Psychosocial working conditions and mental health among medical assistants in Germany: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Medical assistants (MA) constitute one of the largest professions in outpatient health care in Germany. The psychosocial working conditions of health care staff are generally believed to be challenging and to thereby increase the risk of poor mental health. A review of MA's psychosocial working conditions and mental health is lacking, however. We aimed to systematically identify and summarize existing research on psychosocial working conditions and mental health of MA by addressing (1) Which methods, concepts, and instruments have been used to capture the psychosocial working conditions and mental health among MA in Germany? (2) What findings are available? and (3) What are the research gaps? METHODS: We systematically searched Medline, Scopus, CCMed and Google Scholar. Using the Population Concept Context (PCC)-framework, we applied the following eligibility criteria: (a) Language: English or German, (b) publication between 2002-2022, (c) original study, (d) study population: mainly MA (i.e., ≥ 50% of the study population), (e) concept: psychosocial working conditions and/or mental health, and (f) context: Germany. Two reviewers extracted data independently, results were compared for accuracy and completeness. RESULTS: Eight hundred twenty-seven sources were identified. We included 30 publications (19 quantitative, 10 qualitative, and one mixed methods study). Quantitative studies consistently reported high job satisfaction among MA. Quantitative and mixed methods studies frequently reported aspects related to job control as favorable working conditions, and aspects related to job rewards as moderate to unfavorable. Qualitative studies reported low job control in specific work areas, high demands in terms of workload, time pressure and job intensity, and a desire for greater recognition. Social interactions seemed to be important resources for MA. Few studies (n = 8) captured mental health, these reported inconspicuous mean values but high prevalences of anxiety, burnout, depression, and stress among MA. Studies suggested poorer psychosocial working conditions and mental health among MA during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative studies tend to suggest more favorable psychosocial working conditions among MA than qualitative studies. We suggest mixed methods to reconcile this alleged inconsistency. Future research should examine discrepancies between job satisfaction and unfavorable working conditions and if psychosocial working conditions and mental health remain changed after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nursing and allied health workforce in Australian public rheumatology departments is inadequate: a cross-sectional observational study.

Rheumatological conditions are complex and impact many facets of daily life. Management of people with rheumatological conditions can be optimised through multidisciplinary care. However, the current access to nursing and allied health professionals in Australia is unknown. A cross-sectional study of nursing and allied health professionals in Australian public rheumatology departments for adult and paediatric services was conducted. The heads of Australian public rheumatology departments were invited to report the health professionals working within their departments, referral pathways, and barriers to greater multidisciplinary care. A total of 27/39 (69.2%) of the hospitals responded. The most common health professionals within departments were nurses (n = 23; 85.2%) and physiotherapists (n = 10; 37.0%), followed by pharmacists (n = 5; 18.5%), psychologists (n = 4; 14.8%), and occupational therapists (n = 4; 14.8%). No podiatrists were employed within departments. Referral pathways were most common for physiotherapy (n = 20; 74.1%), followed by occupational therapy (n = 15; 55.5%), podiatry (n = 13; 48.1%), and psychology (n = 6; 22%). The mean full-time equivalent of nursing and allied health professionals per 100,000 population in Australia was 0.29. Funding was identified as the most common barrier. In Australia, publicly funded multidisciplinary care from nurses and allied health professionals in rheumatology departments is approximately 1.5 days per week on average. This level of multidisciplinary care is unlikely to meet the needs of rheumatology patients. Research is needed to determine the minimum staffing requirements of nursing and allied health professionals to provide optimal care.

Swedish interpreters' views and experiences of interpreting child forensic interviews.

BACKGROUND: Child forensic interviewers have expressed concerns regarding the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews. However, research on interpreters' perspectives on these interviews is scarce and specialized education for interpreters limited. OBJECTIVE: This mixed-methods study aimed to explore interpreters' experiences and knowledge of interpreting child forensic interviews. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 130 Swedish interpreters with different authorization statuses responded to a digital survey about interpreting child forensic interviews. METHODS: Qualitative data were analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis and content analysis, and quantitative data with descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Interpreters reported challenges concerning children's limited language skills, the emotional effects of interpreting child forensic interviews, the limited access to information before interviews, and the complex balance between following interpreters' ethical guidelines and adjusting for situational demands. Regarding practical conditions, interpreters preferred interpreting in person instead of via telephone. Interpreters' general knowledge of child forensic interviewing did not differ between interpreters with different authorization statuses (F(2,108) = 0.80, ω2 = -0.002, p = .45), except from views on using leading questions (H(2) = 17.34, η2 = 0.14, p < .001) and whether interpreters may clarify terms to child interviewees (H(2) = 8.02, η2 = 0.06, p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: It is crucial to consider interpreters' perspectives when striving to improve the quality of interpreter-mediated child forensic interviews. Interpreters should be provided sufficient information to prepare and assess their suitability. Interpreters should also be offered education in interpreting child forensic interviews and given appropriate service structures to support their wellbeing.

