Search Results (120)

Background/Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented significant psychosocial challenges to intensive care unit health care workers (ICU HCW). Prior studies typically used single cross-sectional samples to focus on elements of burnout and psychological stress. We sought to serially assess quality of life and willingness to work before, during, and after the first peak of COVID-19. Methods: Two survey instruments were prospectively administered at regular intervals to multidisciplinary ICU HCWs, initiating at the local onset of COVID-19 and ending 6 months after the first peak ICU census of COVID-19 patients. Results: ICU HCWs reported high levels of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress before, during and after the first peak of COVID-19. Motivation to work declined, and hesitation to work increased from study initiation to the peak ICU census of COVID-19 patients. Hesitation to work was greater in female HCWs and cardiothoracic ICU HCWs. Motivation to work was higher in those working in operating rooms compared to those in the ICU. Concerns about becoming infected, feelings of isolation, and exhaustion were associated with high hesitation to work. Feeling protected by the government and hospital was associated with decreased hesitation and increased motivation to work. Conclusions: ICU HCWs experienced high levels of stress throughout the first year of COVID-19, while satisfaction with work remained high. Willingness to work was associated with gender, work location, ICU subtype, concerns about infection risk, feelings of exhaustion, and feelings of institutional protection. Because the study methodology precludes causal inference and low survey response rates indicate that findings should be interpreted with caution, these results are best viewed as hypothesis-generating for future work aimed at improving stress mitigation in ICU HCWs. Full article

Background: Healthcare professionals are exposed to high emotional demands, including repeated contact with suffering, death, moral distress, and organizational pressure. These factors are associated with psychological distress, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Expressive Writing (EW) has been proposed as a psychological intervention, but evidence of its effectiveness among healthcare professionals remains heterogeneous. Objectives: To examine the effects of EW on psychological health, psychophysical well-being, and professional satisfaction among healthcare professionals. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, CINAHL, CENRAL, CENTRAL Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO from database inception to January 2025. Quantitative studies involving healthcare professionals and evaluating structured expressive writing interventions were considered for inclusion, including randomized and non-randomized, controlled and uncontrolled designs. Studies reporting psychological, psychophysical, or work-related outcomes were eligible. Only full-text articles published in English or Italian were considered. The review protocol was registered and archived in the Open Science Framework. Methodological quality was assessed using CASP checklists, the RoB 2 tool, and the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: Seven studies published between 2017 and 2023 were included. EW interventions were associated with reductions in psychological distress, particularly perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Findings regarding burnout and compassion fatigue were mixed. Organizational and job-related outcomes, such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment, showed limited and heterogeneous improvements. No consistent effects were observed for resilience or social support. Overall, the methodological quality of the included studies was generally good. Conclusions: EW appears to be a promising, low-cost intervention for reducing psychological distress among healthcare professionals. However, heterogeneity in study designs, intervention protocols, and outcome measures limits the strength of the evidence. Further high-quality, controlled studies using standardized EW protocols are needed. Full article

Background/Objectives: Midwifery workforce sustainability faces critical challenges including high burnout and turnover rates threating the service quality and the maternal health outcomes. While self-leadership and self-compassion represent promising psychological resources, their roles relative to organizational factors remain underexplored. This study examined associations between self-leadership, self-compassion, and workforce outcomes (job satisfaction, turnover intention, performance) among Turkish midwives. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 346 midwives working in diverse healthcare settings across Turkey from May 2021 to April 2022. Data were collected through an online self-report questionnaire using validated scales for self-leadership and self-compassion as well as measures of job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job performance, and including demographic and organizational items. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA (with Eta-squared [η²] calculated to determine effect size), and correlation analyses were conducted, followed by hierarchical multiple regression and binary logistic regression to examine predictive relationships, with organizational factors entered before psychological resources. Results: Self-leadership and self-compassion demonstrated a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.342, p < 0.01). Self-leadership strongly predicted job performance (OR = 2.497, p = 0.001), particularly through natural reward strategies emphasizing intrinsic motivation (OR = 1.970, p < 0.001). However, neither psychological resource significantly predicted job satisfaction or turnover intention when organizational factors were included. Work schedule, healthcare setting, professional position, and income emerged as primary predictors of satisfaction and retention. Work experience predicted increased psychological distress (OR = 1.073, p = 0.003). Conclusions: Psychological resources demonstrate domain-specific effects on workforce outcomes in midwifery: self-leadership strategies strongly enhance job performance, whereas job satisfaction and turnover intention are influenced primarily by organizational conditions. These findings highlight the need for multi-level strategies to support the sustainability of the midwifery workforce. Full article

Professionalism is central to veterinary practice, shaping not only the quality of care provided to animals but also the wellbeing of practitioners, the satisfaction of clients, and the sustainability of the profession. Prior research has catalogued various attributes of professionalism that are important for career success, but few studies have integrated these multiple perspectives into a cohesive framework. This study synthesizes insights from three key veterinary stakeholder groups—students, clinical practitioners, and clients—using a multi-methods approach including surveys, focus groups, critical incident interviews, and client complaint analyses. Across the datasets, ranking of Likert-scale responses and thematic analysis revealed four recurring themes that were identified as essential for career success: ‘Effective communication’; ‘Accountability, integrity, trustworthiness, and honesty’; ‘Personal wellbeing’; and ‘Quality of service’. These themes were organized into a unifying theoretical model of veterinary professionalism, conceptualized as a ‘navigational compass’, comprising three domains of care: patient-centered care, relationship-centered care, and self-care. By conceptualizing professionalism in terms of a compass, the model illustrates how veterinarians can draw on key professionalism attributes, coupled with consideration of the three domains of veterinary care, to navigate the challenges of practice and sustain long-term career success. The compass provides a reflective framework to guide veterinarians and educators, to support the integration of professionalism into curricula and to guide careers toward excellence in care and lasting personal fulfilment. Full article

Background/Objectives: University faculty in health sciences are an underexplored population despite facing significant emotional, occupational, and organizational demands due to their dual role as educators and health professionals. These demands may increase vulnerability to perceived stress, burnout, and reduced professional quality of life. Although previous research has primarily focused on stress and burnout, evidence integrating occupational balance and personal resources, such as sense of coherence, from an occupational health perspective remains limited. This study aimed to examine perceived stress, professional quality of life, occupational balance, and satisfaction with meaningful occupations among health sciences faculty in Spain, and to analyze their associations with individual, occupational, and organizational factors within an occupation-centered and salutogenic framework. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study following STROBE guidelines was conducted with 253 health sciences faculty members from Spanish universities. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire including validated instruments (PSS-10, OBQ-E, ProQoL, SOC-13) and items on occupational satisfaction and perceived institutional support. Descriptive statistics, t tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed. Results: Participants reported moderate levels of perceived stress and occupational balance, high overall professional quality of life satisfaction, and moderate levels of compassion fatigue. Higher perceived stress scores were observed among women and younger faculty members. Occupational balance, burnout, and satisfaction measures showed significant differences according to age and years of teaching experience. Perceived institutional support differed across organizational domains, academic positions, and types of institution. Conclusions: Health sciences faculty in Spain experience notable psychosocial demands affecting stress, occupational balance, and professional quality of life. Occupational balance and sense of coherence emerged as relevant constructs associated with lower perceived stress and burnout and higher professional satisfaction. By integrating these occupation-centered and salutogenic resources, the study extends existing research beyond traditional stress–burnout models and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of professional well-being among health sciences faculty. Full article

