Background: Today, several empirical evidence classified professional helpers working under adverse circumstances at risk of developing both psychosocial occupational stress and signs of primary and secondary trauma (such as anxiety, loss of confidence and hyperarousal). The systematic investigation of health-impairment processes also unveiled that the domain of personal resources, in healthcare professions, represented a set of mental characteristics that (in interaction with the surrounding environment) preserve individuals from the risk of exhibiting adverse reactions to their job-related tasks. The present study aimed at modeling whether and to what extent personal resources (i.e., sense of coherence, post-traumatic growth, and well-being) of Palestinian helpers resulted to be associated with psychological distress and trauma symptoms. Method: Participants were 181 professional healthcare providers (40% paramedics, 25% nurses, 10% physicians, 25% volunteers) working in different health facilities in Gaza and the West Bank. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 65 years (M=31.18; SD=8.7); 135 (74.6%) were males. Participants completed the following quantitative self-reported measures: the World Health Organization Well Being Questionnaire (WHO-5), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) detecting aspects of psychological distress; the Impact of Event Scale (IES-13) measuring symptoms of trauma (intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal). Besides, the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-3) and the Post-traumatic Growth Index (PTGI-10) were administered. Data were analyzed using multivariate structural equation modeling (SEM) with both latent and empirical indicators. Findings: The General Health Questionnaire global score (m=17.66, sd=7.48) revealed a medium-high level of psychological trauma in the cohort of Palestinian professional helpers. Similarly, and with regards to well-being (m=9.79, sd=6.27), 33% of the sample reported low mood (though not necessarily depression) according to the WHO classification scores. The structural model showed an excellent fit [χ2 (24)=31.8, p=.132, NC=1.32, NFI=.878, NNFI=.951, CFI=.954, RMSEA=.043, 90% C.I .019-077 ]. The decomposition of total effect in direct and indirect effects revealed that personal resources contribute to lowering both psychological distress (β=-.25, p <.01) and trauma (β=-.16, p <.01) measures. Indirect effects suggested that the role of personal resources was especially associated with levels of anxiety (β=-.23, p <.01) and intrusion symptoms (β=-.22, p <.01). Interpretation: The primary objective of the present study was to test an integrated model to expand further the current knowledge of the mental health-related process of professional helpers living in contexts of military occupation. Results revealed that medics, paramedics, nurses, and volunteers were exposed to both environmental and work-related traumatic 98 conditions. From this point of view, despite the heavy psychological burden, the more Palestinian helpers experience perceptions of growth after trauma, sense of coherence and levels of well-being, the more they reported lower psychological distress and less traumarelated psychological effects. Concerning areas requiring interventions, healthcare providers require targeted training focused on elaborating self-experience to raise their awareness of their own personal skills and survival resources and to reduce the effects of perilous working conditions on their mental health.

Pepe, A., Cavazzoni, F., Adimando, L., Jaradah, A., Obaid, H., Veronese, G. (2019). Well-being, symptoms of trauma and personal resources in Palestinian professional helpers: a cross-sectional quantitative survey. Intervento presentato a: 10th LPHA - Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance Congress, Amman, Giordania.

Well-being, symptoms of trauma and personal resources in Palestinian professional helpers: a cross-sectional quantitative survey

Pepe, A;Cavazzoni, F;OBAID, HANIA;Veronese, G
2019

Abstract

Background: Today, several empirical evidence classified professional helpers working under adverse circumstances at risk of developing both psychosocial occupational stress and signs of primary and secondary trauma (such as anxiety, loss of confidence and hyperarousal). The systematic investigation of health-impairment processes also unveiled that the domain of personal resources, in healthcare professions, represented a set of mental characteristics that (in interaction with the surrounding environment) preserve individuals from the risk of exhibiting adverse reactions to their job-related tasks. The present study aimed at modeling whether and to what extent personal resources (i.e., sense of coherence, post-traumatic growth, and well-being) of Palestinian helpers resulted to be associated with psychological distress and trauma symptoms. Method: Participants were 181 professional healthcare providers (40% paramedics, 25% nurses, 10% physicians, 25% volunteers) working in different health facilities in Gaza and the West Bank. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 65 years (M=31.18; SD=8.7); 135 (74.6%) were males. Participants completed the following quantitative self-reported measures: the World Health Organization Well Being Questionnaire (WHO-5), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) detecting aspects of psychological distress; the Impact of Event Scale (IES-13) measuring symptoms of trauma (intrusion, avoidance, and hyperarousal). Besides, the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-3) and the Post-traumatic Growth Index (PTGI-10) were administered. Data were analyzed using multivariate structural equation modeling (SEM) with both latent and empirical indicators. Findings: The General Health Questionnaire global score (m=17.66, sd=7.48) revealed a medium-high level of psychological trauma in the cohort of Palestinian professional helpers. Similarly, and with regards to well-being (m=9.79, sd=6.27), 33% of the sample reported low mood (though not necessarily depression) according to the WHO classification scores. The structural model showed an excellent fit [χ2 (24)=31.8, p=.132, NC=1.32, NFI=.878, NNFI=.951, CFI=.954, RMSEA=.043, 90% C.I .019-077 ]. The decomposition of total effect in direct and indirect effects revealed that personal resources contribute to lowering both psychological distress (β=-.25, p <.01) and trauma (β=-.16, p <.01) measures. Indirect effects suggested that the role of personal resources was especially associated with levels of anxiety (β=-.23, p <.01) and intrusion symptoms (β=-.22, p <.01). Interpretation: The primary objective of the present study was to test an integrated model to expand further the current knowledge of the mental health-related process of professional helpers living in contexts of military occupation. Results revealed that medics, paramedics, nurses, and volunteers were exposed to both environmental and work-related traumatic 98 conditions. From this point of view, despite the heavy psychological burden, the more Palestinian helpers experience perceptions of growth after trauma, sense of coherence and levels of well-being, the more they reported lower psychological distress and less traumarelated psychological effects. Concerning areas requiring interventions, healthcare providers require targeted training focused on elaborating self-experience to raise their awareness of their own personal skills and survival resources and to reduce the effects of perilous working conditions on their mental health.
poster
subjective well-being- personal resources- trauma- professional helpers- military violence
English
10th LPHA - Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance Congress
2019
2019
none
Pepe, A., Cavazzoni, F., Adimando, L., Jaradah, A., Obaid, H., Veronese, G. (2019). Well-being, symptoms of trauma and personal resources in Palestinian professional helpers: a cross-sectional quantitative survey. Intervento presentato a: 10th LPHA - Lancet Palestinian Health Alliance Congress, Amman, Giordania.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/223901
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