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Anxiety, Depression and Attention Control in Health Care Professionals

Received: 4 August 2023     Accepted: 21 August 2023     Published: 31 August 2023
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Abstract

Introduction: Attention control is crucial for healthcare professionals. Anxiety and depression have the potential to interrupt attention resulting in medical errors. The literature lacks studies about the attention control of healthcare professionals. Our study aims to determine whether attention differs among healthcare professionals and to reveal its relation to common psychiatric disorders. Materials and Methods: 170 healthcare professionals were enrolled in the study. Online surveys containing informed consent, the Attention Control Scale (ATTC), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADs), and the demographic data form were delivered to the participants by e-mail. Responses were collected online. Results: The HADs scores revealed almost 48% anxiety and 60% depression in healthcare professionals. The highest anxious and depressive group was the doctors’ group. This finding may be linked to the higher responsibility of doctors on the patients. Correlation analysis showed negative correlations between psychiatric disorders and attention regardless of the subgroups of the healthcare professionals. A multivariate regression analysis revealed a significant impact of anxiety on attentional scores, rather than depression. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression may interfere with attention control which may result in medical errors. So, these disorders in health care professionals need periodical screening to prevent attention deficits and consequent malpractice and health care quality disruption. At this point, the attention control scale is a beneficial and practical test for the assessment of the attentional status of healthcare professionals.

Published in International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences (Volume 8, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11
Page(s) 23-28
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Anxiety, Attention, Healthcare Professionals, Malpractice, Medical Error, Health Care Quality

References
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[3] Miziara ID, Miziara CSMG. Medical errors, medical negligence and defensive medicine: A narrative review. Clinics (Sao Paulo). 2022 May 28; 77: 100053.
[4] Tuers D. M. Defensive medicine in the emergency department: increasing healthcare costs without increasing quality? Nurs Adm Q. 2013; 37 (2): 160-164.
[5] Oyebode F. Clinical errors and medical negligence. Med Princ Pract. 2013; 22 (4): 323-333.
[6] Abasi I, Mohammadkhani P, Pourshahbaz A, Dolatshahi B. The Psychometric Properties of Attentional Control Scale and Its Relationship with Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: A Study on Iranian Population. Iran J Psychiatry. 2017 Apr; 12 (2): 109-117.
[7] Fajkowska, M. & Derryberry, Douglas. Psychometric properties of Attentional Control Scale: The preliminary study on a Polish sample. Polish Psychological Bulletin. 2010.
[8] Ragnar P. Ólafsson, Jakob Smári, Fríður Guðmundsdóttir, Gunnhildur Ólafsdóttir, Hrafnhildur L. Harðardóttir, Svavar M. Einarsson, Self reported attentional control with the Attentional Control Scale: Factor structure and relationship with symptoms of anxiety and depression, Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Volume 25, Issue 6, 2011, 777-782.
[9] Aydemir Ö, Güvenir T, Küey L, Kültür S. Hastane Anksiyete ve Depresyon Ölçeği Türkçe formunun geçerlilik ve güvenilirliği. Türk Psikiyatri Dergisi, 1997; 8 (4), 280-7.
[10] Kohn LT, Corrigan JM, Donaldson MS. To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Institute of Medicine, Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. Washington: National Academy Press; 2000.
[11] Carver N, Gupta V, Hipskind JE. Medical Error. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan.
[12] Hughes, Ronda G. PhD, MHS, RN; Ortiz, Eduardo MD, MPH. Medication Errors: Why they happen, and how they can be prevented. AJN, American Journal of Nursing: March 2005 - Volume 105: 14-24.
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[14] Coombes SA, Higgins T, Gamble KM, Cauraugh JH, Janelle CM. Attentional control theory: anxiety, emotion, and motor planning. J Anxiety Disord. 2009 Dec; 23 (8): 1072-9.
[15] Blankstein, K. R., Flett, G. L., Boase, P., & Toner, B. B.. Thought Anxiety and Cognitive Performance. 349 listing and endorsement measures of self-referential thinking in test anxiety. Anxiety Research. 1990; 2, 103-111.
[16] Wilson, E., & MacLeod, C. Contrasting two accounts of anxietylinked attentional bias: Selective attention to varying levels of stimulus threat intensity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology. 2003; 112, 212-218.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Guven Arslan. (2023). Anxiety, Depression and Attention Control in Health Care Professionals. International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences, 8(3), 23-28. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11

