[Dying during the pandemic: Experiences of relatives of patients who died during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile]. / Morir en pandemia: Experiencias de familiares de pacientes fallecidos durante la pandemia COVID-19 en Chile.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic marked a milestone in the history of medicine worldwide. Together with the humanitarian drama it represented, the problems that arose are promoting lines of research in multiple fields. One of these fields is the aspects related to medical communication and end-of-life care. This paper reports the experiences and perceptions of relatives of patients who died during the pandemic with a psychospiritual support intervention in a public hospital in the Metropolitan Region, Chile, called "farewell". METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted with a phenomenological approach based on in-depth interviews. From this, categories were derived that allowed a systematization of the observation of the experiences. RESULTS: Among the results, the impact of the circumstances and the communication provided by the medical team on grief should be highlighted. The use of the word "farewell" emerges as a useful, albeit ambiguous, communicative tool when it comes to adequately framing an end-of-life process. CONCLUSIONS: It is argued that the end of life is an area that requires physical and psychospiritual spaces, and adequate training at all levels to do justice to a highly relevant moment in the care of people.

The caregiving work experience of healthcare workers in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health: A qualitative study based on the international initiative HEROES. / Experiencia de trabajo de cuidados de trabajadores de la salud en Chile durante la pandemia COVID-19 y su impacto en la salud mental: estudio cualitativo a partir de la iniciativa internacional HEROES.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of healthcare workers. Studying the care perspective is essential to understanding the causes of specific mental health findings and proposing strategies to address them. Methods: Cross-sectional study with a thematic analytical approach, derived from the international initiative "The Health Care Workers Study" (HEROES), conducted among healthcare workers in Chile during the second semester of 2022 and the first of 2023 through semi-structured interviews and inductive coding. Results: A narrative synthesis of 35 interviews in four themes: care at work: the presence of changes in work tasks, concern about becoming infected, collective "mystique", stigma due to being a healthcare worker, conflicts with patients; care at home: multiple ways of arranging household tasks, the relevance of living with others, interrelation with work dynamics, "double burden" among women; relationship with one's own mental health: recognition of mental health impact, the stress associated with change and uncertainty, perception of work overload, feelings of guilt or responsibility for infecting family members; and beliefs and values about the pandemic and its effects: acceptance of psychological impact on healthcare workers, organizational culture as a relevant element in postponing one's own mental health, initial disbelief in the effects of the pandemic, similarities with previous periods of social upheaval, and equality among people in terms of vulnerability to the disease. Conclusions: Five elements emerge as potential areas for intervention: gender perspective, previous exposure to crisis experiences, self-care spaces, peer support, and institutional response. The care perspective helps study the relationship between some stressors and healthcare workers' mental health in the context of a pandemic.

Introducción: La pandemia por COVID-19 ha impactado la salud mental de los trabajadores de salud. La perspectiva de cuidados se ha identificado como necesaria de estudiar, para entender causas atribuibles asociadas a hallazgos específicos en materia de salud mental y proponer cursos de acción para abordarla. Métodos: Estudio de carácter transversal con enfoque analítico temático, derivado de la iniciativa internacional (HEROES) Fue realizado entre trabajadores de salud en Chile, durante el segundo semestre de 2022 y el primero de 2023, a través entrevistas semiestructuradas y codificación inductiva. Resultados: Síntesis narrativa de 35 entrevistas, en cuatro temas: cuidados en el trabajo: presencia de cambios de funciones, preocupación por contagio, "mística" colectiva, estigma por condición de trabajador de la salud, conflictos con pacientes; cuidados en el hogar: diversas formas de arreglos de tareas domésticas, relevancia de la convivencia con otros, interrelación con dinámicas laborales, "doble carga" entre mujeres; relación con la propia salud mental: reconocimiento de afectación en salud mental, estrés asociado a cambio e incertidumbre, percepción de sobrecarga laboral, sentimientos de culpa o responsabilidad por contagio a familiares; y creencias y valores sobre la pandemia y sus efectos: aceptación de afectación psíquica de trabajadores de la salud, cultura organizacional como elemento relevante en postergación de propia salud mental, incredulidad inicial ante efectos de la pandemia, similitudes con periodos de conmoción social previos, igualdad entre personas respecto a vulnerabilidad frente a enfermedad. Conclusiones: Cinco elementos surgen como potenciales áreas de intervención: perspectiva de género, exposición previa a experiencias de crisis, espacios de autocuidado, apoyo de pares y respuesta institucional. La perspectiva de cuidados es útil para estudiar la relación entre algunos factores estresantes y la salud mental de los trabajadores de salud en el contexto de pandemia.

