Dataset Information

Sense of Coherence in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: Association With Work Engagement, Work Environment and Psychological Distress Factors.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the association between the sense of coherence, work engagement, and psychological distress in healthcare workers in Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 803 healthcare professionals from all regions of Ecuador between 2 April and 17 May 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which contained sociodemographic and work environment variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Results: The mean value of sense of coherence was M = 65.04; SD = 12.74; for work engagement, it was M = 39.36; SD = 10.53; and for psychological distress, M = 4.58; SD = 3.44. There is a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between the sense of coherence and work engagement, and a negative correlation with psychological distress. Conclusion: During the pandemic in Ecuador, healthcare professionals have suffered a major deterioration of their mental health. Sense of coherence has been associated with work engagement and psychological distress. They have perceived a worsening of the quality of care and working conditions compared to those existing before COVID-19.

SUBMITTER: Gomez-Salgado J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9760665 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sense of Coherence in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: Association With Work Engagement, Work Environment and Psychological Distress Factors.

Gómez-Salgado Juan J Arias-Ulloa Cristian Arturo CA Ortega-Moreno Mónica M García-Iglesias Juan Jesús JJ Escobar-Segovia Kenny K Ruiz-Frutos Carlos C

International journal of public health 20221205

<b>Objectives:</b> The aim of this study was to test the association between the sense of coherence, work engagement, and psychological distress in healthcare workers in Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 803 healthcare professionals from all regions of Ecuador between 2 April and 17 May 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which contained sociodemographic and work environment variables, the U ...[more]

PMID: 36545403

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Project description:BackgroundPublic health emergencies, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, put great pressure on healthcare workers (HCW) across the world, possibly increasing the risk of experiencing ethically challenging situations (ECS). Whereas experiencing ECS as a HCW in such situations is likely unavoidable, mitigation of their adverse effects (e.g., moral distress) is necessary to reduce the risk of long-term negative consequences. One possible route of mitigation of these effects is via work environmental factors.ObjectivesThe current study aimed to examine: [1] risk factors associated with ECS among HCW [2], intensity of moral distress associated with ECS across various occupational factors (i.e., profession, degree of exposure to patients with Covid-19), and [3] the impact of work environmental factors on this association, in a sample of HCW during the pandemic.MethodsWe employed multiple logistic and linear regression to self-report data from 977 HCWs at four Norwegian hospitals responding to a survey at the fourth wave of the pandemic.ResultsAbout half of HCW in this study had experienced ECS during the pandemic, and levels of moral distress associated with such were higher than in previous studies using similar assessment methods. Younger age, female sex, geographical work area (mid-north of Norway), and profession (nurse) were all associated with higher odds (range of OR: 1.30-2.59) of experiencing ECS, as were direct contact with patients with Covid-19. Among those participants who reported that they had experienced ECS during the pandemic, moral distress levels when recalling those situations were moderate (Mean 5.7 on a 0-10 scale). Men reported somewhat lower intensity of moral distress (partial eta squared; ηp2 = 0.02). Reporting a manageable workload (ηp2 = 0.02), and greater opportunity to work according to best practice (ηp2 = 0.02), were associated with lower levels of moral distress.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that moral distress could potentially be mitigated on an organizational level, particularly by focusing on ensuring a manageable workload, and an ability to work according to best practice. To build sustainable healthcare systems robust enough to withstand future public health emergencies, healthcare organizations should implement measures to facilitate these aspects of HCWs' work environment.

Project description:BackgroundPandemics and natural disasters are immensely stressful events for frontline healthcare workers, as they provide patient care to a population undergoing the impacts of the disaster while experiencing such impacts to their personal lives themselves. With increased stressors to an already demanding job, frontline healthcare workers are at a higher risk of adverse effects to their mental health. The current COVID-19 pandemic has already shown to have had significant impact on the mental health of healthcare workers with increased rates of burnout, anxiety and depression. There is already literature showing the utility of individual programs at improving mental health, however, interventions at the organizational level are not well explored. This scoping review aims to provide an overview and determine the utility of a systematic review of the current body of literature assessing the effectiveness of mental health interventions at the organizational level for healthcare workers during or after a public health emergency.MethodsElectronic databases such as Medline on OVID, CENTRAL, PsycINFO on OVID and Embase on OVID were searched. A targeted search of the grey literature was conducted to identify any non-indexed studies. The population, concept and context approach was used to develop the eligibility criteria. Articles were included if (1) they assessed the impact of interventions to improve wellbeing or reduce the distress on healthcare personnel, first responders or military actively providing medical care; (2) provided quantitative or qualitative data with clearly defined outcomes that focused on established mental health indicators or qualitative descriptions on distress and wellbeing, validated scales and workplace indicators; (3) focused on organizational level interventions that occurred in a public health crisis.ResultsThe literature search resulted in 4007 citations and 115 potentially relevant full-text papers. All except 5 were excluded. There were four review articles and one experimental study. There were no other unpublished reports that warranted inclusion.ConclusionsThere is a distinct lack of research examining organizational interventions addressing mental resilience and well-being in healthcare workers in disaster settings. A systematic review in this area would be low yield. There is a clear need for further research in this area.

Project description:IntroductionPrevious studies have suggested association between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the stress level of workers. However, no studies have investigated the potential of salivary mature BDNF (mBDNF) level as a noninvasive biomarker for psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the reliability of salivary mBDNF as a biomarker for psychological distress in healthcare workers. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between salivary and plasma mBDNF levels and their correlation with age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and exercise habits.MethodsFifty-one healthy healthcare workers (26 men) from the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan, participated in this study. In this cross-sectional study, participants provided demographic information. Psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler 6 (K6). Saliva and blood samples were collected, and mBDNF was measured by ELISA. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was performed to analyze the relationship between mBDNF (saliva and plasma) and K6. Statistical analyses were conducted using Stata 17.0, and a significance level of p < .05 was applied.ResultsThe median K6 score was 1 (interquartile range [IQR]: 0-3). The median (IQR) salivary mBDNF was 1.36 (1.12-1.96) pg/mL, whereas the mean (standard deviation) plasma mBDNF was 1261.11 (242.98) pg/mL. No correlation was observed between salivary and plasma mBDNF concentrations or with the K6 score. Additionally, there were no associations between salivary or plasma mBDNF concentrations and age, sex, or exercise habits. Finally, an association between plasma mBDNF concentration and BMI was found only in univariate analysis.ConclusionOur findings indicate that salivary mBDNF can be accurately measured noninvasively in healthcare workers. Within our study sample, salivary mBDNF did not demonstrate any correlation with K6 and plasma mBDNF. Future studies with a larger study sample and a diverse study population consisting of healthy participants and patients with psychiatric disorders are warranted.

Dataset Information

Sense of Coherence in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: Association With Work Engagement, Work Environment and Psychological Distress Factors.

Publications

Sense of Coherence in Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ecuador: Association With Work Engagement, Work Environment and Psychological Distress Factors.

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