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    ACS Style

    Guven Arslan. Anxiety, Depression and Attention Control in Health Care Professionals. Int. J. Psychol. Brain Sci. 2023, 8(3), 23-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11

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    AMA Style

    Guven Arslan. Anxiety, Depression and Attention Control in Health Care Professionals. Int J Psychol Brain Sci. 2023;8(3):23-28. doi: 10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11,
      author = {Guven Arslan},
      title = {Anxiety, Depression and Attention Control in Health Care Professionals},
      journal = {International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences},
      volume = {8},
      number = {3},
      pages = {23-28},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijpbs.20230803.11},
      abstract = {Introduction: Attention control is crucial for healthcare professionals. Anxiety and depression have the potential to interrupt attention resulting in medical errors. The literature lacks studies about the attention control of healthcare professionals. Our study aims to determine whether attention differs among healthcare professionals and to reveal its relation to common psychiatric disorders. Materials and Methods: 170 healthcare professionals were enrolled in the study. Online surveys containing informed consent, the Attention Control Scale (ATTC), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADs), and the demographic data form were delivered to the participants by e-mail. Responses were collected online. Results: The HADs scores revealed almost 48% anxiety and 60% depression in healthcare professionals. The highest anxious and depressive group was the doctors’ group. This finding may be linked to the higher responsibility of doctors on the patients. Correlation analysis showed negative correlations between psychiatric disorders and attention regardless of the subgroups of the healthcare professionals. A multivariate regression analysis revealed a significant impact of anxiety on attentional scores, rather than depression. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression may interfere with attention control which may result in medical errors. So, these disorders in health care professionals need periodical screening to prevent attention deficits and consequent malpractice and health care quality disruption. At this point, the attention control scale is a beneficial and practical test for the assessment of the attentional status of healthcare professionals.},
     year = {2023}
    }
    

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    AU  - Guven Arslan
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijpbs.20230803.11
    T2  - International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences
    JF  - International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences
    JO  - International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences
    SP  - 23
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    AB  - Introduction: Attention control is crucial for healthcare professionals. Anxiety and depression have the potential to interrupt attention resulting in medical errors. The literature lacks studies about the attention control of healthcare professionals. Our study aims to determine whether attention differs among healthcare professionals and to reveal its relation to common psychiatric disorders. Materials and Methods: 170 healthcare professionals were enrolled in the study. Online surveys containing informed consent, the Attention Control Scale (ATTC), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADs), and the demographic data form were delivered to the participants by e-mail. Responses were collected online. Results: The HADs scores revealed almost 48% anxiety and 60% depression in healthcare professionals. The highest anxious and depressive group was the doctors’ group. This finding may be linked to the higher responsibility of doctors on the patients. Correlation analysis showed negative correlations between psychiatric disorders and attention regardless of the subgroups of the healthcare professionals. A multivariate regression analysis revealed a significant impact of anxiety on attentional scores, rather than depression. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression may interfere with attention control which may result in medical errors. So, these disorders in health care professionals need periodical screening to prevent attention deficits and consequent malpractice and health care quality disruption. At this point, the attention control scale is a beneficial and practical test for the assessment of the attentional status of healthcare professionals.
    VL  - 8
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Author Information
  • Department of Neurology, Acibadem Kayseri Hospital affiliated to Acibadem University and Acibadem Healthcare Institutions, Kayseri, Turkey

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