Needs, Perceptions and Acute Stress of Healtcare Workers Caring for COVID-19 Patients in South America

NCT04486404 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 08/04/2020
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 1,800
• Locations: 5 countries
• Sites: 5

Brief Summary

The pressure on care and the demand for critical decision-making generated by the current SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, together with the situation of extreme social alarm and the adverse conditions in which care work must be promoted at this time, draw an extreme scenario in which action is urgently needed to alleviate emotional overload, acute stress reactions and other affective pathologies or psychosomatic reactions that may eventually lead to post-traumatic stress situations. This eventuality is being observed massively among professionals from different groups and levels of responsibility. In the case of healthcare personnel, it should be added that the care of non-COVID19 patients (of all pathologies and conditions) is clearly compromised and it is up to the professionals as a whole to make critical decisions and exercise a professional practice that is radically different from what has usually been done, which may require the application of undesirable triage criteria that are difficult for everyone to assume. Healthcare professionals and other essential personnel for healthcare and social-healthcare work (including personnel from external companies) are being subjected to emotional tensions and extraordinary, high-intensity work demands. Without professionals who feel supported and with moral strength, care will be even more compromised. The current scenario makes us think of many critical situations that are occurring as a result of the overload experienced. It is essential to act in order to counteract the devastating effect of this health crisis on health professionals and those who support them in their care work.

Conditions

Acute Stress Disorder

Keywords

COVID-19; Healthcare Personnel; Mental Health; Acute stress; Hospitals; Primary care

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Prevalence of Acute Stress

  Prevalence of acute stress using the Acute Stress Scale (EASE Scale) among healthcare personnel in the front-line caring for COVID-19 patients. Score values range from 0 to 30. 0-9 points, good emotional adjustment; 10-14 points, emotional distress; 15-24 points, medium-high emotional overload; \> 25 points, extreme acute stress.

  15 days

Study Arms (2)

Group 1

Online survery to healtcare personnel and other professionals in the front-line from Col, Bra and Ec.

Other: Online survey

Group 2

Online survery to healtcare personnel and other professionals in the front-line from Col, Bra, Ch and Ec.

Other: Online survey

Interventions

Online survey OTHER

Online survey including questions related to PPE availability, perceptions, emotions and EASE scale (Acute Stress Scale).

Group 1; Group 2

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthcare personnel in the front line of exposure to suspicious and confirmed cases of COVID-19 and healthcare support personnel (administrative assistants, cleaning or security personnel) of these services and units, such as Emergency and Primary Health Care Services, Internal Medicine, Critical Care and Resuscitation, Intermediate Care and any other area designated for the care of such cases.

You may qualify if:

• Healthcare professionals, other professionals working in the front-line of COVID-19.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche: lead
• Universidad Catolica Santiago de Guayaquil: collaborator
• Universidad de Santander: collaborator
• University of Sao Paulo: collaborator
• Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile: collaborator

Study Sites (5)

Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and Health Policy

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Location

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Santiago, Chile

Location

Universidad de Santander

Bucaramanga, Santander Department, Colombia

Location

Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil

Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador

Location

Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche

Elche, Alicante, 03202, Spain

Location

Related Publications (14)

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• Martin-Delgado J, Poblete R, Serpa P, Mula A, Carrillo I, Fernandez C, Vicente Ripoll MA, Loudet C, Jorro F, Garcia Elorrio E, Guilabert M, Mira JJ. Contributing factors for acute stress in healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. Sci Rep. 2022 May 19;12(1):8496. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-12626-2.

  PMID: 35589975 DERIVED

• Martin-Delgado J, Viteri E, Mula A, Serpa P, Pacheco G, Prada D, Campos de Andrade Lourencao D, Campos Pavan Baptista P, Ramirez G, Mira JJ. Availability of personal protective equipment and diagnostic and treatment facilities for healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 care: A cross-sectional study in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. PLoS One. 2020 Nov 11;15(11):e0242185. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242185. eCollection 2020.

  PMID: 33175877 DERIVED

Related Links

• Be+ Against COVID Second Victims working group website
• EASE Scale pre-print

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Stress Disorders, Traumatic, Acute; COVID-19; Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders; Pneumonia, Viral; Pneumonia; Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Virus Diseases; Coronavirus Infections; Coronaviridae Infections; Nidovirales Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Lung Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Officials

• Jose J Mira, PhD

  Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2020
• First Posted: July 24, 2020
• Study Start: April 1, 2020
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2020
• Study Completion: December 30, 2021
• Last Updated: September 19, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-09

Locations

CL (1); CO (1); AR (1); EC (1); ES (1)