Community Health Workers as a Strategy to Tackle Psychosocial Suffering Due to Physical Distancing: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many primary care professionals were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psychosocial support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks.

Methods

CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received 'care as usual'. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean c

SUBMITTER: Vanden Bossche D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8002631 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature