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Background: Burnout is frequent among intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare professionals and may result in medical errors and absenteeism. The COVID‐19 pandemic caused additional strain during working hours and also affected off‐duty life. The aims of this study were to survey burnout levels among ICU healthcare professionals during the first year of COVID‐19, describe those who reported burnout, and analyse demographic and work‐related factors associated with burnout. Methods: This was a national prospective longitudinal cohort study of 484 nurses, physicians and leaders working in intensive care units with COVID‐19 patients in Norway. Burnout was measured at 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up, after a registration of baseline data during the first months of the COVID epidemic. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), was used (range 0–100), burnout caseness defined as CBI ≥50. Bi‐ and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine baseline demographic variables and work‐related factors associated with burnout caseness at 12 months. Results: At 6 months, the median CBI score was 17, increasing to 21 at 12 months (p =.037), with nurses accounting for most of the increase. Thirty‐two per cent had an increase in score of more than 5, whereas 25% had a decrease of more than 5. Ten per cent reported caseness of burnout at 6 months and 14% at 12 months (n.s.). The participants with burnout caseness were of significantly lower age, had fewer years of experience, reported more previous anxiety and/or depression, more moral distress, less perceived hospital recognition, and more fear of infection in the bivariate analyses. Burnout was the single standing most reported type of psychological distress, and 24 out of 41 (59%) with burnout caseness also reported caseness of anxiety, depression and/or post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Multivariate analysis showed statistically significant associations of burnout caseness with fewer years of professional experience (p =.041) and borderline significance of perceived support by leader (p =.049). Conclusion: In Norway, a minority of ICU nurses, physicians and leaders reported burnout 1 year into the pandemic. A majority of those with burnout reported anxiety, depression and/or PTSD symptoms combined. Burnout was associated with less years of professional experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide attempts by violent methods (VM) can leave the patient with physical and mental trauma affecting health-related quality of life (HRQOL). There is limited knowledge about the impact and HRQOL after a suicide attempt by VM. To compare HRQOL in patients after a suicide attempt by VM, both to self-poisonings (SP) and the general population, and the association of hospital anxiety and depression to the HRQOL in the two groups. Patients admitted to hospital after a suicide attempt were included in this prospective cohort-study from 2010 to 2015. For HRQOL, Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Hospital anxiety and depression scale scores (HADS-A and HADS-D) were assessed during study follow-up. The VM-group scored lower HRQOL for the physical dimensions at 3 months (p<.05), compared to the SP group, and only role limitation physical at 12 months (p<.05). Both groups scored lower HRQOL than the general population (p <.05). At baseline, the VM group scored lower for HADS-A than the SP group (p <.05). Both groups had lower HADS scores one year after (p <.05). In multiple regression analyses, the HADS scores were associated with HRQOL in the VM-group (p <.05). SP group HADS scores were negatively associated with general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health (p <.05). Both groups scored lower for HRQOL than the general population, and the VM group had worse score than the SP group in physical dimensions. Both groups had less symptoms of anxiety and depression over time, but it's association to HRQOL was strong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ongoing COVID-19 studies pay little attention to the risk or protective factors related to psychological stress. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of anxiety, depression and insomnia during the initial phase of the COVID-19 outbreak, and explore factors that might be associated with these outcomes. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted using snowball-sampling strategy. Participants from 18 years or older filled out an anonymous online questionnaire. A total of 4527 citizens filled out the questionnaire. Prevalence rates were; insomnia 31.8%, anxiety 17.1% and depression 12.5%. Risk factors associated with anxiety, depression and insomnia were being single (OR = 0.75, OR = 0.57, OR = 0.59), unemployed (OR = 0.47, OR = 0.53, OR = 0.73), financial concerns (OR = 1.66, OR = 2.09, OR = 1.80) at risk for complication from COVID-19 (OR = 1.63, OR = 1.68, OR = 1.60), and being generally worried due to the COVID-19 (OR 0 3.06, OR = 1.41, OR = 1.74). Being single, unemployed, at risk of health complications, or having concerns because of financial or other consequences of the pandemic are associated with mental health adversities such as anxiety, depression and insomnia during a pandemic lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about psychiatric patients' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations of coping strategies, social support and loneliness with mental health symptoms among these patients. Methods: We recruited 164 patients from Community Mental Health Centers in June–July 2020. Participants responded to an online questionnaire on corona-related questions, Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experience, Crisis Support Scale, a 3-item Loneliness Scale, and Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. We used linear regression models to investigate associations between these and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results: Almost 51% were aged 31–50 years and 77% were females. Forty-six (28%) participants reported worsened overall mental health due to the pandemic. The reported rates of clinical depression and anxiety were 84% and 76%, respectively. Maladaptive coping was independently associated with both depression and anxiety symptoms. Loneliness was independently associated with depression symptoms. Conclusions: Patients in Community Mental Health Centers in Norway reported high rates of depression and anxiety symptoms. Many of them reported worsening of their mental health due to the pandemic, even at a time when COVID-19 infections and restrictive measures were relatively low. Maladaptive coping strategies and loneliness may be possible explanations for more distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lifetime prevalence of sexual assault was examined in a representative sample of the general Norwegian adult population (n = 1,792), in addition to the association between sexual assault and health, quality of life, and general self-efficacy. Respondents completed questionnaires assessing these factors. Overall, 6.7% (n = 120) of the respondents (10.9% of women and 1.9% of men) reported an experience of sexual assault. Respondents in the sexual assault group reported significantly worse mental and physical health as well as poorer quality of life and lower self-efficacy, compared with those without sexual assault experience. The most prevalent mental problems in the sexual assault group were depression (61.7%), sleep problems (58.3%), eating disorders (26.7%), and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms at a clinical level (25.0%). The most prevalent physical problems were chronic pain (47.5%) and musculoskeletal disease (30.8%). The proportions of physical and mental health problems were not significantly different between male and female victims. Results indicated that having experienced sexual assault during one's life appears to be associated with lifetime occurrence of multiple health problems for both genders and reduces a person's perceived general self-efficacy and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]