Experiencia de trabajo de cuidados de trabajadores de la salud en Chile durante la pandemia COVID-19 y su impacto en la salud mental: estudio cualitativo a partir de la iniciativa internacional HEROES / The caregiving work experience of healthcare workers in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on mental health: A qualitative study based on the international initiative HEROES

Introducción La pandemia por COVID-19 ha impactado la salud mental de los trabajadores de salud. La perspectiva de cuidados se ha identificado como necesaria de estudiar, para entender causas atribuibles asociadas a hallazgos específicos en materia de salud mental y proponer cursos de acción para abordarla. Métodos Estudio de carácter transversal con enfoque analítico temático, derivado de la iniciativa internacional (HEROES) Fue realizado entre trabajadores de salud en Chile, durante el segundo semestre de 2022 y el primero de 2023, a través entrevistas semiestructuradas y codificación inductiva. Resultados Síntesis narrativa de 35 entrevistas, en cuatro temas: cuidados en el trabajo: presencia de cambios de funciones, preocupación por contagio, "mística" colectiva, estigma por condición de trabajador de la salud, conflictos con pacientes; cuidados en el hogar: diversas formas de arreglos de tareas domésticas, relevancia de la convivencia con otros, interrelación con dinámicas laborales, "doble carga" entre mujeres; relación con la propia salud mental: reconocimiento de afectación en salud mental, estrés asociado a cambio e incertidumbre, percepción de sobrecarga laboral, sentimientos de culpa o responsabilidad por contagio a familiares; y creencias y valores sobre la pandemia y sus efectos: aceptación de afectación psíquica de trabajadores de la salud, cultura organizacional como elemento relevante en postergación de propia salud mental, incredulidad inicial ante efectos de la pandemia, similitudes con periodos de conmoción social previos, igualdad entre personas respecto a vulnerabilidad frente a enfermedad. Conclusiones Cinco elementos surgen como potenciales áreas de intervención: perspectiva de género, exposición previa a experiencias de crisis, espacios de autocuidado, apoyo de pares y respuesta institucional. La perspectiva de cuidados es útil para estudiar la relación entre algunos factores estresantes y la salud mental de los trabajadores de salud en el contexto de pandemia.

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of healthcare workers. Studying the care perspective is essential to understanding the causes of specific mental health findings and proposing strategies to address them. Methods Cross-sectional study with a thematic analytical approach, derived from the international initiative "The Health Care Workers Study" (HEROES), conducted among healthcare workers in Chile during the second semester of 2022 and the first of 2023 through semi-structured interviews and inductive coding. Results A narrative synthesis of 35 interviews in four themes: care at work: the presence of changes in work tasks, concern about becoming infected, collective "mystique", stigma due to being a healthcare worker, conflicts with patients; care at home: multiple ways of arranging household tasks, the relevance of living with others, interrelation with work dynamics, "double burden" among women; relationship with one's own mental health: recognition of mental health impact, the stress associated with change and uncertainty, perception of work overload, feelings of guilt or responsibility for infecting family members; and beliefs and values about the pandemic and its effects: acceptance of psychological impact on healthcare workers, organizational culture as a relevant element in postponing one's own mental health, initial disbelief in the effects of the pandemic, similarities with previous periods of social upheaval, and equality among people in terms of vulnerability to the disease. Conclusions Five elements emerge as potential areas for intervention: gender perspective, previous exposure to crisis experiences, self-care spaces, peer support, and institutional response. The care perspective helps study the relationship between some stressors and healthcare workers' mental health in the context of a pandemic.

