O'Callaghan, Daniel and Lambert, Sharon (2022) The impact of COVID-19 on health care professionals who are exposed to drug-related deaths while supporting clients experiencing addiction. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 138, p. 108720. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108720.
External website: https://www.journalofsubstanceabusetreatment.com/a...
Highlights
• Staff exhibit feelings of anxiety amid potential increased client mortality.
• COVID-19 increased helplessness and frustration among staff in addiction support.
• Reduced low-threshold services may have implications for client mortality rates.
• Professional relationships with clients have been strained by COVID-19.
• COVID-19 has intensified self-questioning in the event of a service user death.
Conclusion: This paper highlights some areas of concern to address for future service delivery and presents opportunities to future-proof services as the world moves toward hybrid models of working. The inflexibility of service provision during the pandemic and the digital divide due to public health measures pushed marginalized groups further into the margins, with significant implications for practitioner occupational well-being due to feelings of anxiety, powerlessness, and concern for mortality of clients. This study collects a broad scope of experiences across disciplines in health care and demonstrates how professionals navigated unprecedented circumstances.
G Health and disease > Disease by cause (Aetiology) > Communicable / infectious disease > Viral disease / infection > Coronavirus (COVID-19)
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Treatment and maintenance > Treatment factors
J Health care, prevention, harm reduction and treatment > Health care delivery
P Demography, epidemiology, and history > Population dynamics > Substance related mortality / death
T Demographic characteristics > Substance or health care worker / provider
T Demographic characteristics > Doctor / physician
T Demographic characteristics > Nurse / Midwife
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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