E-Health Psychological Intervention for COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: Protocol for its Implementation and Evaluation

Domínguez-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Arriaga, Reyna Jazmín Martínez; Herdoiza-Arroyo, Paulina Erika; Bautista-Valerio, Eduardo; Gómez, Anabel de la Rosa; Vargas, Rosa Olimpia Castellanos; Lacomba‐Trejo, Laura; Mateu-Mollá, Joaquín; Ramírez, Miriam de Jesú Lupercio; González, Jairo Alejandro Figueroa; Martinez, F

doi:10.3390/ijerph191912749

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 70 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In the first study, the participants who dropped out of the intervention were invited to respond to the SUS, along with ad hoc instruments designed to allow us to analyze the participants’ reasons for abandoning the intervention. The study was conducted using 3 psychological intervention platforms that were available during the COVID-19 pandemic: Salud Mental COVID-19 [ 57 ], Duelo COVID-19 [ 33 ], and Personal COVID-19 [ 58 ]. In addition, we conducted a qualitative study with the Grief COVID participants to gather information about their perceptions of the intervention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy and Usability of an Unguided Web-Based Grief Intervention for Adults Who Lost a Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Domínguez-Rodríguez¹,

Sanz²,

González-Ramírez³

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The death of a loved one was a challenge many people faced during the COVID-19 pandemic within the context of extraordinary circumstances and great uncertainty. Grief is an unavoidable part of life, and for most people, feelings of grief decrease naturally over time. However, for some people, grieving can become a particularly painful process with clinical symptoms that may require professional help to resolve. To provide psychological support to people who had lost a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unguided web-based psychological intervention was developed. Objective The main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the web-based treatment, Grief COVID (Duelo COVID in Spanish; ITLAB), in reducing clinical symptoms of complicated grief, depression, posttraumatic stress, hopelessness, anxiety, and suicidal risk in adults. The secondary aim was to validate the usability of the self-applied intervention system. Methods We used a randomized controlled trial with an intervention group (IG) and a waitlist control group (CG). The groups were assessed 3 times (before beginning the intervention, upon completing the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention). The intervention was delivered on the web in an asynchronous format through the Duelo COVID web page. Participants created an account that could be used on their computers, smartphones, or tablets. The evaluation process was automated as part of the intervention. Results A total of 114 participants were randomly assigned to the IG or CG and met criteria for inclusion in the study (n=45, 39.5% completed the intervention and n=69, 60.5% completed the waitlist period). Most participants (103/114, 90.4%) were women. The results indicated that the treatment significantly reduced baseline clinical symptoms in the IG for all variables (P<.001 to P=.006), with larger effect sizes for depression, hopelessness, grief, anxiety, and risk of suicide (all effect sizes ≥0.5). The follow-up evaluation showed that symptom reduction was maintained at 3 months after the intervention. The results from the CG showed that participants experienced significantly decreased levels of hopelessness after completing the time on the waitlist (P<.001), but their suicidal risk scores increased. Regarding the usability of the self-applied intervention system, the results indicated a high level of satisfaction with the Grief COVID. Conclusions The self-applied web-based intervention Grief COVID was effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, risk of suicide risk, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complicated grief disorder. Grief COVID was evaluated by the participants, who reported that the system was easy to use. These results affirm the importance of developing additional web-based psychological tools to help reduce clinical symptoms in people experiencing grief because of the loss of a loved one during a pandemic. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04638842; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04638842

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Efficacy and Usability of an Unguided Web-Based Grief Intervention for Adults Who Lost a Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Domínguez-Rodríguez¹,

Sanz²,

González-Ramírez³

et al. 2023

J Med Internet Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…As for active nurses, an online or face-to-face intervention program could be carried out to enhance these skills. There are some interesting proposals in this regard that are based on improving their mental health and communication skills and reducing burnout [ 53 , 54 , 55 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitudes towards Communication in Nursing Students and Nurses: Are Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence Important?

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The communication attitude (ACO) of nurses can significantly influence patient health outcomes. This work aims to evaluate predictor variables of communication attitude (emotional intelligence and social skills) in nurses and nursing students separately by comparing linear and non-linear methodologies. Two samples participated in this study: 312 nursing professionals and 1369 nursing students. In total, 75.60% of the professionals and 83.80% of the students were women. After signing the informed consent form, their emotional intelligence (TMMS-24), social skills (IHS) and ACO (ACO) were assessed. It was found that ACO through linear regression models in professionals was predicted by emotional repair and, in students, by attention and emotional repair, as well as by low exposure to new situations, low social skills in the academic or work area and high empathy. Overall, the comparative qualitative models show how the combination of different skills related to emotional intelligence and social skills lead to high levels of ACO. Conversely, their low levels result in an absence of ACO. Our results highlight the importance of emotional intelligence, especially emotional repair and empathy, as well as the need to consider ways to encourage the learning of these skills in a formal way.

show abstract

“…Such support can take the form of employee assistance programs, mental health support, peer support resources [ 11 , 29 ], wellness programs [ 30 ], and training to help staff manage their personal resources and cope with the stress of their work [ 31 ]. In situations such as the pandemic, where social distancing is crucial, digital tools can be a useful way to provide emotional and psychological support [ 32 ]. In this way, a psychological aid tool for enhancing the well-being in podcast format allows for quick and agile dissemination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coping Strategies Used by Health Care Workers in Ecuador During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study to Enhance Resilience and Develop Training Tools

Vicente,

Gil Hernández,

Carrillo

et al. 2023

JMIR Hum Factors

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has generated immense health care pressure, forcing critical decisions to be made in a socially alarmed environment. Adverse conditions have led to acute stress reactions, affective pathologies, and psychosomatic reactions among health personnel, which have been exacerbated by the successive waves of the pandemic. The recovery of the entire health system and its professionals has been hindered, making it essential to increase their resilience. Objective This study aimed to achieve 2 primary objectives. First, it sought to identify coping strategies, both individual and organizational, used by health care workers in Ecuador to navigate the acute stress during the early waves of the pandemic. Second, it aimed to develop training materials to enhance team leaders' capabilities in effectively managing high-stress situations. Methods The study used qualitative research techniques to collect information on institutional and personal coping strategies, as well as consensus-building techniques to develop a multimedia psychological tool that reinforces the resilience of professionals and teams in facing future crises. Results The findings from the actions taken by health care workers in Ecuador were categorized into 4 types of coping strategies based on Lazarus' theories on coping strategies. As a result of this study, a new audiovisual tool was created, comprising a series of podcasts, designed to disseminate these strategies globally within the Spanish-speaking world. The tool features testimonials from health care professionals in Ecuador, narrating their experiences under the pressures of providing care during the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on the coping strategies used. Conclusions Ensuring the preparedness of health professionals for potential future outbreaks is imperative to maintain quality and patient safety. Interventions such as this one offer valuable insights and generate new tools for health professionals, serving as a case study approach to train leaders and improve the resilience capacity and skills of their teams.

show abstract

E-Health Psychological Intervention for COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: Protocol for its Implementation and Evaluation

Cited by 12 publications

References 70 publications

The Efficacy and Usability of an Unguided Web-Based Grief Intervention for Adults Who Lost a Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

The Efficacy and Usability of an Unguided Web-Based Grief Intervention for Adults Who Lost a Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Randomized Controlled Trial

Attitudes towards Communication in Nursing Students and Nurses: Are Social Skills and Emotional Intelligence Important?

Coping Strategies Used by Health Care Workers in Ecuador During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Observational Study to Enhance Resilience and Develop Training Tools

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About