The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental health are widely investigated by current research. Data show that healthcare professionals represent a category at risk for the onset of psychopathology (Fiorillo & Gorwood, 2020), particularly depression (Deng, Chen & Zhang, 2021). However, few studies have longitudinally assessed changes in mental health in this category of professionals and the possible consequences on the quality of caregiving. The present longitudinal RCT study investigated the trends of depressive, anxiety, somatic symptoms, helpless caregiving, and parental helplessness at pre-intervention (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 6-month follow-up (T2) related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among a sample of 203 healthcare workers of the San Matteo hospital in Pavia, Italy (Mage= 43.50, SD = 10.82). The results showed a reduction at the three times for depression (F(2,394) = 8.14, p < .001) and anxiety (F(2,392) = 7.66, p < .001), but not for somatization (F(2,396) = 2.26, p = .106) for helpless caregiving (F(2,68) = 1.93, p = .154) and for parental helplessness (F(2,68) = 2.04, p = .139). Subjects who showed moderate-severe symptoms at T0 had greater decreases in depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. In addition, subjects with ACE score ≥ 4 showed higher levels of depression than those with ACE = 0. Finally, two different moderation models showed an interaction effect between ACEs and depression on both parental helplessness and helpless caregiving. Considering the effects of COVID-19 on psychological well-being, the results obtained, interpreted through previous research data, suggest the need to monitor the mental health symptoms and quality of parenting in the post-pandemic period and to promote targeted psychological interventions primarily for healthcare workers, especially in case of coexistence of current risk factors and vulnerabilities related to their developmental history.
Gli effetti della pandemia di Covid-19 sulla salute mentale degli operatori sanitari sono stati ampiamente indagati dalla ricerca attuale. I dati mostrano che il personale medico-sanitario rappresenta una categoria a rischio per l’esordio di psicopatologia (Fiorillo & Gorwood, 2020), in particolare di depressione (Deng, Chen & Zhang, 2021). Tuttavia, pochi studi hanno valutato longitudinalmente i cambiamenti nella salute mentale in questa categoria di professionisti e le possibili conseguenze sulla qualità del caregiving. Il presente studio RCT longitudinale ha indagato l’andamento dei sintomi depressivi, d’ansia, somatici, il caregiving impotente e l’impotenza genitoriale al pre-intervento (T0), al post-intervento (T1) e al follow-up di 6 mesi (T2) alla luce della prevalenza delle esperienze infantili avverse (ACEs) su un campione di 203 operatori sanitari del policlinico San Matteo di Pavia (Mage= 43.50, SD = 10.82). I risultati hanno mostrato una riduzione nei tre tempi per depressione (F(2,394) = 8.14, p < .001) e ansia (F(2,392) = 7.66, p < .001), ma non per somatizzazione (F(2,396) = 2.26, p = .106) per caregiving impotente (F(2,68) = 1.93, p = .154) e per impotenza genitoriale (F(2,68) = 2.04, p = .139). I soggetti che a T0 mostravano sintomi moderati-gravi hanno registrato maggiori diminuzioni nella sintomatologia depressiva, ansiosa e somatica. Inoltre, i soggetti con punteggio ACE ≥ 4 hanno mostrato livelli più alti di depressione rispetto a quelli con ACE = 0. Infine, due differenti modelli di moderazione hanno mostrato un effetto di interazione tra le ACEs e la depressione sia sull’impotenza genitoriale sia sul caregiving impotente. Considerando gli effetti del COVID-19 sul benessere psicologico, i risultati ottenuti, interpretati alla luce di precedenti ricerche, suggeriscono la necessità di monitorare i sintomi di salute mentale e la qualità del caregiving dei genitori nel periodo post-pandemico e di promuovere interventi psicologici mirati agli operatori sanitari, soprattutto in relazione alla coesistenza di fattori di rischio attuali e di vulnerabilità legate alla propria storia evolutiva.
Fattori evolutivi di rischio e sintomatologia depressiva: uno studio RCT longitudinale sugli effetti del Covid-19 sulla salute mentale e sul caregiving degli operatori sanitari
MONACI, MICHELA
2021/2022
Abstract
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental health are widely investigated by current research. Data show that healthcare professionals represent a category at risk for the onset of psychopathology (Fiorillo & Gorwood, 2020), particularly depression (Deng, Chen & Zhang, 2021). However, few studies have longitudinally assessed changes in mental health in this category of professionals and the possible consequences on the quality of caregiving. The present longitudinal RCT study investigated the trends of depressive, anxiety, somatic symptoms, helpless caregiving, and parental helplessness at pre-intervention (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 6-month follow-up (T2) related to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among a sample of 203 healthcare workers of the San Matteo hospital in Pavia, Italy (Mage= 43.50, SD = 10.82). The results showed a reduction at the three times for depression (F(2,394) = 8.14, p < .001) and anxiety (F(2,392) = 7.66, p < .001), but not for somatization (F(2,396) = 2.26, p = .106) for helpless caregiving (F(2,68) = 1.93, p = .154) and for parental helplessness (F(2,68) = 2.04, p = .139). Subjects who showed moderate-severe symptoms at T0 had greater decreases in depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. In addition, subjects with ACE score ≥ 4 showed higher levels of depression than those with ACE = 0. Finally, two different moderation models showed an interaction effect between ACEs and depression on both parental helplessness and helpless caregiving. Considering the effects of COVID-19 on psychological well-being, the results obtained, interpreted through previous research data, suggest the need to monitor the mental health symptoms and quality of parenting in the post-pandemic period and to promote targeted psychological interventions primarily for healthcare workers, especially in case of coexistence of current risk factors and vulnerabilities related to their developmental history.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/2775