in the control group. Furthermore, these positive changes were sustained at follow-up. The findings of this study highlight that mindfulness-based strengths practices can increase positive outcomes (i.e., well-being, posttraumatic growth) and reduce negative psychological symptoms (PTS) among children. The implications for theory and practice are discussed, and detailed appendices for practitioners are provided.

Psychometric Properties of the Method "Evaluation of Negative Mental Reactions and States of Combatants" and Experience of its Application in Short-term Psychological Recovery

"The article shows the development of the method of psychological evaluation called “Evaluation of Negative Mental Reactions and States of Combatants”. In the study participated 1300 male servicemen (29.84% from junior lieutenant to colonel and servicemen under contract and demobilized, and 70.16% from private to senior warrant officer). The age of participants varied from 20 to 55 years. The system of evaluation developed consisted of 16 instruments that could help to determine the presence of negative psychological symptoms of servicemen related to their participation in hostilities. The results indicated that the evaluation method developed is a tool that allows determining the presence of negative psychological symptoms related to participation in combat. Likewise, it is a useful and fast method to assess the effectiveness of short-term psychological recovery programs. Unlike existing methods of diagnosing negative mental reactions and states of an individual, which arose after their participation in hostilities, the developed psychodiagnostic toolkit could consider the physical and mental fatigue of the respondents, their deterioration, and other cognitive dysfunctions."

Black Grief Matters: Undergraduate Students’ Experiences Grieving Police Murders of Black Americans

Black Americans’ witnessing of online anti-Black police brutality is related to negative psychological outcomes, including stress and depressive symptoms. This study examined the degree to which grief disenfranchisement, social support, and coping style predicted stress, depressive symptoms, and prolonged grief among 189 Black undergraduate students grieving police murders of Black Americans. The students experienced moderate stress, elevated depressive symptoms, and low levels of prolonged grief, and coping style emerged as the most robust predictor of mental health outcomes. Specifically, planning, behavioral disengagement, and ritual-centered coping predicted variance in perceived stress. Additionally, behavioral disengagement explained variance in depressive symptoms; and disenfranchised grief, changes in goals, and collective-centered coping accounted for variance in prolonged grief. These findings may contribute to the development of interventions to support Black undergraduate students as they grieve police murders of Black Americans.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM SKIN DISORDERS

Background: Dermatology holds a unique place among the other clinical specialties due to the "visibility" of the skin organ. Psycho dermatology focuses on the interaction between the mind and skin, based on the bio-psycho-social disease model in psychosomatics. It focuses on the complex, non-linear interactions between biological, psychological, and social factors in the pathogenesis of skin diseases. The present research work aims to assess the psychological characteristics of patients suffering from skin disorders- eczema and psoriasis. Method: A sample of 90 individuals was divided into three groups: eczema patients, psoriasis patients, and control group. Participants were administered several tools and effective results were found out after statistical analyses. Results: Significant differences between the three groups, with respect to coping styles, perceived stress, locus of control, and anxiety were demonstrated. On the other hand, in Psoriasis patients’ group, significant relationships of Coping Styles and Perceived Stress with Locus of Control and Anxiety were found out. In Eczema patients’ group, a significant relationship of coping styles and perceived stress with locus of control was found out; a significant relationship between anxiety and self-blame coping style and between locus of control and trait anxiety were also found out. Conclusion: The study reveals individuals with skin disorders experience negative psychological symptoms such as, high perceived stress, high anxiety, and negative coping styles. Psycho dermatology treatments can address these factors for a holistic healthcare approach.

Combining virtual mentalizing imagery therapy with caregiving skills for Spanish language Latino family dementia caregivers: a feasibility and acceptability study

