Prevalence of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and burnout syndrome (BOS) among intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Katarzyna Wojnar-Gruszka, Magdalena Miernik, Jakub Cichoń, Donata Liberacka-Lenart, Lucyna Płaszewska-Żywko, Marcelina Potocka
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Pandemic COronaVIrus Disease-19 (COVID-19) was a traumatic event that had a significant impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), especially intensive care units (ICUs). Months of exposure and the threat of death can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and high physical and emotional strain can lead to burnout syndrome (BOS). The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of PTSD and BOS among ICU HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. A case-control study was conducted in 2022 using a diagnostic survey method with 148 hCWs from two intensive care units: a temporary intensive care unit (tICU, n = 93) and a general intensive care unit (gICU, n = 55) in Cracow, Poland. The Impact of Events Scale (IES-R), Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and a proprietary questionnaire were used. The results obtained indicate that 46.62% (69) of HCWs had pronounced PTSD symptoms. In the tICU HCWs, 47.31% (44) had severe symptoms of PTSD, and in the gICU HCWs, 45.45% (25) were affected. HCWs in the tICU reported the highest score in the Hyperarousal domain (x = 1.52; SD = 0.87), while HCWs from the gICU reported higher scores in the Avoidance domain (xx = 1.45 SD = 0.81). HCWs presented moderate levels of job BOS in the domains of exhaustion (50.68%; 75) and lack of commitment (64.86%; 96). It was shown that lack of commitment to work was significantly more frequent in the tICU group than in the gICU group (p = 0.022). It was shown that the greater the level of exhaustion or withdrawal, the greater the severity of each PTSD symptom. Activity responsibility and fatigue were found to be the most stressful in the workplace. PTSD symptoms co-occurred with BOS. It is necessary to provide employees with targeted psychological support in dealing with the post-pandemic emotional crisis and support the retention of nurses in the profession.
期刊介绍：
Psychology, Health & Medicine is a multidisciplinary journal highlighting human factors in health. The journal provides a peer reviewed forum to report on issues of psychology and health in practice. This key publication reaches an international audience, highlighting the variation and similarities within different settings and exploring multiple health and illness issues from theoretical, practical and management perspectives. It provides a critical forum to examine the wide range of applied health and illness issues and how they incorporate psychological knowledge, understanding, theory and intervention. The journal reflects the growing recognition of psychosocial issues as they affect health planning, medical care, disease reaction, intervention, quality of life, adjustment adaptation and management.
For many years theoretical research was very distant from applied understanding. The emerging movement in health psychology, changes in medical care provision and training, and consumer awareness of health issues all contribute to a growing need for applied research. This journal focuses on practical applications of theory, research and experience and provides a bridge between academic knowledge, illness experience, wellbeing and health care practice.
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