The Impacts of COVID-19 Restrictions on Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY): Heterogeneous effects and post-pandemic recovery.

OBJECTIVES: Estimate the effects of non-pharmacological interventions used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the quality of life, measured by Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). METHODS: A survey on 1,506 heads of households from Chile in May of 2022. Respondents were asked basic socioeconomic questions and a version of the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire that was used to calculate the evolution of HRQoLs. Comparisons of means in HRQoLs measures before the pandemic, at the peak of restrictions, and at the moment of the survey were performed. RESULTS: The average HRQoL of the population before the pandemic was similar to other countries in the region (0.96). At the peak of restrictions (June 2020-August 2021), the average HRQoL decreased to 0.87 (-9%). At the time of survey (May 2022), the average HQRoL was 0.91 (4%). Assuming the recovery trend continued, pre-pandemic HRQoLs would be reached by January 2024. Altogether, the pandemic would have reduced QALYs by 0.2 in average. The effect is larger and the recovery slower among women. Our estimates imply that the restrictions to manage the pandemic came at a cost of 2.4 months of life years for the average (surviving) person, 1.8 months for men and 3.4 for women. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that COVID-19 had worse effects on life quality than previously thought. These effects are more significant among women than among men. Efforts to improve life quality and speed up its recovery could have large positive consequences for the population.

Adapting a quality of life scale for children and young people with Down syndrome in Chile.

In Chile, there are no validated instruments for the evaluation of quality of life (QoL) of people with Down syndrome (DS). To analyze construct validity and reliability of the KidsLife-Down scale in Chile to measure QoL in people with DS aged from 4 to 21 years. Families of boys, girls, and young people with DS between 4 and 21 years were invited to participate. The scale was answered by relatives or caregivers. To assess the internal consistency, reliability tests were performed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The scale was answered by 531 relatives or caregivers. Cronbach's coefficient was greater than 0.7 in all the items. The confirmatory factor analysis of the scale allowed its validation for clinical use in the Chilean population. "Kids Life Down-Chile" scale has adequate psychometric properties to be used in clinical practice and to help us improve QoL with better support strategies.

COVID-19 Disruption To Routine Health Care Services: How 8 Latin American And Caribbean Countries Responded.

Latin America and the Caribbean was one of the regions hardest hit globally by SARS-CoV-2. This qualitative exploratory study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the delivery of routine health services from the perspective of health care system decision makers and managers. Between May and December 2022, we conducted forty-two semistructured interviews with decision makers from ministries of health and health care managers with responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. On the basis of these interviews, we identified themes in three domains: impacts on the provision of routine health services, including postponed and forgone primary care and hospital services; barriers to maintaining routine health services due to preexisting structural health care system weaknesses and difficulties attributed to the pandemic; and innovative strategies to sustain and recover services such as public-private financing and coordination, telemedicine, and new roles for primary care. In the short term, policy efforts should focus on recovering postponed services, including those for noncommunicable diseases. Medium- and long-term health care system reforms should strengthen primary care and address structural issues, such as fragmentation, to promote more resilient health care systems.

Risk factors associated with higher scores in internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Chilean preschoolers.

Early detection of behavioral disorders in children is necessary for intervention. Available data show a high prevalence of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders in Chile (22.5%), but behavioral problems in younger children have not been evaluated. This work assesses behavioral disorders in preschoolers and their association with sociodemographic variables of the family and the child. The data was collected during the impact assessment of the Biopsychosocial Development Support Program "Chile Crece Contigo", using a multistage and representative random sample of 1377 preschoolers, aged between 30 and 48 months, who attended public health services. Homes were visited to apply a questionnaire and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL, 1.5-5 years). Results: Multivariable regression model for total raw scores shows that child's age, the number of chronic diseases in the child, and history of exposure to mother's alcohol consumption in pregnancy, remain significant when adjusted for all variables included (R2 of 17.8% and η2 of .19 (95% CI: .14-.22)). In externalizing and internalizing explanatory models, child's chronic diseases and a higher score of authoritarian beliefs about parenting show the two largest effect sizes. These results add to the evidence of urgent problems in preschool mental health.