Background/Objectives: Professional quality of life influences patient care, staff well-being, and organizational efficacy. The COVID-19 pandemic placed pressure on healthcare professionals, disrupting their professional quality of life and imposing a psychological burden. In Greece, these issues were intensified by a decade of economic crisis, marked by constrained healthcare budget, personnel shortages, and insufficient resources. This study investigates the pandemic’s impact on the professional quality of life of Greek healthcare professionals to support targeted interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using descriptive statistics. The participants were a convenience sample of 246 healthcare professionals from a Greek regional university hospital with at least one year of experience and who had worked with COVID-19-positive or potentially exposed but asymptomatic patients. Data were collected between March and June 2021 using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (version 5). Results: Of the 246 participants, 81.3% were women and 33.8% were aged 50 or older. Moderate concern and fear regarding COVID-19 were reported, with 34.6% extremely afraid of transmitting the virus to family or friends and 22.8% to patients or their families. Overall professional quality of life was moderate: compassion satisfaction was moderate to high, while burnout and secondary traumatic stress were moderate to low. Higher compassion satisfaction was linked to holding a position of responsibility. Burnout was associated with having children, permanent employment, years of experience, and increased pandemic-related fear. Higher secondary traumatic stress was associated with older age, more years of experience, and greater pandemic-related fear. Conclusions: These findings support international research and highlight that the moderate levels observed indicate intrinsic motivation based on professionalism in patient care, providing evidence of resilience and coping mechanisms that reduce psychological consequences on well-being due to the pandemic. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nurses are susceptible to compassion fatigue due to the nature of their professional responsibilities. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include daily patient interactions and organizational elements within their work environment, as well as work-related stress and sociodemographic characteristics, including age, marital status, years of professional experience, and, notably, gender. This research investigates the relationship between compassion fatigue and the levels of anxiety and depression, as well as the professional quality of life among nurses providing care to dementia patients in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out with 115 nurses working in dementia care centers in Greece. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL-5), and the participants’ personal, demographic, and professional information were all included in an electronic questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used. Results: A total of 42.6% of nurses rated their working environment as favorable. Additionally, 23.5% of the sample exhibited high levels of compassion satisfaction, whereas 46.1% demonstrated low levels of burnout. Female gender (p = 0.022) and a higher family income (p = 0.046) was positively associated with compassion satisfaction. Regression analysis indicated that elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression were found to correlate with decreased compassion satisfaction, increased burnout, and heightened secondary post-traumatic stress. Conclusions: Engaging in the care of patients with dementia, particularly throughout the pandemic period, has underscored a pronounced susceptibility to compassion fatigue, physical fatigue, pain, psychological stress, and a reduced quality of life. These results highlight the importance for nursing management to adopt specific organizational measures, including proper staffing levels, balancing workloads, and conducting routine mental health assessments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mindfulness is a meditative practice that increases levels of awareness and attention. Introducing this practice into the curricula of nursing students could improve the relationship with patients and promote students’ well-being. This scoping review aims to map the literature on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) administered to nursing students to promote their psychological well-being. Methods: The review was conducted according to Peters’ framework. PCC eligibility criteria were used. The PCC mnemonic stands for Population (nursing students), Concept (mindfulness-based interventions applied with positive and negative outcomes for psychological well-being), and Context (undergraduate, pre-licensure). The search was conducted in March 2024 by consulting PubMed, ERIC (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (Ovid), and ProQuest databases. Additional sources have been identified from Google Scholar. Results: Of the 763 articles that emerged, 55 were included in the scoping review. The interventions depicted are heterogeneous in terms of content and timing. The most investigated outcomes remain stress and anxiety; self-efficacy and empathy emerge as positive indicators of psychological well-being. In the post-COVID period, there is an increase in the online delivery method. Conclusions: In order to provide guidance for practice and institutional policies, future research could focus on a systematic review that identifies the most appropriate MBIs for the well-being of nursing students. In addition, it would be useful to conduct feasibility studies to introduce structured mindfulness-based practices into the nursing degree programmes, with standardized and adaptable pathways tailored to the needs of different academic realities. Full article

