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The current article examined stoma self-care and health-related quality of life in patients with drainage enterostomy, described clinical and sociodemographic variables and analyzed the relationship between all of them. Trained interviewers collected data using a standardized form that queried sociodemographic and clinical variables. In addition, Self-Care (SC) was measured through a specific questionnaire for Ostomized Patients (CAESPO) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) through the Stoma Quality of Life questionnaire (S-QoL), which are not included in the electronic medical record. This was a multicenter, cross sectional study conducted in four hospitals of the province of Castellon (Spain), where 139 participants were studied. As novel findings, it was found that the level of SC of the stoma was high and was positively correlated with health-related quality of life. In relation to SC and sociodemographic variables studied in the research, women, married patients and active workers presented significantly higher scores than the rest. In relation to the clinical variables, we highlight the highest scores of the autonomous patients in the care of their stoma and those who used irrigations regularly. The lowest scores were the patients with complications in their stoma. We can highlight the validity and reliability of the CAESPO scale for biomedical and social research, and the importance of skills related to self-care of ostomy patients for a good level of HRQoL.

The aim of this research was to analyze how the need for psychological support of health workers (HCWs) influenced the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes towards their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and to predict the need of psychological assistance. A descriptive transversal study was conducted based on a self-administered questionnaire distributed to health professionals working in the Canary Islands, Spain. The data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-squared test and the linear trend test. The correlation test between ordinal and frequency variables was applied using Kendall’s Tau B. Multiple logistic regression was used to predict dichotomous variables. The sample included 783 health professionals: 17.8% (n = 139) of them needed psychological or psychiatric support. Being redeployed to other services influenced the predisposition to request psychological help, and HCWs who required psychological support had more negative attitudes and perceptions towards their work. After five waves of COVID-19, these HCWs reported to be physically, psychologically and emotionally exhausted or even “burned out”; they did not feel supported by their institutions. The commitment of health personnel to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic decreased after the five waves, especially among professionals who required psychological support.

The admission to an intensive care unit can result in a significant burden of emotional distress in the family. This study analyzes the psychological distress of 89 relatives of intensive care unit patients and the potential risk/protective factors for such distress. Families show high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Regarding risk factors, having steady partner, being a woman, and being a mother are associated with increased risk of anxiety, depression, and stress. Contrarily, being younger and having higher educational level are associated with reduced anxiety and stress. Influencing these trends could change positively the suffering course experienced by relatives and intensive care unit patients indirectly.