Feasibility and acceptance of self-hypnosis to reduce chronic stress levels on family in-home caregivers of elderly people: protocol for the POSSAID pilot, randomised, wait-list controlled trial

Introduction
Family members who care for elderly people experience high levels of chronic stress because of the intensive assistance they provide permanently to those who are losing their autonomy. Often considered a burden, this stress causes serious consequences to their health and worsens their quality of life (QoL). Reducing caregivers’ chronic stress via self-hypnosis protocols may be an effective treatment. The objective is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of self-hypnosis protocols taught by hypnotherapy-trained nurses to reduce the chronic stress of in-family caregivers.

Methods and analysis
This study is a prospective, monocentric, non-blinded, parallel, pilot, randomised waitlist-controlled trial that will be conducted at the University Hospital of Reunion Island. Sixty participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: a self-hypnosis group (intervention) or a waitlist control group. After an 8-week training programme, intervention participants will practice self-hypnosis for ten minutes/day over 8 weeks and subsequently be followed up for 16 weeks thereafter. The primary outcome is to assess the feasibility of a 16-week self-hypnosis protocol for in-family caregivers. Secondary outcomes include the evaluation of the effects of practising self-hypnosis among in-family caregivers of elderly people concerning their stress levels, sleep disorders, levels of fatigue, and QoL at 2, 4 and 8 months on an exploratory basis.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee CPP Ile de France VI—Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière on 14 April 2021 (ID RCB: 2021-A00009-32). All participants will receive information about the trial in verbal and written forms. They will give an oral consent which is notified in a dedicated research file prior before enrolment. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals as well as presented and disseminated at conferences.

Trial registration number
NCT04909970.

Leggi
Dicembre 2022

Qualitative study to explore UK medical students and junior doctors experiences of occupational stress and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives
This qualitative study aimed to explore the occupational experiences of medical students and junior doctors working during the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the research sought to identify factors which mediated work stress, barriers to disclosing mental health problems and levels of support medical students and junior doctors received during the pandemic.

Design
This study was a form of thematic analysis and adopted an inductive, ‘bottom-up’ approach, in which coded categories were derived from rich, descriptive data.

Setting
Semistructured interviews were conducted online with UK-based medical students and junior doctors. Interviews were recorded, and analysis was done by coding salient quotes into themes.

Participants
The final sample consisted of seven junior doctors and eight medical students, during the summer of 2021.

Results
High levels of occupational stress were identified, which were exacerbated by COVID-19. A number of organisational difficulties associated with the pandemic compounded participants’ experiences of work stress. Participants recognised progress towards promoting and managing mental health within the profession but may still be reluctant to access support services. Barriers to disclosure included fear of stigmatisation, concerns about adding to colleagues’ workloads, lack of clarity about career implications and mistrust of occupational health services.

Conclusions
While attitudes towards mental health have improved, medical students and junior doctors may avoid seeking help. Given the immense pressures faced by health services, it is imperative that extra measures are implemented to minimise work-stress, encourage help-seeking behaviours and promote supportive work cultures.

Leggi
Dicembre 2022

Describing post-traumatic stress disorder and its associations with depression, anxiety and insomnia: a descriptive study in Italian adults with Marfan syndrome during the COVID-19 third wave

Objective
The evaluation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and insomnia in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in a region of northern Italy (Lombardy) and the investigation of which mental health, sociodemographic and clinical factors were associated with PTSD.

Design
Descriptive observational design with cross-sectional data collection procedure.

Setting
A single Italian MFS-specific specialised and reference centre in Lombardy (Italy) between February and April 2021.

Participants
112 adults with MFS. The majority of participants were female (n=64; 57.1%), with a high school diploma (n=52; 46.4%) and active workers (n=66; 58.9%). The mean age was 41.89 years (SD=14.00), and the mean time from diagnosis was 15.18 years (SD=11.91).