Trabalho multiprofissional e integralidade do cuidado na percepção dos profissionais do CAPS / Trabajo multiprofesional y atención integral en la percepción de profesionales de CAPS / Multiprofessional work and comprehensive care in the perception of CAPS professionals

RESUMO Este estudo teve como objetivo verificar a percepção dos profissionais dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) de São Paulo/SP da importância do trabalho multiprofissional em saúde mental para os usuários dos serviços e as relações possíveis com a integralidade do cuidado. Com as reformas sanitária e psiquiátrica, a integralidade passou a ser um princípio fundamental das ações de saúde, conceito que vem sendo entendido a partir de diversas influências. Foram entrevistados 27 profissionais de nível superior e utilizado o referencial metodológico da análise de conteúdo. Os participantes não apresentaram clareza sobre a noção de integralidade do cuidado, valorizando a integralidade e o trabalho de integração disciplinar de forma concomitante a ações tutelares e não favorecedoras de autonomia. Tal fato se deve ao pouco conhecimento teórico do tema sobre a integralidade e a prática ainda persistente centrada na falta de autonomia e ausência de contratualidade na relação profissional e usuário. A efetivação da integralidade do cuidado é aspecto fundamental na compreensão dos usuários de saúde mental como sujeitos de direitos, importante desafio à reforma psiquiátrica brasileira.

RESUMEN Este estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar la percepción de los profesionales de los Centros de Atención Psicosocial (CAPS) en São Paulo / SP de la importancia del trabajo multiprofesional en Salud Mental para los usuarios del servicio y las posibles relaciones con la atención integral. Con las reformas de salud y psiquiátricas, la integralidad se ha convertido en un principio fundamental de las acciones de salud, un concepto que se ha entendido desde diferentes influencias. Veintisiete profesionales de la educación superior fueron entrevistados y se utilizó el marco metodológico del Análisis de Contenido. Los participantes no tenían claro el concepto de atención integral, valorando el trabajo integral y de integración disciplinaria al mismo tiempo que las acciones tutelares que no favorecen la autonomía. Este hecho se debe a la falta de conocimiento teórico sobre el tema de la exhaustividad y la práctica aún persistente centrada en la falta de autonomía y la ausencia de contractualidad en la relación profesional y de usuario. La efectividad de la atención integral es un aspecto fundamental en la comprensión de los usuarios de salud mental como sujetos de derechos, un desafío importante para la reforma psiquiátrica brasileña.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify professionals' perceptions of Psychosocial Care Centers (Centros de Atenção Psicossocial - CAPS) in São Paulo / SP regarding the importance of multiprofessional work in Mental Health for service users and the possible relationships with comprehensive care. The Health and Psychiatric Reforms made comprehensiveness a fundamental principle of health actions, a concept understood through various influences. Twenty-seven higher education professionals were interviewed, and the Content Analysis methodological framework was used. The participants were unclear about integrality care, valuing comprehensiveness and disciplinary integration work concomitantly to tutelage actions that do not favor autonomy. This fact is due to the lack of theoretical knowledge on comprehensiveness issues and the still persistent practice centered on the absence of autonomy and contractuality in the professional-user relationship. The effectiveness of comprehensive care is fundamental to understanding Mental Health users as subjects of rights, an important challenge for Brazilian Psychiatric Reform.

Self-compassion and psychological well-being of radiographers at work.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess how self-compassion affects the psychological well-being of radiographers at work. METHODS: An online survey was sent to radiology and radiotherapy departments in Rhône-Alpes, a region of France (from October 2021 to February 2022). The study is mixed: quantitative data, with closed questions and two validated scales, and qualitative data, with open questions aimed at assessing perceptions among radiologists as regards self-compassion. RESULTS: A total of 253 radiographers (mean age 32.9 years), took part in this survey. Radiographers reported a poor level of well-being and a moderate level of self-compassion. We found a link between well-being at work and self-compassion. Gender, age, number of years of experience and the desire to receive training on well-being appear to have an impact on the level of self-compassion. The perception of self-compassion by radiologists is essentially positive. CONCLUSION: Particular attention should be paid to radiologists who are female, young, and with only a few years of experience. Self-compassion is a protective factor for radiologists and may help them take care of themselves to continue caring for others. Training related to self-compassion should be promoted in medical imaging departments.

