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Predictors of traumatic stress in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

100%

Rajčáni J., Vytykačová S., Botíková V., Šuhajdová B.

Československá psychologie (Czechoslovak Psychology)

2022

vol. 66

issue 1

17-29

Objectives. The global pandemic of COVID-19 represents a major stressor in the lives of health-care professionals. The present study investigat-ed experienced stress and self-reported trauma symptoms among Slovak nurses during the fall of 2020, aiming to describe the extent of expe-rienced stress and trauma, and explain the vari-ation in trauma symptoms using psychosocial predictors. Sample and settings. An online form measuring traumatic stress symptoms, social support, cop-ing strategies, sleep quality and overall experi-enced stress was distributed among nurses and other healthcare professionals. 565 participants responded between November 12th and Decem-ber 20th 2020. Statistical analyses. Several multiple linear re-gressions with demographic and psychosocial predictors were performed to explain variation in traumatic symptoms.Results. The present data shows that 83% of medical nurses perceived increased stress and more than 62% experienced trauma symptoms. Traumatic symptoms could be partly explained based on the participants’ age, perceived social support, and used coping strategies. Higher so-cial support and strategies of acceptance and positive reframing were related to fewer trauma symptoms, while avoidance strategies, such as self-distraction, self-blame, venting, and behav-ioral disengagement to more trauma symptoms. In line with the present findings, professional psychosocial support is important to alleviate stress and prevent traumatization in healthcare workers after the COVID-19 crisis.Limitations. Data were collected via an online form, with a sample consisting of mostly nurses and women lacking data on other medical pro-fessions and men. Finally, traumatic symptoms develop slowly, therefore it is not possible to measure their recovery at this point.

Long-term monitoring of heart rate variability and state anxiety in allergic patients : comparison of four stress protocols

88%

Soláriková P., Brezina I., Turoňová D., Rajčáni J., Mlynčeková S.

Československá psychologie (Czechoslovak Psychology)

2018

vol. 62

issue 3

258-271

Introduction. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents one of the most used biomarkers of cardiovascular health that offers insight on autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation. This study deals with the issue of abnormal functioning of the ANS in allergic individuals who were monitored during three consecutive years. Methods. Our aim was to analyze the influence of various stress protocols on HRV parameters, which could be used as markers of ANS activity and on subjective perception of stress described by STAI-X1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Four different stress protocols are compared here: 1. Psychosocial stress (PSST), 2. Cognitive stress, 3. Measurements in natural conditions and 4. PSST group test (GPSST). This study compares outcome of the four protocols also with referential HRV measurement. Results and Discussion. The findings show that the stress tasks which featured a social component (PSST a GPSST) triggered a more intensive physiological response in comparison to cognitive stress or with natural conditions measurements. We recorded an interesting and significant finding related to allergy: allergic subjects showed a tendency towards decreased heart rate frequency (HR) and increased overall HRV in all tests. However, in case of subjectively perceived stress, no differences between groups were recorded. Besides, the functioning of the ANS showed also gender differences represented by an increased HR and a decreased HRV in women. Conclusion. Our results show increased HR and decreased HRV in stress conditions in all stress protocols. Our data support the prior findings of sympathetic withdrawal and/or parasympathetic hyperactivation in individuals suffering from allergy, which could be one form of the dysregulation of the ANS.

Cíle. Tepová variabilita je jedním z nejužívanějších biomarkerů kardiovaskulárního zdraví, který nabízí vhled do aktivace autonomního nervového systému (ANS). Tato studie se zabývá problémem abnormálního fungování ANS u alergiků, kteří byli sledováni po dobu tří let. Metody. Cílem bylo analyzovat vliv různých stresových protokolů na parametry tepové variability, které by mohly být použity jako markery aktivity ANS, a na subjektivní vnímání stresu popsané pomocí STAI-X1 (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Byly srovnány čtyři různé stresové protokoly: 1. Psychosociální stres (PSST), 2. Kognitivní stres, 3. Měření v přirozených podmínkách a 4. Psychosociální skupinový test PSST (GPSST). Výsledky čtyř protokolů byly také srovnány s referenčním měřením variability tepové frekvence. Výsledky a diskuse. Nálezy ukázaly, že stresující úkoly, které obsahovaly sociální složku (PSST a GPSST), vyvolaly intenzívnější fyziologickou odpověď ve srovnání s kognitivním stresem nebo s měřením v přirozených podmínkách. Ve vztahu k alergii byly zjištěny zajímavé a významné nálezy: alergické osoby projevovaly ve všech testech tendenci ke snížené tepové frekvenci a celkově zvýšené variabilitě tepové frekvence. V případě subjektivně vnímaného stresu však nebyly zjištěny žádné rozdíly mezi skupinami. Fungování ANS ukázalo kromě toho také mezipohlavní rozdíly reprezentované zvýšenou tepovou frekvencí a sníženou variabilitou tepové frekvence u žen. Závěry. Výsledky ukázaly zvýšenou tepovou frekvenci a sníženou variabilitu tepové frekvence ve stresových podmínkách ve všech stresových protokolech. Získaná data podporují dřívější nálezy stažení sympatiku a/nebo parasympatické hyperaktivace u osob trpících alergií, což by mohlo být jednou z forem dysregulace ANS.

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2 Československá psychologie (Czechoslovak Psychology)

2 Rajčáni J.

1 Botíková V.

1 Brezina I.

1 Mlynčeková S.

1 Soláriková P.

1 Turoňová D.

1 Vytykačová S.

1 Šuhajdová B.

1 2022

1 2018

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Predictors of traumatic stress in nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Long-term monitoring of heart rate variability and state anxiety in allergic patients : comparison of four stress protocols