Understanding the role of COVID-19–related workplace stress and institutional betrayal on mental health in nurses: Some heroes wear scrubs

This study examined the association of three specific COVID-19–related workplace stressors (percentage of nursing work with COVID-positive [COVID+] patients, number of COVID-19–related patient deaths witnessed, and living separately from family for safety) and their associations with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among 391 nurses (93.6% White, 93.4% utilize she/her pronouns). Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey. Institutional betrayal (i.e., the perception that an institution failed to protect a member who depends on and trusts it) was examined as a moderator of these associations. Although institutional betrayal was not a significant moderator in the three individual models, it held small-to-medium–sized positive main effects with PTSS and symptoms of GAD and MDD in both the individual and combined models. In the individual models, the percentage of nursing work with COVID+ patients was significantly positively associated with all three mental health conditions, f² = .019–.195, whereas it only showed a significant effect with PTSS in the combined model, f² = .138. Living separately from family was significantly positively associated with PTSS and MDD symptoms in both the individual, f² = .037 and .015, respectively, and combined models, f² = .025 and .013, respectively. Number of patient deaths held a significant positive association with PTSS alone, f² = .022, in the individual model only. The findings are discussed in light of ways in which health care settings can better support and prioritize mental health among nursing staff.     

A Neuropsychological Perspective on Abstract Word Representation: From Theory to Treatment of Acquired Language Disorders

Natural languages are rife with words that describe feelings, introspective states, and social constructs (e.g., liberty, persuasion) that cannot be directly observed through the senses. Effective communication demands linguistic competence with such abstract words. In clinical neurological settings, abstract words are especially vulnerable to the effects of stroke and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. A parallel literature in cognitive neuroscience suggests that abstract and concrete words are at least partially neuroanatomically dissociable. Much remains to be learned about the nature of lexical-semantic deficits of abstract words and how best to promote their recovery. Here, we review contemporary theoretical approaches to abstract-concrete word representation with an aim toward contextualizing patient-based dissociations for abstract words. We then describe a burgeoning treatment approach for targeting abstract words and suggest a number of potential strategies for future interventions. We argue that a deeper understanding of is essential for informing language rehabilitation.