Supporting the needs of pre- and primary school children in rural Victoria: Multidisciplinary views and experiences.

PROBLEM: Predicted effects on children from the COVID-19 pandemic include poorer mental health and increased behavioural and developmental concerns. Rural children are at higher risk due to socio-economic factors, isolation and reduced access to services. Investigation by health services into the physical, social and emotional needs of children in rural areas is critical to inform local health promotion planning, service delivery priorities and workforce capacity building. SETTING: Located in a Modified Monash Model category 5, our northern Victorian health service undertook a child-focused needs assessment in order to be strategically responsive to community issues. KEY MEASURES: The project utilised a quantitative community profiling approach and qualitative interviews with a purposive sample (n = 17) of multidisciplinary professionals. STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE: Three main themes emerged: (1) Perpetual navigation of rural access limitations highlighted professionals' exhaustion in working in environments with ongoing unmet needs. (2) Cycles of disadvantage and early intervention gaps identified flow-on negative effects, with concerning trends in poorer child outcomes. (3) Solutions through collaboration grouped ideas to improve support for children. EFFECTS OF CHANGE: Community-level enablement strategies could increase contact with allied health professionals for rural children and reduce reliance on individualised treatment approaches. LESSONS LEARNT: One collaborative action is to pilot and evaluate allied health student placement models to deliver group programs for rural children.

Impacts of a dispersed unit structure on allied health professionals' experiences in an Australian public hospital setting.

BACKGROUND: The limited published evidence relating to the experiences and outcomes of a unit dispersement model is generally more negative than positive from an allied health perspective. PURPOSE: The perceptions of allied health managers and leaders after the transition to a unit dispersement structure were explored in this study. The objectives were to review the impacts of this type of structure and the factors for health care organizations to consider before incorporating allied health professions into a clinical matrix structure. METHODOLOGY: A qualitative study was conducted in a large regional multisite public hospital and health service located in Australia. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 30 allied health frontline managers and leaders. RESULTS: Four negative impacts on the work experience of allied health professionals in a dispersement structure were identified through data analysis as: a negative impact on service delivery to patients, a detrimental effect on professional identity, reduced ability of allied health managers and leaders to do their role effectively, and a negative impact on morale, culture, and emotional well-being. Several key factors for public hospitals to consider before embarking on an organizational structure that includes allied health professionals were identified. CONCLUSION: The impacts of the unit dispersement structure on allied health professionals working within the organization under study were generally negative and did not deliver on the desired objectives. The findings reinforce the unique requirements pertaining to allied health professionals for optimal functioning. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The learnings have implications for administrators in health care organizations embarking on organizational change that incorporates allied health professions in certain settings. The findings recommend that health care organizations consider several important factors before they introduce any structural change that would affect the delivery of allied health services.

Knowledge and utilisation of information and communication technology among radiographers in a lower-middle-income country.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the current ICT-related experience is essential for planning and effectively implementing quality healthcare services. Hence, this study aims to assess the knowledge and utilisation of ICT among radiographers in Sri Lanka. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 590 practicing radiographers in Sri Lanka. Data was collected through a postal survey using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: socio-demographic characteristics, existing knowledge of ICT, and utilisation of ICT applications and facilities. RESULTS: A total of 416 radiographers returned the questionnaire giving a response rate of 70.5%. Considering the overall ICT knowledge, 24.0% of the respondents possessed good knowledge, while 54.3% and 21.6% reported having fair and poor knowledge, respectively. The knowledge of ICT was significantly associated with gender, age, level of education, duration of service, and previous ICT training experience (p < 0.05). Digital radiography and electronic patient record (EPR) systems were used by 8% and 17.8% of respondents, respectively. Inadequate ICT facilities (56.7%) were identified as the most significant challenge for radiographers to use ICT. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the respondents in this study had a fair knowledge of ICT, and this knowledge was significantly associated with certain demographic factors. Further, it was found that access to certain ICT applications, such as digital radiography and EPR systems, is limited. Hence, this study highlighted the importance of providing systematic, comprehensive and regular ICT training programmes and improving access to ICT facilities for radiographers. IMPLICATIONS OF PRACTICE: The study provides insight into the significance of improving ICT literacy among radiographers in the field. In addition, the findings may draw policymakers' attention to improving radiographers' access to the latest technologies.

