International journal of environmental research and public health
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Aug 2021
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout in Primary Care Physicians in Catalonia.
Recent demands to raise the clinical quality, improve the patient experience, and decrease costs have progressively increased burnout among primary care physicians. This overstretched situation has been greatly aggravated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study is to analyse the prevalence of burnout among primary care physicians and to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on burnout. ⋯ Burnout is endemic among primary care physicians. It has been associated with lower patient satisfaction, reduced health outcomes, and increased costs. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed burnout in primary care professionals to the edge.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Aug 2021
Migrants and Service Providers' Perspectives of Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in South Australia: A Case of African Migrants with a Refugee Background in South Australia.
International mobility has increased steadily in recent times, bringing along a myriad of health, social and health system challenges to migrants themselves and the host nations. Mental health issues have been identified as a significant problem among migrants, with poor accessibility and underutilisation of the available mental health services (MHSs) repeatedly reported, including in Australia. Using a qualitative inquiry and one-on-one in-depth interviews, this study explored perspectives of African migrants and service providers on barriers to accessing MHSs among African migrants in South Australia. ⋯ The findings provide an insight into the experiences of African migrants of service provision to them and offer suggestions on how to improve these migrants' mental health outcomes in Australia. Overcoming barriers to accessing mental health services would need a wide range of strategies including education on mental health, recognising variations in cultures for effective service provision, and addressing mental health stigma and discrimination which strongly deter service access by these migrants. These strategies will facilitate help-seeking behaviours as well as effective provision of culturally safe MHSs and improvement in access to MHSs among African migrants.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Jul 2021
ReviewPredictors of Vaccine Hesitancy: Implications for COVID-19 Public Health Messaging.
Successful immunization programs require strategic communication to increase confidence among individuals who are vaccine-hesitant. This paper reviews research on determinants of vaccine hesitancy with the objective of informing public health responses to COVID-19. ⋯ Meeting target immunization rates will require robust public health campaigns that speak to individuals who are vaccine-hesitant in their attitudes and behaviours. Based on the assortment of demographic and individual difference factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, public health communications must pursue a range of strategies to increase public confidence in available COVID-19 vaccines.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Jul 2021
Projecting the Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Variants and the Vaccination Program on the Fourth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea.
Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are currently administered in South Korea; however, vaccine supply is limited. Considering constraints in vaccine supply and the emergence of variant strains, we evaluated the impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination program in reducing incidence, ICU hospitalization, and deaths in South Korea. We developed an age-structured model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission parameterized with Korean demographics and age-specific COVID-19 outcomes. ⋯ In the presence of the Delta variant, vaccination is expected to reduce the overall attack rate to 11.9% from 26.9%. Our results indicate that the impact of vaccination can be substantially affected by the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Furthermore, herd immunity is unlikely to be achieved with the potential emergence of the Delta variant, inconsistent with the blueprint of the South Korean government.
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Int J Environ Res Public Health · Jul 2021
ReviewAthletic Identity in Youth Athletes: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
Athletic identity (AI), the degree of personal connection to sport, is well-described in adult research; however, this social trait has been less studied in younger age groups. This systematic review describes epidemiological characteristics of AI in youth athletes. PubMed, Embase and PsycInfo were searched to identify AI studies involving quantitative athlete identity outcomes and cohorts 22 years and younger. ⋯ Mental health-focused studies revealed higher AI levels protect against burnout, but in injured athletes, increased depression risk. Transitioning to a higher level of play during adolescence can correlate with stronger senses of AI. Further research should explore the concept of athletic identity saliency as one moves through an athletic career or training program and how thoughts of perceived success, professional progression, recruitment prospect or injury affect levels of athletic identity.