Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners
The no-visitor policies endorsed by healthcare organizations to limit COVID-19 virus risk exposure have unfortunately contributed to the isolation of patients further exacerbating distress in relatives and frontline healthcare workers. To contrast such effects, many healthcare institutions have adop...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2021-01-01
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| Series: | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1968141 |
| _version_ | 1797844515657089024 |
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| author | Edita Fino Viola Fino Ismaela Bonfrate Paolo Maria Russo Michela Mazzetti |
| author_facet | Edita Fino Viola Fino Ismaela Bonfrate Paolo Maria Russo Michela Mazzetti |
| author_sort | Edita Fino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The no-visitor policies endorsed by healthcare organizations to limit COVID-19 virus risk exposure have unfortunately contributed to the isolation of patients further exacerbating distress in relatives and frontline healthcare workers. To contrast such effects, many healthcare institutions have adopted technology-based solutions helping patients and families communicate online through the aid of virtual devices. To date, no study has investigated whether facilitating patient-family videocalls would mitigate distress levels in frontline healthcare professionals. Caring for emotional needs of patients by re-establishing affiliative connections interrupted by the pandemic through patient-family videocalls is expected to mitigate distress in engaged healthcare workers as an example of a tend-and-befriend response to stress caused by the pandemic. We tested this hypothesis in a cross-sectional study conducted during 1–30 June 2020, involving 209 healthcare workers (nurses = 146; physicians = 63) engaged in the COVID-19 frontline in Italy. Half of participants in our sample (n = 107) had assisted efforts aimed at connecting patients remotely with families through videocalls. Psychological distress measures included symptoms of burnout, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and difficulty in sleep and wakefulness. Partially in line with our expectations we found a modulation effect specific for professional category: nurses assisting patient-family videocalls reported significantly lower levels of distress and a better quality of wakefulness compared to those who did not, whereas physicians reported higher levels of distress during such virtual communications. We interpret these findings from the perspective of patient-family communication and differences in skills and training between nurses and physicians. These findings highlight that technology-based solutions aimed at reducing barriers and alleviating distress in healthcare settings should be promoted in concert with skill enhancement training for healthcare professionals especially in terms of communicating online and communicating difficult topics with patients and families. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:23:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4133afec2003494da593827e199f1ea8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-8066 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:23:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of Psychotraumatology |
| spelling | doaj.art-4133afec2003494da593827e199f1ea82023-04-18T14:59:10ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology2000-80662021-01-0112110.1080/20008198.2021.19681411968141Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front linersEdita Fino0Viola Fino1Ismaela Bonfrate2Paolo Maria Russo3Michela Mazzetti4Alma Mater Studiorum-Bologna University School of Medicine, S.Orsola’s University HospitalIRCCS Ospedale Sacro Cuore/don Calabria di NegrarAlma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Policlinico S.Orsola-MalpighiAlma Mater Studiorum-Bologna University School of Medicine, S.Orsola’s University HospitalAlma Mater Studiorum-Bologna University School of Medicine, S.Orsola’s University HospitalThe no-visitor policies endorsed by healthcare organizations to limit COVID-19 virus risk exposure have unfortunately contributed to the isolation of patients further exacerbating distress in relatives and frontline healthcare workers. To contrast such effects, many healthcare institutions have adopted technology-based solutions helping patients and families communicate online through the aid of virtual devices. To date, no study has investigated whether facilitating patient-family videocalls would mitigate distress levels in frontline healthcare professionals. Caring for emotional needs of patients by re-establishing affiliative connections interrupted by the pandemic through patient-family videocalls is expected to mitigate distress in engaged healthcare workers as an example of a tend-and-befriend response to stress caused by the pandemic. We tested this hypothesis in a cross-sectional study conducted during 1–30 June 2020, involving 209 healthcare workers (nurses = 146; physicians = 63) engaged in the COVID-19 frontline in Italy. Half of participants in our sample (n = 107) had assisted efforts aimed at connecting patients remotely with families through videocalls. Psychological distress measures included symptoms of burnout, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and difficulty in sleep and wakefulness. Partially in line with our expectations we found a modulation effect specific for professional category: nurses assisting patient-family videocalls reported significantly lower levels of distress and a better quality of wakefulness compared to those who did not, whereas physicians reported higher levels of distress during such virtual communications. We interpret these findings from the perspective of patient-family communication and differences in skills and training between nurses and physicians. These findings highlight that technology-based solutions aimed at reducing barriers and alleviating distress in healthcare settings should be promoted in concert with skill enhancement training for healthcare professionals especially in terms of communicating online and communicating difficult topics with patients and families.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1968141covid-19 pandemichealthcare worker distresstend-and-befriend stress responsepatient-family online communication |
| spellingShingle | Edita Fino Viola Fino Ismaela Bonfrate Paolo Maria Russo Michela Mazzetti Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners European Journal of Psychotraumatology covid-19 pandemic healthcare worker distress tend-and-befriend stress response patient-family online communication |
| title | Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners |
| title_full | Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners |
| title_fullStr | Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners |
| title_full_unstemmed | Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners |
| title_short | Helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers: tend-and-befriend hypothesis for COVID-19 front liners |
| title_sort | helping patients connect remotely with their loved ones modulates distress in healthcare workers tend and befriend hypothesis for covid 19 front liners |
| topic | covid-19 pandemic healthcare worker distress tend-and-befriend stress response patient-family online communication |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1968141 |
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