The role of cognitive trauma processing in the occurrence of secondary traumatic stress symptoms in professionals working with people after traumatic experiences. / Rola poznawczego przetwarzania traumy w wystepowaniu objawów wtórnego stresu traumatycznego u profesjonalistów pracujacych z osobami po doswiadczeniach traumatycznych.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to establish the relationship between cognitive trauma processing and secondary traumatic stress (STS) in professionals working with people after traumatic experiences. METHODS: The results obtained from 500 persons representing five professional groups (therapists, paramedics, nurses, social workers and probation officers) were analyzed. The were more women (76.4%) than men (23.6%). The average age of the respondents is 44.09 years (SD = 9.85). The study used two standard measurement tools, i.e., the Secondary Traumatic Stress Inventory (STSI), and the Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale (CPOTS), allowing assessment of five remedial strategies (positive cognitive restructuring, downward comparison, resolution/acceptance, denial, regret) and a survey developed for the use of the research. RESULTS: The obtained results indicated that medical personnel, including paramedics and nurses, revealed the highest intensity of STS, and therapists - the lowest. STS was associated mainly with negative coping strategies, such as regret and denial, which play the predictive role for STS. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to provide psychological assistance to professionals working with people after traumatic experiences, especially medical staff.

Perceived human factors from the perspective of paramedics - a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND: The work environment in prehospital emergency medical care setting is dynamic and complex and includes many stressors. However, little is known about the perceived human factors from the perspective of paramedics. In this study, we investigated, from the perspective of paramedics, what are the human factors, and how are they linked to prehospital emergency medical care? METHODS: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (n = 15) with Finnish paramedics. The material was analyzed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Three main categories of human factors were identified. The first main category consisted of factors related to work which were divided into two generic categories: "Challenging organizational work environment" and "Changing external work environment." The second main category comprised factors related to paramedics themselves and were divided into three generic categories: "Issues linked to personality," "Personal experiences", and "Factors resulting from personal features." The third main category described that paramedics have difficulties in understanding and describing human factors. CONCLUSION: This study revealed numerous factors that can affect paramedics' work in the EMS setting. Increased knowledge about human factors in the EMS setting provides organizations with the opportunity to develop procedures that can support paramedics' cognitive and physical work. Human factors in different situations can be addressed to improve occupational and patient safety.

Delegation of patient related tasks to allied health assistants: a time motion study.

BACKGROUND: Allied health assistants (AHAs) are support staff who complete patient and non-patient related tasks under the delegation of an allied health professional. Delegating patient related tasks to AHAs can benefit patients and allied health professionals. However, it is unclear whether the AHA workforce is utilised optimally in the provision of patient care. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of time AHAs spend on patient related tasks during their working day and any differences across level of AHA experience, clinical setting, and profession delegating the task. METHODS: A time motion study was conducted using a self-report, task predominance work sampling method. AHAs were recruited from four publicly-funded health organisations in Victoria, Australia. AHAs worked with dietitians, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, social workers, speech pathologists, psychologists, and exercise physiologists. The primary outcome was quantity of time spent by AHAs on individual task-categories. Tasks were grouped into two main categories: patient or non-patient related activities. Data were collected from July 2020 to May 2021 using an activity capture proforma specifically designed for this study. Logistic mixed-models were used to investigate the extent to which level of experience, setting, and delegating profession were associated with time spent on patient related tasks. RESULTS: Data from 51 AHAs showed that AHAs spent more time on patient related tasks (293 min/day, 64%) than non-patient related tasks (167 min/day, 36%). Time spent in community settings had lower odds of being delegated to patient related tasks than time in the acute hospital setting (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.28 to 0.69, P < 0.001). Time delegated by exercise physiologists and dietitians was more likely to involve patient related tasks than time delegated by physiotherapists (exercise physiology: OR 3.77, 95% 1.90 to 7.70, P < 0.001; dietetics: OR 2.60, 95%CI 1.40 to 1.90, P = 0.003). Time delegated by other professions (e.g. podiatry, psychology) had lower odds of involving patient related tasks than physiotherapy (OR 0.37, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.85, P = 0.02). CONCLUSION: AHAs may be underutilised in community settings, and by podiatrists and psychologists. These areas may be targeted to understand appropriateness of task delegation to optimise AHAs' role in providing patient care.