AbstractBackgroundSpanish‐speaking family caregivers of people living with dementia have limited supportive resources in Spanish. There are few validated, culturally acceptable virtual interventions to reduce these caregivers’ psychological distress and address caregiving skill needs. We investigated the feasibility of virtual delivery of a Spanish language adaptation of mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT), which provides guided imagery and mindfulness training to improve self‐ and other‐ understanding and reduce negative psychological symptoms, in combination with caregiver skills (CS).Methods16 Spanish‐speaking Latino family dementia caregivers enrolled in a combined 8‐week virtual MIT‐CS program. Feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction with MIT‐CS were assessed. The primary psychological outcome was depressive symptoms; secondary outcomes included caregiver burden and dispositional mindfulness. Feasibility thresholds for participation were set at 75% for retention, at 75% for group attendance, and at two times per week for MIT home practice. Acceptability was evaluated as overall satisfaction with MIT‐CS of at least four points on a five‐point Likert scale. Effect sizes were estimated with Cohen’s d, and statistical significance was computed with mixed linear models.ResultsCaregivers were 58±8 (mean±SD) years of age, 81.2% female, and had an average of 14±3 years of education. 69% did not have a 4‐year college degree. 94% of participants completed the group (one participant dropped out due to time constraints). Participation in weekly group meetings was 86%. Home MIT practice was performed on average 2.2±0.3 times per week. Satisfaction with MIT‐CS reached 4.5±0.9 of a possible 5 points (most responses rated excellent). Reduction in depression was observed after completion of MIT‐CS (d = ‐.42, p = .03). There was a significant improvement in mindfulness (d = .91, p = .004) and a trend toward improvement in caregiver burden (d = ‐.44, p = .1).ConclusionsVirtual group‐delivered MIT‐CS was feasible and acceptable in a group of Latino Spanish language family dementia caregivers living in the greater Boston area. MIT‐CS demonstrated promising effect sizes for reducing depressive symptoms and caregiver burden and increasing mindfulness. Larger, randomized controlled trials of MIT‐CS should validate the efficacy of specific MIT‐CS components in this population.

Mediation of Self-Compassion on Pathways from Stress and Anxiety to Depression among Portuguese Higher Education Students.

Higher education is a context that requires students to develop academic, social and institutional tasks. As a result of this complex and multidimensional process, students tend to experience greater stress, anxiety and depression, making it crucial for students to mobilize a set of essential personal, social and instrumental resources, for a more positive adaptation to the academic context. Self-compassion is an adaptative emotion-regulation strategy and may help students to better adjust to academic issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of self-compassion as a mediator in the relationship between anxiety and depression, as well as stress and depression. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed through social media. Stress and anxiety were found to be positively related to depression scores and negatively related to self-compassion. A bootstrapped mediation model confirmed the existence of a significant positive partial mediation effect exerted by self-compassion on the relationship between stress and depression (b = 0.12, 95% CI [0.05, 0.18]). The analysis also showed a significant positive partial mediation effect exerted by self-compassion in the relationship between anxiety and depression (b = 0.13, 95% CI [0.08, 0.18]). Conclusions: Self-compassion might partially mediate the relationship between stress and depression and between anxiety and depression. Findings underscore self-compassion as a potentially protective factor against negative psychological symptoms.

Effects of COVID-19 stress, proximity, and adverse childhood experiences on healthcare workers' mental health.

Past research has shown that healthcare workers (HCWs) experience high levels of psychological distress during epidemics and pandemics, resulting in cascading effects that have led to chronically understaffed hospitals and healthcare centers. Due to the nature of their responsibilities and workplace stress, HCWs are among vulnerable groups especially during global health crises. During COVID-19 many healthcare workers reported greater symptoms of anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 related worries. Furthermore, adverse childhood experiences increase vulnerability for psychological conditions, especially during pandemics. This study sets out to (1) investigate the moderating effects of adverse childhood experiences on healthcare workers' COVID-19 related stressors and depression/anxiety symptoms, and (2) investigate the moderating effects of adverse childhood experiences on proximity to the COVID-19 virus and depression/anxiety symptoms. Participants included 438 employed HCWs recruited from academic medical centers and smaller healthcare agencies in northcentral Florida between October to December 2020. Mean age of participants was 38.23 (SD = 11.5) with most of the HCWs being white (72.1%), non-Hispanic (86.8%) and female (82%). Healthcare workers completed several online questionnaires, including the Adverse Childhood Experiences scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, a COVID-19 specific worries scale, and a Social Proximity to COVID-19 scale. Healthcare workers experiencing specific COVID-19 worries reported experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms. A significant positive interaction was seen between childhood adverse experiences globally and COVID-19 worries on anxiety symptoms. A significant positive interaction was observed between childhood maltreatment specifically and COVID-19 worries on depressive symptoms. Additionally, a positive interaction effect was seen between childhood adverse experiences and COVID-19 social proximity for both depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms. Findings from the present study indicate that adverse childhood experiences strengthen the relationship between COVID-19 worry/proximity and negative psychological symptoms. Vulnerable populations such as individuals who have experienced ACEs could benefit from targeted and specific interventions to cope with the collective trauma experienced globally due to COVID-19. As COVID-19 becomes endemic, hospital leadership and authorities should continue addressing COVID-19 worries and HCWs' psychological symptoms through mental health support and organizational interventions.

The impact of resilience on the mental health of military personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic: coping styles and regulatory focus.