This study aimed to design a virtual reality (VR)–based mountaineering education system and examined its effects on junior high school students’ learning outcomes, motivation, and cognitive load in compass operation and map reading. The system integrated 3D terrain models and interactive mechanisms across four instructional modules: Direction Recognition, Map Symbols, Magnetic Declination Adjustment, and Resection Positioning. By incorporating immersive 3D environments and hands-on virtual exercises, the system simulates authentic mountaineering scenarios, enabling students to develop essential field orientation and navigation skills. An experimental design was implemented, with participants assigned to either an experimental group learning with the VR system or a control group receiving slide-based instruction. Data were collected using pre-tests, post-tests, and questionnaires, and analyzed using SPSS for descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests, independent-sample t-tests, and one-way ANCOVA at a significance level of α = 0.05. The findings indicated that the experimental group achieved significantly higher post-test learning performance than the control group (F = 6.37, p = 0.014). Moreover, significant or highly significant improvements were observed across the four dimensions of learning motivation—attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. The experimental group also exhibited a significantly lower extraneous cognitive load (p = 0.024). Therefore, the VR mountaineering education system provides an immersive, safe, and effective approach to teaching mountaineering and outdoor survival skills. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nurses and nursing technicians are essential providers of patient care but remain highly vulnerable due to the demands of their profession, which can profoundly affect their professional quality of life. Understanding the risk and protective factors underlying different aspects of professional quality of life is crucial for fostering healthcare professionals’ overall well-being and ensuring high-quality care for patients. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between professional quality of life, work-related factors, PTSD symptomatology and individual resources, including resilience and coping strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 119 nurses from various nursing departments. A questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and work-related variables and four validated instruments, Professional Quality of Life Scale-5 (ProQOL-5), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Brief-COPE and Brief Resilience Scale, was used for data collection. Results: Findings revealed moderate to high compassion satisfaction among nurses and technicians, as well as low to moderate burnout and moderate levels of secondary traumatic stress. Compassion satisfaction was positively associated with problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, whereas higher levels of compassion fatigue (burnout and secondary traumatic stress) were associated with avoidant coping, greater PTSD symptom severity, and lower resilience. Resilience, problem-focused coping, and PTSD symptom severity were identified as significant predictors of professional quality of life. Conclusions: To support nurses’ and technicians’ well-being, healthcare organizations should encourage open conversations about the emotional demands of patient care and provide interventions that promote effective coping and address PTSD symptoms, ultimately helping to reduce compassion fatigue and enhance compassion satisfaction. Full article

Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth (VPTG) is a critical yet underexplored phenomenon among trauma-focused helping professionals. While secondary trauma (ST), compassion fatigue, and burnout are widely recognized negative aspects of working with trauma survivors, less is known about the potential benefits of this work and its contributions to well-being. This qualitative study explored peer-support specialists’ perceptions of growth arising from indirect exposure to trauma and examined how these experiences relate to well-being. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants, independently coded transcripts, and developed themes through consensus. Findings suggest VPTG may follow a similar path to Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), with participants reporting challenges to core beliefs, emotional distress, and transformative cognitive-emotional shifts that facilitated growth across domains that appear to mirror the five PTG domains. Outcomes of working with trauma survivors extended beyond the PTG domains to include compassion satisfaction, hope, expanded coping skills, and improved mental health. Taken together, these findings illustrate the participants’ subjective experiences of both challenge and transformation through their work with trauma survivors, offering preliminary insight into how indirect trauma exposure may contribute to VPTG and well-being. Full article

(1) Background: Psychological first aid (PFA) interventions are designed to tackle the effects of traumatic events on individuals to help them reach stability. (2) Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study. A total of 162 physicians in Jordan were conveniently selected between 28 November and 15 December 2023. We identified 82 participants by a simple random procedure to represent the control group = 42 and the experimental group = 40. The PFA intervention course was initiated from 18 December 2023 to 21 February 2024. (3) Results: We found significant differences (p < 0.001) between the control group and the experimental group based on knowledge, skills, and attitudes in terms of PFA; self-efficacy (SE); and professional quality of life (ProQoL). The experimental group demonstrated higher knowledge, skills, and attitudes in terms of PFA and improved SE compared to the control group. Physicians, before undergoing the PFA intervention and strategy training course, exhibited moderate levels of compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS). After the training course, both BO (M = 3.14, t = 3.44, p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.56) and STS (M = 2.01, t = 4.25, p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.65) decreased significantly in the experimental group, while there was no significant effect on CS (M = 4.29, t = 1.56, p = 0.12, Cohen’s d = 0.21) as a result of the PFA training course in the experimental group. (4) Conclusions: The PFA training course improves SE and ProQoL and increases knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward PFA. We recommend implementing PFA training courses for other healthcare professionals. Full article

