Psychological distress among unemployed migrants settling in southwestern Spain: A cross-sectional study.

Migrants living in the informal settlements of Southern Spain tend to have precarious employment and poor living conditions, making then vulnerable to mental health issues. This study aimed to assess psychological distress in a sample of unemployed migrants residing in informal settlements in the province of Huelva (southern Spain), during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the months of April to June 2021, through a heteroadministered questionnaire, in informal settlements. The measurement instrument was the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), used to analyze psychological distress, and other sociodemographic and health-related variables. Univariate and bivariate descriptive data analysis were performed, using the nonparametric statistics Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Tau ß correlation. A categorical regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between psychological distress and the rest of the variables. The sample consisted of 317 subjects, 83.9% of whom were males, and the mean age was 33.4 years (SD = 10.7 years). The mean score obtained in the GHQ-12 questionnaire was 13.69 points (SD = 3.86). Significant differences were found between levels of psychological distress and substance abuse (H = 14.085; P = .049), people who wished to stay in Spain (t = 6987; P = .049), people who experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact (t = 1379.5; P = .001), people who needed medical assistance due to COVID-19 (t = 7.990; P = .018), and those who reported having chronic illnesses (t = 2686.5, P = .02). The mean score of psychological distress indicates general high levels of psychological distress. Participants who had experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact, who consumed substances, and who had chronic illnesses reported the highest levels of psychological distress.

Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the UK general population: A cross-sectional study.

There is still a generalized feeling of uncertainty in the population due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as restrictions on daily routines and social contact, accompanied by a large number of infections, negatively affect different areas of people's lives and, therefore, their mental health. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the general UK population, using the Anxiety and Fear to COVID-19 Assessment Scale (Ansiedad y Miedo al COVID-19) (AMICO) scale. A descriptive, cross-sectional study based on a questionnaire was conducted in a sample of the UK general population in 2021. Socio-demographic and employment variables were included. The AMICO scale was included to measure fear and anxiety about COVID-19. The relationship between variables was studied with a categorical regression analysis. In general, participants regarded themselves as well-informed about the pandemic, although 62.6% had only received 1 dose of the vaccine. Regarding the AMICO scale the total score was 4.85 (out of 10; standard deviation 2.398). Women showed higher scores for the AMICO than men. The bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in relation to self-confidence, amount of information received, and vaccination variables as related to the mean AMICO scores. An average level of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 is shown in the general UK population, which is lower than most of the studies that assessed the impact of the pandemic on the general population.

Adaptation and initial psychometric study of the anxiety and fear of COVID-19 scale in the United Kingdom population.

Objective: The aim of the study was the initial psychometric study to validate the anxiety and fear of COVID-19 (AMICO) assessment scale in the general population of the United Kingdom population. Materials and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, psychometric validation and descriptive study was conducted, performing univariate and bivariate analyses, as well as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: The sample was 658 people living in the United Kingdom over 16 years. Of the total, 80.5% were female, with a mean age of 48.25 years (SD = 14.861). A mean score for the AMICO scale of 4.85 (SD = 2.398) was obtained, with a range of scores from 1 to 10. The study of percentiles and quartiles allowed for the identification of three proposed levels of anxiety. Conclusion: The AMICO_UK scale is reliable to measure the presence of anxiety and fear related to the COVID-19 disease in the United Kingdom population. The majority of the United Kingdom population presented low levels of anxiety and fear at the time the scale was administered.

[Violence at work and work engagement against nursing professionals in Spain: a cross-sectional study.] / Violencia en el trabajo y compromiso laboral en los profesionales de enfermería en España: un estudio transversal.

OBJECTIVE: Nurses are one of the groups most exposed to violence in the workplace. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between violence at work and engagement in a sample of nurses in Spain. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a national sample of Spanish nurses. A questionnaire was administered that collected the sociodemographic variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and an ad hoc scale on violence at work. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed as the statistical test with Bonferroni correction and the CHAID algorithm. RESULTS: The sample consisted of a total of 1,648 active nurses. It was observed that 42.17% of them had personally suffered some type of aggression or violence in the workplace, verbal aggression being the most frequent. The results indicated that there was a negative association between work engagement and exposure to situations of violence at work. CONCLUSIONS: There is a relationship between having suffered attacks and the degree of work engagement against nurses, hence the need to establish effective preventive and intervention policies to promote an adequate work environment, and therefore stop episodes of violence in their initial stages.

