Supporting the well-being of health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The CopeColumbia response

Abstract

Objective COVID-19 is an international public health crisis, putting substantial burden on medical centers and increasing the psychological toll on health care workers (HCW). Methods This paper describes CopeColumbia, a peer support program developed by faculty in a large Urban Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry to support emotional well-being and enhance the professional resilience of HCW. Results Grounded in evidence-based clinical practice and research, peer support was offered in three formats: groups, individual sessions, and town halls. Also, psychoeducational resources were centralized on a website. A Facilitator's Guide informed group and individual work by including: (1) emotional themes likely to arise (e.g., stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and anger) and (2) suggested facilitator responses and interventions, drawing upon evidence-based principles from peer support, stress and coping models, and problem-solving, cognitive behavioral, and acceptance and commitment therapies. Feedback from group sessions was overwhelmingly positive. Approximately 1/3 of individual sessions led to treatment referrals. Conclusions Lessons learned include: (1) there is likely an ongoing need for both well-being programs and linkages to mental health services for HCW, (2) the workforce with proper support, will emerge emotionally resilient, and (3) organizational support for programs like CopeColumbia is critical for sustainability.

Mental health of Health Care Workers (HCWs): a review of organizational interventions put in place by local institutions to cope with new psychosocial challenges resulting from COVID-19

“…As a result, seven studies were included in the review and other 2 papers were discussed separately as consisting in ongoing clinical trials. ( Albott et al, 2020 ; Buselli et al, 2020a ; Chen et al, 2020 ; DePierro et al, 2020 ; Mellins et al, 2020 ; Sulaiman et al, 2020 ; Lefèvre et al, 2021 ). See figure 1 .…”

“…They also developed a website for information on offerings, with a curated list of internal and external resources for HCWs. The website included guidance on managing stress and anxiety, provided links to mindfulness, meditation, and exercise apps, and localized information on trauma and grief, parenting and caregiving in the context of COVID-19, maintaining resilience, accessing mental health services, and other support resources ( Mellins et al, 2020 ).…”

Compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction in pediatric subspecialists during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

“… 2 , 25 Given the altered and unpredictable demands during the pandemic, participants may also have difficulty prioritizing self-care that might mitigate BO. 20 , 26 , 27 The sentiment “My institution has valued my contribution to the Covid-19 crisis” was the sole significant factor associated with lower BO scores. It was also associated with higher CS scores, and may provide an important point of intervention for institutions.…”

“…We need to understand how well-established, pre-pandemic institutional social/emotional supports translate to the virtual platform. 26 , 29 If the essence of social/emotional support requires our physical presence together, how can we modify existing virtual platforms to provide what is needed? Finally, acknowledgement and exploration of positive emotions may galvanize joy and meaning in medicine and foster resilience.…”

Moral Distress and Perceived Community Views Are Associated With Mental Health Symptoms in Frontline Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Due to the pandemic, many hospitals and healthcare organisations set up wellbeing supports, which were previously either not available or severely limited [49]. Given the protective effects of perceived community appreciation, building resilience in the form of positive reframing may be beneficial.…”