Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a strain on health systems around the world. Healthcare workers, on the front lines of the epidemic, are facing major and potentially traumatic stressful events, overwhelming their ability to cope and their resources. Objective: The objective of this article will be to show how the use of the URG-EMDR protocol in a telemental health setting has proven to be feasible and effective in the treatment of a group of healthcare professionals working in nursing homes or hospital services that were highly mobilized during the acute phase of COVID-19. Method: 17 participants, registered nurses (N ¼ 7) and licensed practical nurses (N ¼ 10), were remotely treated using the URG-EMDR protocol in a single session. The assessment focused on anxiety and depressive symptoms (HAD scale) and the level of perceived disturbance (SUD). An additional evaluation of the satisfaction with the remote psychotherapy intervention was conducted. Results: As the URG-EMDR protocol has already proven itself during emergency interventions, it is interesting to note that its remote use in the treatment of healthcare providers caring for COVID-19 patients allows for an improvement in the emotional state and a decrease in perceived disturbance, in a single session. This result is maintained 1 week after the intervention, despite the continued professional activities of the participants and the continuity of the event. Moreover, the remote therapy setting was judged satisfactory by the patients, even if it required adjustments and certain recommendations for practice. Discussion: The remote use of the URG-EMDR protocol opens up innovative perspectives for early interventions and the prevention of the development of psychological disorders in the long term following a situation of acute stress.
The objective of the present review is to provide an overview of existing research that has reported on the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and ischemic heart disease. Specific focus is given to the incidence of PTSD following myocardial infarction (MI). A systematic review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines was performed by searching four bibliographic databases: PubMed, PsychINFO, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. A total of 39 articles were included in this literature review. The results of these studies suggest that the occurrence of an acute cardiac event is likely to contribute to the development of PTSD. Not only is this type of psychiatric disorder associated with significant suffering and impaired quality of life, but it is also a predictor of an increased risk of recurrent adverse cardiovascular events and mortality. Screening, assessment, and treatment of PTSD and posttraumatic stress symptoms following a major cardiac event are critical for offsetting potential deleterious psychological and physical consequences.
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