OBJETIVO: Los profesionales de la enfermería son uno de los colectivos más expuestos a la violencia en los lugares de trabajo. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación existente entre la violencia en el trabajo y el compromiso laboral (Engagement) en una muestra de profesionales de enfermería en España. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en una muestra de enfermeras españolas a nivel nacional. Se administró un cuestionario que recogía las variables sociodemográficas, el Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) y una escala sobre violencia en el trabajo elaborada ad hoc. Se realizaron como pruebas estadísticas la prueba de U de Mann-Whitney, con corrección de Bonferroni y el algoritmo CHAID. RESULTADOS: La muestra estuvo compuesta por un total de 1.648 profesionales de enfermería en activo. Se observó que el 42,17% había sufrido personalmente algún tipo de agresión o violencia en el lugar de trabajo, siendo la agresión verbal la más frecuente. Los resultados indican que existía una asociación negativa entre el compromiso laboral y la exposición a situaciones de violencia en el trabajo. CONCLUSIONES: Existe una relación entre haber sufrido agresiones y el grado de compromiso laboral de los profesionales de enfermería, de ahí la necesidad de establecer políticas preventivas y de intervención eficaces para fomentar un adecuado clima laboral, y para atajar episodios de violencia en sus etapas iniciales.

Initial Psychometric Development of the Fear and Anxiety to COVID-19 Scale in Nursing Professionals: An Occupational Health Assessment Tool.

Objective: The effects caused by COVID-19 on the physical and mental health show the need to renew and create tools that specifically measure the fear and anxiety caused by the pandemic in healthcare professionals. The aim of the study was to measure fear and anxiety of COVID-19 in the nursing population group using a specific assessment scale. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in Spain based on questionnaires. The sample was selected by non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Univariate and bivariate descriptive analyses were performed. For qualitative variables, a categorical regression analysis was performed. Results: The sample consisted of 1012 nurses residing in Spain, 86.6% of whom were women, with a mean age of 40.84 years (SD = 11.51). The bivariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the mean score of the scale and the variables sex, level of education, m2 of the dwelling, and work area. Conclusion: The validation of this scale provides a new management tool that should enable managers to assess anxiety and fear among their nurses, whether in the current COVID-19 pandemic or in other possible epidemiological situations to come.

[Mental health and mental disorders in the workplace.] / Salud mental y trastornos mentales en los lugares de trabajo.

The work environment can be considered one of the main determining factors that can influence the mental health of workers, especially as regards the structural and organisational conditions to which the worker is subjected. This work environment has positive effects when work provides satisfaction and contributes to personal self-fulfilment, or negative effects provoked by situations of stress, inadequate working patterns and schedules, possible situations of abuse and/or harassment, etc., which may contribute to the appearance of alterations in the mental health of the worker. Therefore, it is crucial that organisations use strategies for mental health promotion and disease prevention in the workplace, as mental health problems arising from work represent a major burden of disease for society and the economy of a country. Stress can be considered one of the main factors capable of disrupting a person's mental health and determining the development of a mental disorder, but other individual, socio-cultural, organisational, biological, and environmental factors also play a role to a greater or lesser extent. A negative work situation can trigger the development of serious mental disorders such as psychotic, neurotic, or cognitive disorders, as well as those derived from work-related stress and psychoactive substance abuse, and self-injurious behaviours. For early detection, treatment, reintegration, and/or rehabilitation, coordination between the public health system and occupational health or occupational risk prevention services is necessary.

El entorno laboral puede ser considerado uno de los principales factores determinantes que puede influir en la salud mental de las personas trabajadoras, especialmente relacionados con las condiciones estructurales y organizativas a las que está sometida la persona trabajadora. Este entorno laboral proporciona efectos positivos cuando el trabajo aporta satisfacción y contribuye a la autorrealización personal, o negativos, por situaciones de estrés, por ritmos y horarios de trabajo inadecuados, por posibles situaciones de abuso y/o acoso, etc., pudiendo contribuir en la aparición de alteraciones en la salud mental de la persona trabajadora. A este respecto, es de vital importancia que las organizaciones recurran a estrategias de promoción de la salud mental y prevención de la enfermedad en los lugares de trabajo, de hecho, los problemas de salud mental derivados del trabajo representan una importante carga de enfermedad para la sociedad y la economía de un país. El estrés puede ser considerado uno de los factores capitales capaces de perturbar la salud mental de una persona, y determinar el desarrollo de un trastorno mental pero, existen otros factores individuales, factores socioculturales y organizativos, biológicos y ambientales que también influyen en mayor o en menor medida. Una situación laboral negativa puede desencadenar el desarrollo de trastornos mentales graves como pueden ser trastornos psicóticos, trastornos neuróticos, trastornos cognitivos, trastornos derivados del estrés laboral, trastornos por abuso de sustancias psicoactivas y trastornos autolíticos. Para su detección precoz, tratamiento, reinserción y/o rehabilitación se hace necesaria la coordinación entre el sistema de salud público y los servicios de salud laboral o de prevención de riesgos laborales.

