In the context of the spread of the COVID-19 virus in March 2020 and the health alert declared by the Swiss Confederation, hospitals had to rethink the provision of several services in order to meet the needs of this new patient population. Health professionals had to adapt to this exceptional situation, both professionally and personally. Supporting the mental health of healthcare staff by providing psychological support became necessary.
In the northern region of the canton of Vaud, a liaison psychiatry team quickly set up a COVID-19 psychological unit to provide psychological support for the nursing staff of a general hospital. As part of this activity, a psycho-educational tool (COVID-19 psychological booklet) was developed and distributed during supervision sessions. The COVID-19 booklet included information such as challenges for care staff, warning signs, mental health risks, and strategies for maintaining mental well-being.
Between March and April 2020, a total of 61 carers received the psychological booklet, of whom 10 agreed to participate in a feedback interview to assess the relevance of this prevention tool.
The feedback from the carers indicated that the structure of the booklet needed to evolve to a form closer to reality in the field, and that some content needed to be distanced from a lexicon perceived as stigmatising or psychiatric. More generally, many of the warning signs and risks to mental health resonated with the experiences of the carers, thus validating the relevance of the tool.
Taking into account the feedback from the participants, a second version of the brochure was developed and distributed to all the care institutions in the northern region of the canton of Vaud.