La temprana detección de trastornos de comportamiento en los niños es necesaria para la intervención. La información disponible muestra una alta prevalencia de trastornos siquiátricos de niños y adolescentes en Chile (22.5%), pero no se han evaluado los problemas de comportamiento en niños más pequeños. Este trabajo evalúa trastornos de comportamiento en niños de edad prescolar y su asociación con variables sociodemográficas de la familia y del niño. La información se recogió durante la evaluación del impacto del Programa de Apoyo al Desarrollo Biosicosocial "Chile Crece Contigo," usando un grupo muestra de multiniveles representativo de 1,377 niños prescolares, de entre 30 y 48 meses de edad, quienes recibían servicios de salud pública. Se visitaron las casas para dar un cuestionario y la Lista de Comprobación del Comportamiento del Niño (CGCL, 1.5-5 años). Resultados: El modelo de regresión de variables múltiples para el total de la puntuación en bruto muestra que la edad del niño, el número de enfermedades crónicas en el niño, así como el historial de exposición al consumo de alcohol por parte de la madre durante el embarazo permanecen siendo significativos cuando se les ajusta para todas las variables incluidas (R2 de 17.8% y η2 de 0.19 (95% CI 0.14 a 0.22)). En los modelos explicativos de externalización e internalización, las enfermedades crónicas del niño y un más alto puntaje de creencias autoritarias acerca de la crianza demuestran ser las dos con la magnitud de efectos más extensa. Estos resultados contribuyen aun más a la evidencia sobre los problemas urgentes en la salud mental prescolar.

La détection précoce de troubles du comportement chez les enfants est nécessaire afin d'intervenir. Les données disponibles font état d'une forte prévalence de troubles psychiatrique de l'enfant et de l'adolescent au Chili (22,5%) mais les problèmes de comportement chez les plus jeunes enfants ne sont pas évalués. Ce travail évalue les troubles du comportement chez des enfants d'âge préscolaire et leur lien aux variables sociodémographiques de la famille et de l'enfant. Les données ont été recueillies durant l'évaluation de l'impact du programme de Soutien au Développement Biopsychosocial « Chile Crece Contigo ¼, en utilisant un échantillon aléatoire à plusieurs degrés et représentatif de 1 377 enfants d'âge préscolaire, âgés de 30 à 48 mois, qui participaient à des services de santé publique. Les domiciles ont été visités pour appliquer un questionnaire et la Checklist de Comportement de l'Enfant (CBCL, 1,5-5 ans). Résultats: Le modèle de régression multivariable pour les scores bruts totaux montre que l'âge de l'enfant, le nombre de maladies chroniques chez l'enfant et le passé d'exposition à la consommation d'alcool de la mère durant la grossesse restent importants après l'ajustement pour toutes le variables inclues (R2 de 17,8% and η2 de 0,19 (95% CI 0.14 à 0.22)). Dans les modèles explicatifs externalisant et internalisant les maladies chroniques de l'enfant et un score élevé de croyances autoritaire sur le parentage font preuves des plus grands effets de taille. Ces résultats s'ajoutent aux preuves sur les problèmes urgents de santé mentale préscolaire.

The impact of health policies and the COVID-19 pandemic on exclusive breastfeeding in Chile during 2009-2020.

