The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review
Abstract Background Pandemics such as COVID-19 pose threats to the physical safety of healthcare workers and students. They can have traumatic experiences affecting their personal and professional life. Increasing rates of burnout, substance abuse, depression, and suicide among healthcare workers ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09744-6 |
| _version_ | 1827899947420221440 |
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| author | Marja Härkänen Adriana López Pineda Susanna Tella Sanu Mahat Massimiliano Panella Matteo Ratti Kris Vanhaecht Reinhard Strametz Irene Carrillo Anne Marie Rafferty Albert W. Wu Veli-Jukka Anttila José Joaquín Mira |
| author_facet | Marja Härkänen Adriana López Pineda Susanna Tella Sanu Mahat Massimiliano Panella Matteo Ratti Kris Vanhaecht Reinhard Strametz Irene Carrillo Anne Marie Rafferty Albert W. Wu Veli-Jukka Anttila José Joaquín Mira |
| author_sort | Marja Härkänen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Pandemics such as COVID-19 pose threats to the physical safety of healthcare workers and students. They can have traumatic experiences affecting their personal and professional life. Increasing rates of burnout, substance abuse, depression, and suicide among healthcare workers have already been identified, thus making mental health and psychological wellbeing of the healthcare workers a major issue. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the characteristics of emotional support programs and interventions targeted to healthcare workers and students since the onset of COVID-19 and other SARS-CoV pandemics and to describe the effectiveness and experiences of these programs. Method This was a mixed method systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the review was registered on PROSPERO [CRD42021262837]. Searches were conducted using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases. The COVIDENCE systematic review management system was used for data selection and extraction by two independent reviewers. The JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of selected studies by two additional reviewers. Finally, data extraction and narrative analysis were conducted. Results The search retrieved 3161 results including 1061 duplicates. After screening, a total of 19 articles were included in this review. Participants in studies were nurses, physicians, other hospital staff, and undergraduate medical students mostly working on the front-line with COVID-19 patients. Publications included RCTs (n = 4), quasi-experimental studies (n = 2), cross-sectional studies (n = 6), qualitative interview studies (n = 3), and systematic reviews (n = 4). Most (63.4%) of the interventions used online or digital solutions. Interventions mostly showed good effectiveness (support-seeking, positive emotions, reduction of distress symptoms etc.) and acceptance and were experienced as helpful, but there were some conflicting results. Conclusion Healthcare organizations have developed support strategies focusing on providing emotional support for these healthcare workers and students, but it is difficult to conclude whether one program offers distinct benefit compared to the others. More research is needed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of emotional support interventions for health workers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:25:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5aef82236b3b41408bb40ad05089c64c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:25:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-5aef82236b3b41408bb40ad05089c64c2023-07-16T11:13:05ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-07-0123111210.1186/s12913-023-09744-6The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic reviewMarja Härkänen0Adriana López Pineda1Susanna Tella2Sanu Mahat3Massimiliano Panella4Matteo Ratti5Kris Vanhaecht6Reinhard Strametz7Irene Carrillo8Anne Marie Rafferty9Albert W. Wu10Veli-Jukka Anttila11José Joaquín Mira12Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern FinlandDepartment of Clinical Medicine, Miguel Hernandez UniversityLAB University of Applied SciencesDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Eastern FinlandDepartment of Translational Medicine (DIMET), Università del Piemonte OrientaleDepartment of Translational Medicine (DIMET), Università del Piemonte OrientaleLeuven Institute for Healthcare Policy, Department of Public Health & Primary Care, University of LeuvenWiesbaden Business School of RheinMain University of Applied SciencesHealth Psychology Department, Miguel Hernández UniversityFlorence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King’s CollegeJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins School of MedicineHelsinki University HospitalThe Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia RegionAbstract Background Pandemics such as COVID-19 pose threats to the physical safety of healthcare workers and students. They can have traumatic experiences affecting their personal and professional life. Increasing rates of burnout, substance abuse, depression, and suicide among healthcare workers have already been identified, thus making mental health and psychological wellbeing of the healthcare workers a major issue. The aim of this systematic review is to synthesize the characteristics of emotional support programs and interventions targeted to healthcare workers and students since the onset of COVID-19 and other SARS-CoV pandemics and to describe the effectiveness and experiences of these programs. Method This was a mixed method systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the review was registered on PROSPERO [CRD42021262837]. Searches were conducted using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases. The COVIDENCE systematic review management system was used for data selection and extraction by two independent reviewers. The JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) critical appraisal tools were used to assess the quality of selected studies by two additional reviewers. Finally, data extraction and narrative analysis were conducted. Results The search retrieved 3161 results including 1061 duplicates. After screening, a total of 19 articles were included in this review. Participants in studies were nurses, physicians, other hospital staff, and undergraduate medical students mostly working on the front-line with COVID-19 patients. Publications included RCTs (n = 4), quasi-experimental studies (n = 2), cross-sectional studies (n = 6), qualitative interview studies (n = 3), and systematic reviews (n = 4). Most (63.4%) of the interventions used online or digital solutions. Interventions mostly showed good effectiveness (support-seeking, positive emotions, reduction of distress symptoms etc.) and acceptance and were experienced as helpful, but there were some conflicting results. Conclusion Healthcare organizations have developed support strategies focusing on providing emotional support for these healthcare workers and students, but it is difficult to conclude whether one program offers distinct benefit compared to the others. More research is needed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of emotional support interventions for health workers.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09744-6COVID-19SARSResilienceHealthcareEmotionalSupport |
| spellingShingle | Marja Härkänen Adriana López Pineda Susanna Tella Sanu Mahat Massimiliano Panella Matteo Ratti Kris Vanhaecht Reinhard Strametz Irene Carrillo Anne Marie Rafferty Albert W. Wu Veli-Jukka Anttila José Joaquín Mira The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review BMC Health Services Research COVID-19 SARS Resilience Healthcare Emotional Support |
| title | The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review |
| title_full | The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review |
| title_fullStr | The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review |
| title_short | The impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with COVID-19, and other SARS-CoV pandemics – a mixed-methods systematic review |
| title_sort | impact of emotional support on healthcare workers and students coping with covid 19 and other sars cov pandemics a mixed methods systematic review |
| topic | COVID-19 SARS Resilience Healthcare Emotional Support |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09744-6 |
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