Military personnel encountered multiple stressful events during the COVID-19 lockdown. Reducing non-combat attrition due to mental disorders is crucial for military morale and combat effectiveness. Grounded in stress theory and regulatory focus theory, this study investigates the influence of resilience on military personnel's mental health; coping style and regulatory focus are considered potential mediators and moderators, respectively. We conducted a routine psychological assessment on 1,110 military personnel in China. The results indicate that: (1) resilience has a negative impact on the psychological symptoms of military groups; (2) mature and mixed coping styles in military personnel mediate the association between resilience and psychological symptoms; and (3) regulatory focus predominance has a negative moderating effect on mature coping styles' effects on psychological symptoms. Furthermore, this study supports previous findings that resilience and mental health are interrelated; it demonstrates that military personnel can effectively reduce negative psychological symptoms by improving their resilience level and adopting mature coping styles under stressful situations. The current study presents interventional insights regarding coping styles and mental health from a self-regulatory perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An RCT-reticulated meta-analysis of six MBE therapies affecting college students' negative psychology

The positive impact of mind-body movement therapy on mental health has been confirmed, but the current effect of various mind-body movement-specific therapies on improving the negative psychology of college students is controversial. This study compared the effects of six mind-body exercise (MBE) therapies on improving negative psychological symptoms in college students. The study found that Tai Chi (standardized mean difference [SMD]= -0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] (-1.59, -0.15), p<0.05), yoga (SMD= -0.95, 95% CI (-1.74, -0.15), p<0.05), Yi Jin Jing (SMD= -1.15, 95% CI (-2.36, -0.05), p=<0.05), Five Animal Play (SMD= -1.1, 95% CI (-2.09, -0.02), p<0.05), and Qigong Meditation (SMD= -1.31, 95% CI (-2.2, -0.4), p<0.05) improved depressive symptoms in college students (p<0.05). Tai Chi (SMD= -7.18, 95% CI (-13.18, -1.17), p= 0.019), yoga (SMD= -6.8, 95% CI (-11.79, -1.81), p= 0.008), and Yi Jin Jing (SMD= -9.21, 95% CI (-17.55, -0.87), p= 0.03) improved college students' anxiety symptoms. It shows that the six MBE therapies are effective in improving anxiety and depression in college students.

Anxiety During Covid 19 Pandemic- A Study Among Female College Students And Teachers In Kerala

COVID 19 is an ongoing global pandemic and it had a major effect in our lives. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and students have been experiencing negative psychological symptoms stemming from the school closures and it was the need of the hour to adapt new methodological model of teaching learning, for which the teachers and students were not prepared. The uncertainties caused due to this drastic change could only aggravate their anxiety levels. In addition to the aforementioned circumstances, the new teaching method adopted through online classes and virtual classrooms failed to replace real classrooms. In the absence of an effective mode of learning in the present context, the anguish and anxiety caused by such disparities remain immeasurable.There is a considerable dearth in the research conducted in the field of the impact of pandemic and its influence on levels of anxiety in college students and teachers and about the expectations of academic self-efficacy during these hard times. This research analyzes the level of anxiety and perceived self-efficacy during COVID-19.

Psychological recovery and well-being of spouses of patients with prostate cancer 5 years after primary treatment in Finland: a follow-up survey

Objective and settingTo study longitudinally cancer-related experiences of spouses of patients with prostate cancer and the predictors of their psychological recovery and quality of life (QOL) by following the participants...

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 During COVID-19: Psychological Symptoms and Eating Attitudes.

Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 is a chronic metabolic disorder, the treatment of which extremely burdens the patient. The lockdown, as a measure to prevent the spreading of the 2019 coronavirus disease, was a major challenge for the general public. People with chronic diseases, such as T1D patients, have complex emotional and psychological needs and are at increased risk for both depressive symptoms and anxiety. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of body mass index of T1D patients on the psychological symptoms and eating habits, as well as the prognostic factors of the psychological symptoms during the lockdown period. Diabetes mellitus patients were invited to complete this survey from the outpatient Diabetes clinic of the General Hospital of Chania and the "AHEPA" General University Hospital of Thessaloniki in Greece. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the DASS-42 questionnaire, and eating habits were assessed using the EAT-26 questionnaire. Overall, 112 T1D patients were analyzed (response rate: 28.8%). Obese T1D patients appear to be at greater risk of developing psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, disordered eating behaviors and bulimia and food preoccupation subscale are associated with psychological symptoms. The findings suggest that obese T1D patients are at greater risk of developing psychological symptoms. Moreover, when an eating disorder is triggered, negative psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety are reduced. The results of this study may guide targeted interventions among T1D patients.