This perspective advances a psychoanalytic—embodiment account of the “libido of generativity” (LoG)—future-oriented reorganization of erotic desire that links embodied arousal with caregiving, legacy, and shared projects. We define LoG along four axes (direction of investment: dyad↔triad; temporal horizon: immediacy↔future; outcome modalities: procreative, creative–sublimative, community-forming; affective regulation: shame/guilt↔pride/gratitude). Integrating interoception, body ownership/agency, and self-compassion with reproductive mentalizing, we specify three proximal levers—embodiment, affect regulation, and representation—through which sexual mindfulness can recalibrate bodily salience, blunt shame-based self-objectification, and expand triadic representations (self–partner–child/symbolic offspring). We then translate these mechanisms into a brief, practice-ready relationship guidance (RG) curriculum (6–8 sessions) combining somatic mindfulness, compassion micro-practices, reproductive-mentalizing dialogs, communication skills, and generative rituals. We articulate falsifiable propositions (e.g., mindfulness → ↑couple satisfaction via ↓body-image self-consciousness and ↑reproductive mentalizing) and a sex/gender-attentive reporting plan (SAGER). Primary outcomes include sexual functioning/satisfaction and couple satisfaction/communication; secondary mechanistic endpoints index interoceptive accuracy/awareness (including heartbeat-evoked potentials), self-compassion, and reproductive mentalizing. By aligning contemplative practices with couple-skills training and equity-focused implementation, the LoG framework offers a testable bridge from psychoanalytic theory and embodiment science to measurable improvements in sexual health and couple well-being. Full article

Although public service motivation (PSM) has been extensively studied for decades, its theoretical pathways to job satisfaction (JS)—a central determinant of public institution performance—remain insufficiently articulated. This study fills this theoretical gap by proposing a dual-path mediation model wherein person–organization fit (PO-fit) and perceived accountability jointly elucidate how PSM enhances JS. Drawing on survey data from 1098 employees of the Taiwan Railways Administration, a public utility undergoing institutional reform, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test our model. The results indicate that three dimensions of PSM—attraction to public service, commitment to public values, and compassion—positively affect JS through both direct and indirect pathways. PO-fit fosters value congruence between employees and organizations, while perceived accountability strengthens moral responsibility and intrinsic fulfillment. Theoretically, the study advances PSM research by integrating value alignment and accountability mechanisms into a unified motivational framework. Practically, it offers guidance for human resource strategies that cultivate a motivated, satisfied, and accountable workforce—an essential condition for achieving SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Full article

There are limited empirically supported interventions that target three outcomes—behavior of children with ASD (instead of using adjectives such as “disruptive,” “interfering,” “problem,” or “challenging” behavior, we use “behavior” to avoid ableist language), parent stress, and parenting sense of competence. To help address this need, we tested a hybrid telehealth adaptation of COMPASS for Hope (C-HOPE), an 8-week parent-mediated program originally offered via face-to-face or synchronous telehealth delivery. The present study incorporated asynchronous group discussion board sessions hosted on a learning-management platform together with synchronous individual coaching sessions by telephone. Using a pre-post design, 10 caregivers completed the intervention. Effect sizes were calculated for three treatment outcomes of child behavior, parent stress, and parenting sense of competence. There was a statistically significant difference in the scores for child behavior, with a large effect size (d = 0.73) and a statistically significant difference in parent stress, with a medium effect size (d = 0.50). No difference was observed for parenting sense of competence. Treatment adherence and caregiver satisfaction for the intervention were acceptable. Findings support the feasibility and promise of combining asynchronous and synchronous telehealth elements to increase access to evidence-based parent-mediated interventions for ASD. Full article