We have all likely experienced the shame, pain, and sting of being stigmatized at some point. Stigmatization appears in diverse forms-including derogatory comments about skin tone, hair texture, or body size; denial of resources due to social standing; and devaluation of persons because of sexual/gender identity, religious affiliation, or political preferences. Regardless of its form, stigmatization is never productive and poses a considerable threat to mental health and well-being.
There are an estimated 52.9 million adults (21.0% of the adult population) suffering from mental health disorders (MHDs) in the United States (1). Among those with mental health disorders,~ 17 million are also diagnosed with a cooccurring …
"All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others." The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien In my view, this quote captures the drive to achieve equity in mental health care. All people have worth, and every person's worth adds to the worth of every other per- son. Our psychiatric-mental health nursing care is driven by this absolute belief that all people are of equal worth, of equal value.
Trauma exposure is prevalent in the general population, but healthcare workers may be at greater risks for additional work-related trauma. Trauma is a known risk factor for substance use, particularly tobacco and risky alcohol use. Few studies have examined the relationship between trauma and substance use in healthcare workers. Among healthcare workers, the aims of our study were to examine (a) frequency of current tobacco use and risky alcohol use, (b) frequency and types of traumatic experiences, and (c) the associations between trauma experiences and current tobacco and risky alcohol use controlling for demographic factors. This study is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from healthcare workers (N = 850) in an academic medical center.
In December 2021, my wife and I took a brief week-long trip to a beautiful coastal city in the Southeast United States. On the last day, while returning from the beach, I noticed a patrol car trailing behind me. Approaching the street of my accommodation, I turned on my left-turn sig- nal and eased into the turning lane. The patrol car fol- lowed.
We examined demographic, work-related, and behavioral factors associated with witnessing and/or experiencing workplace violence among healthcare workers.
Mental health is foundational to whole health! (American Psychiatric Nurses Association [APNA], 2020; McLoughin, 2016). Without such a key perspective, we are disadvantaged in our efforts to prevent mental health disorders and support recovery while navigating the com- plex social determinants of health affecting our patients, their families, their communities, and even our own workforce.
People with mental illnesses (MI) smoke at higher rates than the general population. However, few mental health providers (MHPs) deliver tobacco treatment to patients with MI especially within inpatient psychiatric settings. According to evidence, fewer than half of MHPs in the US mental and behavioral health settings provide the recommended evidence-based tobacco treatment interventions to their clients with MI. This paper uses the theory of planned behavior to examine factors associated with provider intentions to deliver and their experiences in providing evidence-based tobacco treatment to clients with MI. Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of 219 providers in a state psychiatric hospital in Kentucky. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control were associated with providers’ intentions to deliver tobacco treatment when controlling for demographic and work-related variables. However, only profession, subjective norms, and attitudes were associated with reported provision of evidence-based tobacco treatment. Given the underuse of routine tobacco treatment for this vulnerable population, understanding factors influencing provider delivery of tobacco treatment is needed to guide strategies for reducing the disproportionate rates of tobacco use and related burden among people with MI.
Background: Although several studies have recently described compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO), and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in nurses, few to date have examined these issues across nursing specialties. Such examination is needed to inform future nursing-subspecialty tailored interventions.
Aims: To examine (1) differences in CS, BO, and STS across nursing specialties and (2) differences associated with demographic, work-related, and behavioral factors among nurses.
Method: A secondary analysis of survey responses from nurses (N = 350) at an academic medical center. Demographic, behavioral, work-related, and professional quality of life variables were analyzed using hierarchical regression analyses.
Results: CS, BO, and STS scores significantly varied across specialties with emergency nurses experiencing significantly elevated rates of BO and STS, and lowest rates of CS; scores were also differentially associated with demographic, work-related, behavioral, and workplace violence variables.
Conclusions: Key differences in CS, BO, and STS by nursing specialty suggests the importance of tailoring BO and STS mitigative interventions. BO and STS risk factors should be assessed in nurses (e.g., behavioral health problems and poor sleep quality) and specialty-specific interventions (e.g., reducing workplace violence exposure in emergency settings) may be considered to improve CS while reducing BO and STS among nurses.