Modulating factors of fibromyalgia in women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A protocol for systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a disease that affects mostly women and is related to stressors. The aim of this study was to assess how the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected women with fibromyalgia. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Springer Link databases, following the recommendations of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses statement. The methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools for non-randomized studies. RESULTS: A total of 6 studies were included. Most results indicated a worsening in the mental health of women with fibromyalgia during the pandemic, and this in turn impacted on physical health. CONCLUSION: The mental health of women with fibromyalgia was more affected during the Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period than that of non-fibromyalgia sufferers. This was also reflected in the worsening of symptoms and weakness in performing daily activities.

Healthcare students' personality traits and competence-based learning methodologies.

The European Higher Education Area was implemented more than a decade ago with the aim of improving internationally the competitiveness of European university education putting the spotlight on skills and competence development (and not only on knowledge acquisition). This work intends to analyze the impact of competence-based teaching methodologies on university students, as well as to contribute to the study of the individual personality traits differences regarding this impact. For this, a descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with a non-randomised sample of university students. The sample was composed of a total of 499 students of the University of Huelva (350 from the Health Sciences degree, and 149 form other degrees), who completed a questionnaire on professional skills and teaching methods developed ad hoc for this research, as well as the brief version of the Spanish adaptation of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory. The results show that Health Sciences students feel more satisfied with the most participative and active methodologies, and they consider these better contribute to their future professional competence development. On the other hand, in relation to the big 5 personality traits studied, links have been found between competence development perception and personal preferences and the dimensions of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. This last factor, openness to experience, appears when analyzing the main differences among both groups, being Health Sciences students more intellectually curious, showing more openness and diversity of interests, in addition to being more creative, innovative, and flexible.

The Relationship between Self-Employed Workers' Entrepreneurial Attitude and Health Status.

In the new work environment, self-employment as a formula and entrepreneurship as an attitude have gained prominence as a means to foster a more competitive economy and increase employment opportunities. Having an entrepreneurial attitude, in addition to being positive on a work level, can also have positive effects on the health of the entrepreneur. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between an entrepreneurial attitude and its influence on the general health of Spanish self-employed workers who possess these skills, compared to those who lack them. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out through random sampling of 1148 self-employed professionals throughout Spain from 21 different economic sectors. The results show the existence of a negative relationship between entrepreneurial attitude and age, that is to say, an entrepreneurial attitude decreases with age. With the sex variable, women show less entrepreneurial attitude and with mental health, decreased mental health was shown in those with a greater entrepreneurial attitude. On the other hand, there is a positive linearity between a positive attitude and the social function of the state of health.

Grieving for Job Loss and Its Relation to the Employability of Older Jobseekers.

Introduction: Loss of employment is an experience that is lived and interpreted differently depending on a series of individual variables, including the psychological resources available to the affected person as well as their perception of their degree of employability. Losing one's job can be one of the most painful and traumatic events a person has to withstand. Following a dismissal, the worker needs to overcome a period of emotional adaptation to the loss. But that period of grieving can also condition the job searching process of the individual and can be influenced by different variables, highlighting the age and work experience. The objective of this study is to analyse the relationship between intensity and type of affliction due to the loss of employment in older workers and their level of employability. Methods: We carried out a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study. The sample consisted of 140 unemployed participants, from 19 to 65 years of age-users of Job Orientation in the Public Employment Service of Andalusia (Spain). Of the total participants, 66 were unemployed and over 45 years of age. They all took the Labour Insertion Potential Assessment Test and the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief, adapted for job loss. Results: Significant differences are shown in the grieving process due to loss of employment between both groups, with the older unemployed living the process more intensely. In relation to the employability potential, differences are found between both groups in terms of availability, perceived difficulties and fears. Interrelationships between total grieving intensity and the importance that older jobseekers give to work are also indicated. Conclusion: Loss of employment and the psychological and health consequences of this situation are identified with those that arise in the grieving process. Older workers present a series of features that determine that their job loss grieving process is more intense and lasts longer than that of other younger workers, regardless of whether the job loss was recent or not. On the other hand, it is shown that the intensity of grieving for job loss is related to the decrease of certain variables that are part of the concept of employability.

