Investigation of the Efficiency of Psychological Support Videos as an Approach to the Protection of Mental Health of Medics During the Pandemic Process.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether providing psychological support to healthcare professionals who are actively involved in the pandemic process will reduce the psychological risk factors created by the pandemic on healthcare professionals.

Methods: A total of 440 healthcare professionals working in different positions in 2 state hospitals, which are considered pandemic hospitals, were included in the study. Sociodemographic Data Form, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Inventory, and Psychological Resilience Scale were used in the study, which was carried out with the experimental design pre-test-post-test model before the experiment. Participants were made to watch 4 videos prepared by expert psychologists on anxiety, depression, and psychological resilience.

Results: The data obtained from the sample before and after watching the videos were analyzed with the paired sample t-test. Accordingly, there was a significant difference between the groups of health workers who participated in the survey before and after watching the psychological support videos (P < .001). After watching the psychological support videos, the anxiety scores of the health workers decreased. In addition, anxiety scores created a significant difference in demographic variables (gender, age, marital status, not having a child, having a high education level, smoking and alcohol use, having a physiological disease, and working year). Depression scores decreased in those who use alcohol and those who have 1-3 shifts per month.

Conclusions: In disasters such as epidemics that bring psychosocial difficulties, psychotherapeutic support to those who fight in the first place is important in protecting their mental health.