Case study: Developing a strategy combining human and empirical interventions to support the resilience of healthcare workers exposed to a pandemic in an academic hospital.

Details

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State: Public
Version: author
License: CC BY 4.0
Serval ID
serval:BIB_B875C46DA51C
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Case report (case report): feedback on an observation with a short commentary.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Case study: Developing a strategy combining human and empirical interventions to support the resilience of healthcare workers exposed to a pandemic in an academic hospital.
Journal
Frontiers in psychiatry
Author(s)
Banse E., Petit G., Cool G., Durbecq J., Hennequin I., Khazaal Y., de Timary P.
ISSN
1664-0640 (Print)
ISSN-L
1664-0640
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
13
Pages
1023362
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has put healthcare workers under important psychological pressure. Concerns have been raised regarding the mental health and psychological status of healthcare workers and have underlined the need for institutions to develop long-term interventions to support their resilience. The current case study presents the way a large university hospital in Brussels, Belgium, has evolved to deal with this health crisis and support its workers. Initiatives were multiple and complementary, as it was decided to combine different forms of clinical interventions that were developed by psychologists, psychiatrists, and human resources, to an empirical approach including a large survey that permitted to reach a much larger audience (the results of the study have been published previously). We describe the initially proposed measures of psychological support, including the creation of a telephone hotline, the presence of psychologists among teams of dedicated COVID-19 units, discussion groups, and individualized follow-ups, and their consequences on healthcare workers. Second, we address how these initial measures of support were modified to tailor in the best way possible the needs of healthcare workers, using a research action project that used a survey to measure and address the psychological distress of healthcare workers. We explain how, through different objectives (screening of distress, adaptation of initial measures based on reported needs, active reinforcement of individual and collective resilience, reminder of availability of help, and normalization of distress), a research action project can be a form of support and is an effective way for an institution to show its pre-occupation for the mental health of its teams. The current case study highlights how an institution can provide support and the importance of the use of a combined strategy to limit the consequences of a major health crisis on the mental health of its healthcare workers. Improving the resilience of healthcare workers both in the short and long term is of the essence to maintain optimal care of patients.
Keywords
COVID-19, healthcare workers (HCWs), mental health, psychological support, resilience
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
16/01/2023 11:11
Last modification date
11/02/2023 6:51
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