Advances in Mind/Body Therapies: Concept, Data and Delivery

Mind/body therapies, such as yoga, mindfulness, and guided imagery, are often touted in media reports as ways to slow cognitive decline, improve brain health, and ameliorate negative psychological symptoms such as stress and depression. However, the clinical and neurobiological evidence base for these uses in older adults is limited. Moreover, many older adults, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, have difficulty accessing these therapies due to the in-person, group formats in which they are often delivered. A major difficulty in understanding the objective benefits of mind/body therapies for subjective cognitive and psychological symptoms is infrequent measurement during clinical trials using retrospective questionnaires. Thus, increased clinical efficacy research, neurobiological research, and methodological research to identify new ways to deliver and measure the effects of mind/body therapies is urgently needed.In this general session, three presenters will discuss recent advances in mind/body therapies, including new evidence from large-scale trials, and methodological innovations enabling remote therapy delivery and the assessment of behavioral outcomes.First, Dr. Felipe Jain will discuss smartphone delivery of mind/body therapies and new technologies that use passive smartphone sensors to enable continuous measurement of behavior. The development of digital phenotypes of psychological symptoms from these fine-grained behavioral assessments will be discussed. Dr. Jain's presentation will describe a smartphone application which delivers mind/body tools, mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT), and caregiver skills, to older adult family caregivers of persons living with dementia. His talk will elucidate simultaneous capture of usage data and passive smartphone sensor data in a subset of participants in a clinical trial using the application. Statistical methods to derive individual behavioral phenotypes for symptom tracking of psychological stress and sleep will be presented.Second, Dr. Eric Lenze will share clinical and neuroimaging results of a large trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with and without exercise aimed at improving cognitive function and brain health in older adults. His talk will include clinical effects of intervention on episodic memory and executive function, and structural brain markers including hippocampal volume and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex thickness and surface area. Finally, he will focus on sensitive analyses of functional brain connectivity from before to after treatment.Finally, Dr. Helen Lavretsky will discuss the recent trends in the methodology of conducting mind-body efficacy and effectiveness trials. She will also discuss the results of a recently completed trial of Kundalini yoga for prevention of cognitive decline in women with subjective memory complaints and at risk for AD. This will also cover clinical outcomes and the role of neural and peripheral biomarkers of response.The panel discussion will outline future research directions in mind-body therapies for treatment and prevention in older adults, with a focus on diversity and inclusion of underrepresented populations.

The Effect of Integrated Religious Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (IRCBT) on Psychological Symptoms of Women with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer exacerbates psychological problems and raises existential concerns, and decreases hope and quality of life. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of integrated religious cognitive behavioral therapy (IRCBT) on psychological symptoms among Iranian women with breast cancer. A total sample of 178 patients referred to the community healthcare centers in Mashhad (Iran) was selected. Patients were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. For the experimental group, eight 120-min sessions of IRCBT were administered. All patients completed the Symptom Checklist-25 (SCL-25). At baseline, there was no significant difference between the two groups on the SCL-25 subscales scores. After the intervention, the mean scores on all subscales of the SCL-25 in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group, except for the obsessive-compulsive, somatization, and neuroticism subscales. The IRCBT may be useful for improving negative psychological symptoms among Iranian women with breast cancer. Keywords: IRCBT, Psychological symptoms, Breast cancer, Religion, Iran

A cross-sectional study on coping strategies of frontline healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in a developing country.

Frontline healthcare workers encountered a heightened susceptibility to negative psychological symptoms and behavioral shifts in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This study determined the coping strategies adopted by frontline healthcare workers in Ghana as well as assessed any differences based on demographics, job title, and ranking in four coronavirus disease 2019-designated centers in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Using a hospital-based, mixed-method approach, the study was conducted between May 2021 and September 2021. A total of 94 frontline healthcare workers were randomly sampled and given a self-administered questionnaire, while 13 healthcare workers took in-depth interviews. Data from the survey were analyzed using both IBM SPSS and IBM AMOS and the interview data were transcribed verbatim and coded using thematic analysis. The study revealed that coronavirus disease 2019 has affected the psycho-social life of frontline healthcare workers mainly in the form of depression, anxiety, and stress. The three main coping strategies adopted by frontline healthcare workers include personal preventative measures (most dominant), seeking external expert support, and obtaining institutional support. While healthcare workers within the age group 30-39 years were found most compliant with the adoption of personal preventive measures and those below 30 years were found least compliant. This study concludes that frontline healthcare workers have been affected by a considerable level of anxiety, stress, and depression during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The study recommends a robust psychological support system at various levels of health care and an Employee Assistance Program with access to a 24-h hotline counseling service for frontline healthcare workers, continuous personal protective equipment provision, regular evidence-based updates on the management of coronavirus disease 2019 patients, and increased commitment from the government in addressing the medical needs of infected frontline healthcare workers.