In 2011, Chile added 12 mandatory extra weeks of maternity leave (ML). In January 2015, a pay-for-performance (P4P) strategy was included in the primary healthcare system, incorporating exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) promotion actions. The COVID-19 pandemic led to healthcare access difficulties and augmented household workloads. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of a 24-week ML, the P4P strategy, and COVID-19 on EBF prevalence, at 3 and 6 months in Chile. Aggregated EBF prevalence data from public healthcare users nationwide (80% of the Chilean population) was collected by month. Interrupted time series analyses were used to quantify changes in EBF trends from 2009 to 2020. The heterogeneity of EBF changes was assessed by urban/setting and across geographic settings. We found no effect of ML on EBF; the P4P strategy increased EBF at 3 months by 3.1% and 5.7% at 6 months. COVID-19 reduced EBF at 3 months by - 4.5%. Geographical heterogeneity in the impact of the two policies and COVID-19 on EBF was identified. The null effect of ML on EBF in the public healthcare system could be explained by low access from public healthcare users to ML (20% had access to ML) and by an insufficient ML duration (five and a half months). The negative impact of COVID-19 on EBF should alert policy makers about the crisis's effect on health promotion activities.

Associations between the stringency of COVID-19 containment policies and health service disruptions in 10 countries.

BACKGROUND: Disruptions in essential health services during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported in several countries. Yet, patterns in health service disruption according to country responses remain unclear. In this paper, we investigate associations between the stringency of COVID-19 containment policies and disruptions in 31 health services in 10 low- middle- and high-income countries in 2020. METHODS: Using routine health information systems and administrative data from 10 countries (Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand) we estimated health service disruptions for the period of April to December 2020 by dividing monthly service provision at national levels by the average service provision in the 15 months pre-COVID (January 2019-March 2020). We used the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) index and multi-level linear regression analyses to assess associations between the stringency of restrictions and health service disruptions over nine months. We extended the analysis by examining associations between 11 individual containment or closure policies and health service disruptions. Models were adjusted for COVID caseload, health service category and country GDP and included robust standard errors. FINDINGS: Chronic disease care was among the most affected services. Regression analyses revealed that a 10% increase in the mean stringency index was associated with a 3.3 percentage-point (95% CI -3.9, -2.7) reduction in relative service volumes. Among individual policies, curfews, and the presence of a state of emergency, had the largest coefficients and were associated with 14.1 (95% CI -19.6, 8.7) and 10.7 (95% CI -12.7, -8.7) percentage-point lower relative service volumes, respectively. In contrast, number of COVID-19 cases in 2020 was not associated with health service disruptions in any model. CONCLUSIONS: Although containment policies were crucial in reducing COVID-19 mortality in many contexts, it is important to consider the indirect effects of these restrictions. Strategies to improve the resilience of health systems should be designed to ensure that populations can continue accessing essential health care despite the presence of containment policies during future infectious disease outbreaks.

[State of complementary and alternative medicine education in psychiatry residency programs]. / Medicina integrativa en la enseñanza de la Psiquiatría: actitudes y conocimientos respecto a la medicina complementaria y alternativa en docentes de programas de la especialidad.

BACKGROUND: The incorporation of integrative medicine as a holistic approach increased in medical education. However, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) formal teaching in psychiatry residency programs is limited. AIM: To assess the incorporation of CAM education in different Chilean psychiatry programs and to determine the knowledge and attitudes toward this issue. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online survey was sent to 80 academic staff from five psychiatry programs. Forty-nine participants answered the survey (61%). Some of the questionnaire topics were the inclusion of CAM content in the program, types of CAM included, and motivation and strategies for the CAM content incorporation in their training curriculum. RESULTS: Most respondents answered that there is no formal CAM content in their program's curriculum. The main topics to incorporate CAM in a psychiatry residency are sleep hygiene, stress management, and motivational interviewing. The lack of knowledge, time constraints, and the limited resources are major barriers to include CAM in their curriculums. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that many academic staff of Chilean psychiatry training programs are aware of the importance of having CAM content in their curriculum. However, some barriers hinder their incorporation and implementation.

