Joint Talk

Prolonged Grief, Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Post-Traumatic Growth in Adults with COVID-19 Related Loss Experience: Melis Gun Ertan

The sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one due to death is considered a traumatic event that can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that emerged in 2019, many people lost loved ones unexpectedly and under challenging conditions. COVID-related deaths have been associated with higher rates of complex grief and PTSD than natural deaths because of how people die and the changes in the rituals applied afterwards. This long and ongoing traumatic period of the pandemic was characterised by several risk factors, such as decreasing social support capacity for survivors, changes in funeral arrangements, isolation at the intensive care unit, blocking physical contact during the illness, and difficulty in saying goodbye. We need to understand how these factors are associated with COVID-related PTSD, PGD and post-traumatic growth and the factors that distinguish them. For this purpose, it is planned to conduct quantitative and qualitative studies based on cognitive models to determine the factors affecting positive and negative outcomes and to test a mobile-based intervention.

The role of intimacy and self-compassion for anxiety symptoms among healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom and China through a cultural lens: Fan Li

Anxiety symptoms in healthcare professionals (HCPs), such as doctors and nurses, are a crucial issue, especially since the pandemic. HCPs suffer from anxiety symptoms which can negatively impact on professional performance and health of HCPs and lead to patient safety issues. Particularly in the wider context of COVID-19, elevated levels of anxiety have been found in both Chinese and UK healthcare professionals.  Self-compassion may be one of the protective factors as higher self-compassion is associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety. Another potential factor is intimacy satisfaction which is defined as the extent to which a spouse believes their partner meets their needs and desires.  Both the role of self-compassion and intimacy satisfaction and how they explain anxiety symptoms could be different between UK and Chinese healthcare professionals. Thus, cultural differences are increasingly acknowledged to be important for understanding mental health and developing effective interventions.