Paramedics' experiences and educational needs when participating end-of-life care at home: A mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: Paramedics face end-of-life care patients during emergency calls and more recently through planned protocols. However, paramedics experiences and educational needs concerning preplanned end-of-life care at home remain largely unknown. AIM: To describe experiences and educational needs of the paramedics included in the end-of-life care protocol. DESIGN: A mixed method study with a questionnaire including open ended questions and numeric evaluations on a Likert scale. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The questionnaire was delivered to and answered by all the 192 paramedics working in North Karelia fire and rescue department during the time of the data collection in 2017. RESULTS: Over 80% of the paramedics agreed that the protocol helped them to take care of the patients and to improve the quality of end-of-life care. Visits to the patients were considered useful and the end-of-life care as a meaningful work by 76.5% and 62.5% of the paramedics, respectively. The paramedics expressed challenges in psychosocial aspects, communication, symptom management, and their role in end-of-life care. Encountering and communication with the families as well as managing the most common symptoms were emphasized as educational needs. Using a patient controlled analgesia device emerged as an example of practical educational aspect. CONCLUSIONS: Paramedics considered end-of-life care at home meaningful but called for more competency in supporting and encountering the families and in symptom management. Our results can be utilized when developing end-of-life care protocols and education for the paramedics. Patients' and families' views on the paramedics' participation in end-of-life care should be evaluated in the future.

Paramedics' Perceptions of Their Role in End of Life Care.

Aims Critical decisions made in the field by paramedics influence where patients die if their end of life (EOL) wishes are upheld and how appropriately health-care resources are used. The aim was to gauge perceptions as to the current and future role of paramedics in EOL care. Methods A qualitative approach collated data from two focus group interviews (group 1 n=7, group 2 n=8). Focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using Attride-Stirling's framework for thematic network analysis. Results The global theme 'Paramedics' Perceptions of Their Role in End of Life Care' emerged from five organising themes: 1. education and training; 2. current clinical practice guidelines; 3. communication; 4. environment and 5. staff support. Poor communication between those involved in patient care, lack of support from current clinical practice guidelines, limited training in managing EOL scenarios and inadequate staff supports were highlighted by participants. The clinical environment also effected how challenging practitioners found the call. Conclusion The pathway to improving EOL care must include an emphasis on improvements in practitioner education and training, enhanced communication between all those involved in a patient's care and offering non didactic practice guidelines that are practitioner driven and patient-focused. It must also include increased psychological supports for paramedics dealing with EOL patients.

Eye Donation: Awareness, Knowledge, Willingness, and Barriers among Paramedical and Allied Health Science Students at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in South India.

BACKGROUND: Visual impairments have physical, emotional, social, and economical consequences and are a crucial element influencing one's quality of life. A total of 1.285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide of which 39 million are categorised as blind. These figures are startling, given that 80 percent of known vision impairments are either treatable or preventable. Corneal transplants appear to be our best hope for resolving this problem; however, a global shortage of available donors continues to dampen efforts addressing this issue. METHODS: This two-year cross-sectional study employed a convenience sampling technique and a standardised questionnaire to survey 150 paramedical and allied health science students at a tertiary care teaching hospital and assessed the awareness, knowledge, willingness and barriers regarding eye donation. RESULTS: The study revealed a 93.3% awareness rate of the donation procedure, of which 46% attributed their awareness to media sources. However, other aspects assessed had much lower awareness rates; when the eyes are donated (53.3%), optimal time period for retrieval of tissue/organ (54%), ideal part transplanted (54%), age limit not restricting donation (67%), donation by donors using spectacles (48%), confidentiality of the donor and recipient (54%), hospital having the facility of an eye bank (63%). 49 percent of the respondents were willing to pledge themselves as eye donors, and a majority of the unwilling respondents reported that familial opposition was the reason for their hesitation. CONCLUSION: Knowledge levels appear to be below expectations, and more effort is required to ensure that knowledge is imparted to our healthcare practitioners, who will then transfer this knowledge to the population, resulting in an increase in donation rates.

Medical Assistant Psychological Safety Linked to Leader Inclusiveness in Ambulatory Care Settings.