Cognitive Outcomes in Congenital Hypothyroidism: Impact of Socioeconomic Status - A Case-Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Chile is one of the few high-income countries in Latin America, being a pioneer in implementing a national newborn screening (NBS) program in 1992. Currently, it covers 98% of the population, but no long-term outcomes have been described so far. The aim of this study was to report the neurocognitive outcomes of children with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) diagnosed by the NBS program in Chile between 2005 and 2012 and to identify variables associated with the outcomes. METHODS: We performed a case-control study in children with CH born in the two largest regions of the country. The Leiter-R and TEVI-R tests were administered at home to 69 children with CH and 68 matched control subjects. Other variables affecting cognition were obtained. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed for Leiter-R and TEVI-R tests, using a model for cases alone and another model for cases and controls. RESULTS: No differences in Leiter-R and TEVI-R results were observed between children with CH and the control group. Children who performed better, regardless of whether they had CH, had a higher family income and more assets. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the Chilean NBS program strategy results in children with normal language, attention, and memory development. Socioeconomic disadvantage represents a significant detriment in cognitive function.

COVID-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries.

Declines in health service use during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could have important effects on population health. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to assess the immediate effect of the pandemic on 31 health services in two low-income (Ethiopia and Haiti), six middle-income (Ghana, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa and Thailand) and high-income (Chile and South Korea) countries. Despite efforts to maintain health services, disruptions of varying magnitude and duration were found in every country, with no clear patterns by country income group or pandemic intensity. Disruptions in health services often preceded COVID-19 waves. Cancer screenings, TB screening and detection and HIV testing were most affected (26-96% declines). Total outpatient visits declined by 9-40% at national levels and remained lower than predicted by the end of 2020. Maternal health services were disrupted in approximately half of the countries, with declines ranging from 5% to 33%. Child vaccinations were disrupted for shorter periods, but we estimate that catch-up campaigns might not have reached all children missed. By contrast, provision of antiretrovirals for HIV was not affected. By the end of 2020, substantial disruptions remained in half of the countries. Preliminary data for 2021 indicate that disruptions likely persisted. Although a portion of the declines observed might result from decreased needs during lockdowns (from fewer infectious illnesses or injuries), a larger share likely reflects a shortfall of health system resilience. Countries must plan to compensate for missed healthcare during the current pandemic and invest in strategies for better health system resilience for future emergencies.

Medicina integrativa en la enseñanza de la Psiquiatría: actitudes y conocimientos respecto a la medicina complementaria y alternativa en docentes de programas de la especialidad / State of complementary and alternative medicine education in psychiatry residency programs

Background: The incorporation of integrative medicine as a holistic approach increased in medical education. However, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) formal teaching in psychiatry residency programs is limited. Aim: To assess the incorporation of CAM education in different Chilean psychiatry programs and to determine the knowledge and attitudes toward this issue. Material and Methods: An online survey was sent to 80 academic staff from five psychiatry programs. Forty-nine participants answered the survey (61%). Some of the questionnaire topics were the inclusion of CAM content in the program, types of CAM included, and motivation and strategies for the CAM content incorporation in their training curriculum. Results: Most respondents answered that there is no formal CAM content in their program's curriculum. The main topics to incorporate CAM in a psychiatry residency are sleep hygiene, stress management, and motivational interviewing. The lack of knowledge, time constraints, and the limited resources are major barriers to include CAM in their curriculums. Conclusions: Our results suggest that many academic staff of Chilean psychiatry training programs are aware of the importance of having CAM content in their curriculum. However, some barriers hinder their incorporation and implementation.

El impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 en la salud mental de los trabajadores de la salud en Chile: datos iniciales de The Health Care Workers Study / Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers

Background: Healthcare workers' mental health was affected by SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Aim: To evaluate healthcare workers' mental health and its associated factors during the pandemic in Chile. Material and Methods: An online self-reported questionnaire was designed including the Goldberg Health Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire, (PHQ-9), and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale among other questions. It was sent to 28,038 healthcare workers. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 1,934 participants, with a median age of 38 years (74% women). Seventy five percent were professionals, and 48% worked at a hospital. Fifty nine percent of respondents had a risk of having a mental health disorder, and 73% had depressive symptoms. Significant associations were found with sex, workplace, and some of the relevant experiences during the pandemic. Fifty one percent reported the need for mental health support, and 38% of them received it. Conclusions: There is a high percentage of health workers with symptoms of psychological distress, depression, and suicidal ideas. The gender approach is essential to understand the important differences found. Many health workers who required mental health care did not seek or received it.

[Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of healthcare workers]. / El impacto de la pandemia de COVID-19 en la salud mental de los trabajadores de la salud en Chile: datos iniciales de The Health Care Workers Study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers' mental health was affected by SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. AIM: To evaluate healthcare workers' mental health and its associated factors during the pandemic in Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An online self-reported questionnaire was designed including the Goldberg Health Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire, (PHQ-9), and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale among other questions. It was sent to 28,038 healthcare workers. RESULTS: The questionnaire was answered by 1,934 participants, with a median age of 38 years (74% women). Seventy five percent were professionals, and 48% worked at a hospital. Fifty nine percent of respondents had a risk of having a mental health disorder, and 73% had depressive symptoms. Significant associations were found with sex, workplace, and some of the relevant experiences during the pandemic. Fifty one percent reported the need for mental health support, and 38% of them received it. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high percentage of health workers with symptoms of psychological distress, depression, and suicidal ideas. The gender approach is essential to understand the important differences found. Many health workers who required mental health care did not seek or received it.

Dietas vegetarianas en alumnos universitarios / Vegetarian diets in first year university students

INTRODUCCIÓN: Se ha observado un aumento en la popularidad de las dietas vegetarianas, en especial en la población adolescente y adulto joven. Estas dietas se presentan como saludables y balanceadas pero las recomendaciones son controversiales en cuanto a los potenciales déficit nutricionales. OBJETIVO: Identificar la frecuencia y tipos de dieta vegetariana utilizada, su motivación y fuentes de información. PACIENTES Y MÉTODO: Estudio transversal y analítico en universitarios de primer año de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). Se realizó una encuesta vía online obteniendo información demográfica y caracterización de dietas de aquellos que se consideraban vegetarianos. Las variables fueron analizadas mediante el software IDM SPSS Statistics® y en planilla Excel® de forma cuantitativa. RESULTADOS: 152 alumnos respondieron la encuesta (15,2% del total), siendo el 49,4% de estos vegetariano. El 32,4% inició este patrón alimentario entre los 12-18 años; sus motivaciones más frecuentes fueron las medio ambientalistas (91,9%) y animalistas (72,9%). El 52,9% de los vegetarianos reciben suplementación de vitamina b 12 pero solo un 15,9% reportó presentar este déficit. El 75,7% obtiene información relacionada acerca de las dietas vegetarianas a través de medios digitales. CONCLUSIÓN: Se encontró un alto porcentaje de estudiantes vegetarianos en las encuestas contestadas, lo que hace necesario que los profesionales de salud estén capacitados en esta área para asegurar una adecuada educación nutricional, suplementación si es necesario, y seguimiento.

INTRODUCTION: There has been an increase in the popularity of vegetarian diets, especially among adolescents and young adults. These diets seem to be healthy and balanced, but the recommendations are contro versial regarding potential nutritional deficits. OBJECTIVE: To identify the frequency and types of ve getarian diet used, their motivation, and sources of information. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Cross-sec tional analytical study in freshmen students from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (PUC). Through an online survey, we collected demographic information and diet characterization of those who considered themselves as vegetarians. Variables were analyzed using IDM SPSS Statistics® soft ware and in Excel® spreadsheet in a quantitative way. RESULTS: 152 students answered the survey (15.2% of the sample) and, out of these, 49.4% were vegetarian. 32.4% started this eating pattern bet ween the ages 12 and 18 and among their most frequent motivations were environmentalists (91.9%) and animalists (72.9%). 52.9% of vegetarians take vitamin B 12 supplementation but only 15.9% reported having this deficiency. 75.7% obtain information related to vegetarian diets through digital media. CONCLUSION: In the surveys answered, we found a high percentage of vegetarian students, the refore, health professionals need to be trained in this area to assure adequate nutritional education, supplementation if necessary, and follow-up.