Engagement, Passion and Meaning of Work as Modulating Variables in Nursing: A Theoretical Analysis.

Nurses are continuously exposed to stressors and psychological and physical risks that can negatively influence their daily work. These adverse psychosocial circumstances, accompanied by the poor self-perception of health, well-being, and quality of life, may trigger burnout. The positive psychology approach pursues a growth of passion at work, increased job satisfaction, and occupational health, both mental and physical, for the optimal performance of the nursing role. In this way, a theoretical analysis was conducted to describe the basic constructs of positive psychology, elements such as engagement, passion at work, centrality, and meaning of work, which could act as protective factors in the nursing profession. The results show that if health professionals are not physically involved, cognitively alert, and emotionally connected, they may not offer the quality care patients require. Positive psychology helps nurses in facing their complex reality and relevant daily activities in order to provide quality care. These efforts towards a humanist nursing care in which professionals are able to care for the others as well as themselves should be made.

[Burden, empathy, and resilience in dependent people caregivers]. / Sobrecarga, empatía y resiliencia en cuidadores de personas dependientes.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the differences in perceived burden between family caregivers who are users of patient associations and those who are not; to assess the relationship between burden, resilience, and empathy levels. METHOD: Retrospective ex post facto study of two groups, one of them quasi control. The sample was composed of 155 informal caregivers (28 men and 155 women); 109 of them were users of patient relatives' associations and 46 were not. Both descriptive and bivariate comparative analyses were carried out. RESULTS: Caregivers who were members of patient associations showed lower burden and empathy levels than those who were not. This highlighted that the higher their level of perceived burden, the lower their level of resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Belonging to carers' associations results in a lower level of perceived burden and a lower risk of developing compassion fatigue syndrome.

Job Satisfaction and Perceived Health in Spanish Construction Workers during the Economic Crisis.

The attitude towards work, either satisfaction or dissatisfaction, could influence the way in which workers perceive their health status. To check this hypothesis, this study analyses job satisfaction and its relationship with occupational health perception of Spanish construction workers. A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational study was carried out through a socio-demographic data questionnaire, the General Scale of Job Satisfaction and the SF-36 Health Survey. The study was conducted from January 2014 to June 2015, on a sample of 302 individuals belonging to Andalusian companies using the stratified random method to access companies from different provinces and sizes. The findings indicate that work experience in the sector increases general satisfaction: workers above 55 years of age are more satisfied with their work than those between 36 and 45. Likewise, workers with an experience of 2⁻5 years show higher levels of overall satisfaction, in opposition to workers with 6 months and 2 years of experience. On the other hand, workers without a contract and interns are the most dissatisfied in job terms. Also, there is a positive correlation between job satisfaction and the positive dimensions of health perception (physical functioning and physical and social role functioning), as well as a negative correlation between job satisfaction and bodily pain and general health perceived.

What Does Work Signify for Those in Search of Labor? Meaning of Work for the Unemployed Who Attend an Employee Orientation Program.

Introduction: Work is one of the most important areas in people's lives. This is highly related to the meaning of work people possess and the social culture that surrounds them. However, unemployment stands out as a major social phenomenon of the 21st century of concern for governments, institutions, and professionals, generating the need to reflect, among other issues, on the processes that favor and keep the person in the situation of unemployment, and to think about the real effects of the measures aimed at supporting and guiding the unemployed. The objective of this work is to analyze the existing differences in relation to societal norms, values, and work centrality in unemployed people who attended employment guidance with respect to another group of unemployed people who didn't received this guidance. Method: A descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted on a total of 227 users of the Employment Guidance Service Center of the province of Huelva, who were divided into two groups. A first group of 112 users who make use of the employment guidance programs of the Andalusian Public Employment Services, and a second group, or control group, made up of 115 unemployed people who do not make use of these services. The MOW International Research Team questionnaire has been used for the assessment of the participants. Results: In relation to societal norms, people who do not place their trust in employment guidance conceptualize work as a right and not as a duty; in terms of work values, those with lower levels of training value professional status and prestige with higher scores, whereas people with a higher level of training value the satisfactory nature of work. Regarding centrality, high-level results are obtained throughout the sample, and it ranks second only to family when assessing relative centrality. Conclusion: It can be seen how some variables will determine a greater or lesser level of motivation toward the search for employment. This work should lead to a reflection on the need to generate employment insertion programs that are more adapted to the idiosyncratic characteristics of individuals and groups.