OBJECTIVES: Studies in hospitals show that leader behaviors and power distance between healthcare professionals influence psychological safety (PS). However, little research on PS in outpatient settings exists. The main objective of this study was to explore factors that influence the PS of medical assistants (MAs) working in ambulatory care. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey consisting of items to assess PS and factors known to influence PS was distributed nationally to certified medical assistants (CMA) who obtained certification from the American Association of Medical Assistants. To evaluate relationships between variables, bivariate analyses and ordinary least squares regression were conducted on responses from those working in ambulatory care. RESULTS: From the 54,196 email addresses contacted, 7,467 individuals (13.8%) responded to one or more survey questions; of them, 4,674 reported working in ambulatory care. Similar to research involving other types of healthcare professionals, results showed that leader inclusiveness meaningfully predicted variation in PS (R2 = 0.21, p < 0.001). Power distance (as conceived in this study) was not associated with PS. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds to a growing body of literature showing that supportive leader behaviors positively impact PS. Greater attention to leadership development in health professions educational programs should be considered.

Role Identity, Dissonance, and Distress among Paramedics.

Role identity theory describes the purpose and meaning in life that comes, in part, from occupying social roles. While robustly linked to health and wellbeing, this may become unideal when an individual is unable to fulfill the perceived requirements of an especially salient role in the manner that they believe they should. Amid high rates of mental illness among public safety personnel, we interviewed a purposely selected sample of 21 paramedics from a single service in Ontario, Canada, to explore incongruence between an espoused and able-to-enact paramedic role identity. Situated in an interpretivist epistemology and using successive rounds of thematic analysis, we developed a framework for role identity dissonance wherein chronic, identity-relevant disruptive events cause emotional and psychological distress. While some participants were able to recalibrate their sense of self and understanding of the role, for others, this dissonance was irreconcilable, contributing to disability and lost time from work. In addition to contributing a novel perspective on paramedic mental health and wellbeing, our work also offers a modest contribution to the theory in using the paramedic context as an example to consider identity disruption through chronic workplace stress.

How do paramedics cope? A scoping review.

Exposure to repeated trauma is an inherent component of paramedicine. Additionally, paramedics are exposed to threats that can undermine healthy workplaces, social connectedness, and health behaviour, predisposing them to overwhelming distress and unhealthy coping, including suicidality and psychiatric disorders. This scoping review aimed to identify how paramedics cope. PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched between January 1, 2010, to April 21, 2021. Studies were included if they used any research design to identify specific coping strategies used by paramedics. Three studies met the inclusion criteria-two qualitative and one cross-sectional survey design. There was a high risk of bias across all studies. Studies were conducted in Israel, Poland, and the UK, primarily with males. Two studies only identified healthy coping strategies-self-soothing and social and professional support. Unhealthy strategies identified in the third study were limited to negative self-talk and alcohol use, with no mention of other harmful behaviours, social withdrawal, or suicidality. There is limited research describing how paramedics cope, and in particular, how female paramedics cope. Further research exploring the breadth of coping strategies used by paramedics is needed to understand the impact of the work paramedics undertake on coping and inform prevention and support activities.

Psychosocial Factors Associated with Burnout and Self-Perceived Health in Spanish Occupational Therapists.

(1) Background: There are few studies of burnout syndrome (BS) in occupational therapists (OTs), and protective factors for BS have received little attention in the scientific literature. This research aimed to estimate the prevalence of BS, characterize the associated psychosocial factors, and analyze their relationship with health in a sample of Spanish OTs. (2) Methods: A total of 127 therapists completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and other standardized questionnaires measuring: personality traits (reduced five-factor personality inventory, NEO-FFI), coping styles (Coping Strategies Questionnaire, CAE), work-family conflict (Survey Work-Home Interaction Nijmegen, SWING), professional factors (role ambiguity/clarity and modified role conflict questionnaires), and the perception of health (Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire). Several correlational and multiple regression analyses were performed to study the psychosocial predictors of burnout and its relationship with health perceptions. (3) Results: 15.8% of the professionals presented BS, with emotional exhaustion (EE; 38.7%) being the most compromised dimension. Neuroticism, role conflict, negative work-family interaction, and open emotional expression (OE) significantly predicted a higher EE. The main predictors of cynicism (CY) were being male, role conflict, and OE. Role conflict, role ambiguity and social support-seeking were significant predictors of reduced professional efficiency (PE). (4) Conclusions: A high percentage of OTs with BS suggests the need for increased awareness of the importance of this syndrome in the health community. It would be critical to consider the protective factors (i.e., emotional management, social support) that help promote OTs' well-being and health.