Primary and secondary outcomes
Descriptive statistics described PTSD, which was the primary outcome, as well as depression, anxiety and insomnia, which were the secondary outcomes. Four linear regression models described the predictors of PTSD total score and its three domains: avoidance, intrusion and hyperarousal.

Results
One out of 10 patients with MFS had mild psychological symptoms regarding depression, anxiety and insomnia, and scores of PTSD that indicated clinical worries about the mental health status. The presence of PTSD was mainly predicted by anxiety (β=0.647; p

Leggi
Dicembre 2022

Antepartum and labour-related single predictors of non-participation, dropout and lost to follow up in a randomised controlled trial comparing internet-based cognitive-behaviour therapy with treatment as usual for women with negative birth experiences and/or post-traumatic stress following childbirth

Objectives
Internet-based interventions are often hampered by high dropout rates. The number of individuals who decline to participate or dropout are reported, but reasons for dropout are not. Identification of barriers to participation and predictors of dropout may help improve the efficacy of internet-based clinical trials. The aim was to investigate a large number of possible predictors for non-participation and dropout in a randomised controlled trial for women with a negative birth experience and/or post-traumatic stress following childbirth.

Setting
A childbirth clinic at a university hospital in Sweden.

Participants
The sample included 1523 women who gave birth between September 2013 and February 2018. All women who rated an overall negative birth experience on a Likert scale, and/or had an immediate caesarean section (CS), and/or severe postpartum haemorrhage (≥ 2000 mL) were eligible.

Methods
Demographic, antepartum, and labour-related/postpartum predictors were investigated for non-participation (eligible but denied participation), pre-treatment dropout (prior to intervention start), treatment dropout, and loss to follow-up. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in the data analysis.

Results
A majority (80.3 %) were non-participants. Non-participation was predicted by lower level of education, being foreign-born, no experience of counselling for fear of childbirth, multiparity, vaginal delivery (vs CS and vacuum-assisted delivery) and absence of: preeclampsia, anal sphincter injury and intrapartum fetal distress. Pretreatment dropout was predicted by the absence of severe haemorrhage. Treatment dropout was predicted by vaginal delivery (vs immediate CS), vertex presentation and good overall birth experience. Loss to follow-up was predicted by vaginal delivery (vs immediate CS or vacuum-assisted delivery) and absence of intrapartum fetal distress.

Conclusions
Mothers with no obstetric complications were more likely to not participate and dropout at different time points. Both demographic, antepartum and obstetrical variables are important to attend to while designing procedures to maximise participation in internet-delivered cognitive–behavioral therapy.

Trial registration number
ISRCTN39318241

Leggi
Novembre 2022

Perceived job demands: a qualitative study of workplace stress in the Iranian healthcare workers (HCWs)

Objectives
Work-related stress is a common risk factor among healthcare workers (HCWs). In Iran, the healthcare system has undergone extensive changes to develop services. Organisational change has led to the creation of new working conditions for HCWs. The purpose of this study is to identify job demands that health workers perceive as stressors.

Design
As a qualitative study, semistructured interviews, a focus group, and related data were analysed both inductively and deductively with reference to the job demand component based on the job demands–resources model and MAXQDA.

Setting
This investigation was conducted in 18 primary healthcare centres in Qazvin, Iran.

Participant
Twenty-one female HCWs with at least 6 months of work experience and an average age of 34.4 years.

Results
The participants identified six key elements as the stressful job demands including organisation’s supervisory function, role characteristics, workload, job insecurity, client service challenges and perceived job content.

Conclusions
After organisational changes and development, HCWs were faced with role changes and increased workload. In addition, organisational supervision in terms of quantity and quality and lack of job security intensified the pressures. These factors led to the high level of stress among employees who dealt with people and those who perceived their job content as unfavourable. Perhaps teaching stress control skills and organisational support interventions can be useful to reduce and control stress among HCWs.

Leggi
Novembre 2022