Organisational Justice, Burnout, and Engagement in University Students: A Comparison between Stressful Aspects of Labour and University Organisation.

Burnout, engagement, and organisational justice concepts are usually studied in the context of labour organisations, but not in universities. For this, the objective of this research is to identify the students' empirically evidenced relationships in the employment context, such as levels of organisational justice, stress indicators, burnout and work commitment. On the other hand, engagement is analysed as a mediating variable that explains the relationship between organisational justice and burnout. A sample of 543 students from three Spanish universities, selected by purposive sampling, is used ensuring voluntary and anonymous participation. The instruments used to measure the four variables to analyse are a protocol for data collection, MBI-SS instrument for Academic Burnout, Utrecht Work Engagement Student Scale (UWES) for Engagement and the Scale of Organisational Justice for Organisational Justice. As a result, college students show behaviours that promote academic achievement, and they feel more engaged when they are treated fairly. As for the burnout syndrome dimensions, average levels of emotional exhaustion and academic efficacy, and high levels of cynicism are revealed. In addition, the proposed structural equation model supports the main hypothesis; engagement is a mediating variable in the organisational justice and burnout relationship. To conclude, academic stress and its explanatory framework cannot be conceived only from an organisational perspective, where the context of each student must be considered. The adoption of organisational preventive measures can be relevant in ensuring a healthy and conducive academic performance in our students.

Psychological Coping with Job Loss. Empirical Study to Contribute to the Development of Unemployed People.

Having a job is an essential part of people's development. Unemployment, on the contrary, is one of the most frustrating experiences of life with greater psychological consequences for people's lives. In this sense, psychology has contributed to an increase in knowledge about the personal and social experience of unemployment. This article discusses indicators of anxiety and depression in unemployed people, modulating socio-demographic variables, and coping strategies involved in the higher and lower levels of anxiety and depression. For this, a sample of 244 unemployed people who are users of the Career Service Centre of the Andalusian Public Employment Service of the city of Huelva is used for a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study. The results show that only 5.7% of the participants do not have depressive symptoms. With regards to anxiety levels, 41.3% of participants have no anxiety. Unemployed people with high anxiety and depression scores have developed maladaptive coping strategies such as substance use, self-blaming, or denial. It is necessary to assess the importance of the unemployment process and the incorporation of appropriate coping strategies that facilitate new integration in the labour market, such as planification, emotional or social support and self-distraction between others.

Ansiedad, gestión conductual del conflicto y estrategias de afrontamiento en profesionales de la orientación laboral / Anxiety, Behavioral Conflict Management and Coping Strategies in Occupational Guidance Professionals

Resumen En el desempeño de sus funciones de atención a personas sin empleo, el orientador laboral se encuentra sometido a diversos y frecuentes estresores generadores de ansiedad; uno de estos estresores son los conflictos. Utilizando una muestra compuesta por 90 orientadores laborales del Servicio de Empleo de Andalucía (España), este estudio pretende poner de manifiesto en qué medida la ansiedad manifestada se encuentra relacionada con los estilos de gestión conductual del conflicto adoptado, y este con las estrategias de afrontamiento al estrés. Los resultados muestran elevados niveles de ansiedad (estado y rasgo) en este colectivo, así como asociaciones importantes entre las estrategias de afrontamiento al estrés en general y los estilos de gestión de conflictos, lo que indica que ambos se encuentran conceptualmente relacionados.

Abstract The employment consultant is normally exposed, when he performs his/her function attending to people unemployed, to different and common stressors, one of these stressors are the conflicts. Using a sample of 90 guidance workers of the Andalusian Employment Service (Spain), this study aims to show to what extent the exposed anxiety is related to behavioral conflict management style, and this last with strategies of coping with stress. Results show high levels of anxiety, as well as significant relations between strategies of coping with stress and behavioral styles of management of conflicts, pointing out that they are related conceptually.