[Ethical guidelines for medical decision-making during COVID-19 pandemic in Chile]. / Orientaciones éticas para la toma de decisiones médicas en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 en Chile.

The catastrophic emergency experienced by many countries with the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of bioethics for decision-making, both at the public health (equitable and effective policies) and at the clinical level. At the clinical level, the issues are the fulfillment of medical care demand with adequate health care teams, infrastructure, and supplies, and to cover critical care demands that surpass the available resources. Therefore, ethically correct approaches are required for the allocation of life sustaining resources. There are recommendations for the allocating life support during disasters based on multiple considerations, including ethical ones. However, the ethical criteria of existing guidelines are variable. Ethical principles usually considered are saving the greatest number of lives, saving the greatest number of years of life and the principle of the life cycle or the goal to give each individual equal opportunity to live through the various phases of life. However, the centrality of the human being and the search for the common good should be considered. Knowledge of public perspectives and moral benchmarks on these issues is essential. A successful assignment effort will require everyone's trust and cooperation. Decision making should be planned and discussed in advance, since in-depth deliberation will be extremely complex during the disaster. Our goal is to help the health care teams to wisely allocate resources in shortage periods.

2018 Chilean Physical Activity Report Card for Children and Adolescents: Full Report and International Comparisons.

BACKGROUND: The study summarizes the findings of the 2018 Chilean Report Card (RC) on Physical Activity (PA) for Children and Adolescents and compares the results with the first Chilean RC and with other countries from the Global Matrix 3.0. METHODS: A Research Work Group using a standardized methodology from the Global Matrix 3.0 awarded grades for 13 PA-related indicators based on the percentage of compliance for defined benchmarks. Different public data sets, government reports, and papers informed the indicators. RESULTS: The grades assigned were for (1) "behaviors that contribute to overall PA levels": overall PA, D-; organized sport participation, D-; active play, INC; and active transportation, F; (2) "factors associated with cardiometabolic risk": sedentary behavior, C-; overweight and obesity, F; fitness, D; sleep, INC; and (3) "factors that influence PA": family and peers, F; school, D; inclusion, INC; community and built environment, B; government strategies and investments, B-. CONCLUSIONS: Chile's grades remained low compared with the first RC. On the positive side, Chile is advancing in environmental and policy aspects. Our findings indicate that the implementation of new strategies should be developed through collaboration between different sectors to maximize effective investments for increasing PA and decreasing sedentary time among children and adolescents in Chile.

Orientaciones éticas para la toma de decisiones médicas en el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 en Chile / Ethical guidelines for medical decision-making during COVID-19 pandemic in Chile

The catastrophic emergency experienced by many countries with the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of bioethics for decision-making, both at the public health (equitable and effective policies) and at the clinical level. At the clinical level, the issues are the fulfillment of medical care demand with adequate health care teams, infrastructure, and supplies, and to cover critical care demands that surpass the available resources. Therefore, ethically correct approaches are required for the allocation of life sustaining resources. There are recommendations for the allocating life support during disasters based on multiple considerations, including ethical ones. However, the ethical criteria of existing guidelines are variable. Ethical principles usually considered are saving the greatest number of lives, saving the greatest number of years of life and the principle of the life cycle or the goal to give each individual equal opportunity to live through the various phases of life. However, the centrality of the human being and the search for the common good should be considered. Knowledge of public perspectives and moral benchmarks on these issues is essential. A successful assignment effort will require everyone's trust and cooperation. Decision making should be planned and discussed in advance, since in-depth deliberation will be extremely complex during the disaster. Our goal is to help the health care teams to wisely allocate resources in shortage periods.