Family support, anger and aggression in health workers during the first wave of the pandemic

Argyro Pachi; Maria Anagnostopoulou; Athanasios Antoniou; Styliani Maria Papageorgiou; Effrosyni Tsomaka; Christos Sikaras; Ioannis Ilias; Athanasios Tselebis; Argyro Pachi; Maria Anagnostopoulou; Athanasios Antoniou; Styliani Maria Papageorgiou; Effrosyni Tsomaka; Christos Sikaras; Ioannis Ilias; Athanasios Tselebis

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2023037

AIMS Public Health

2023, Volume 10, Issue 3: 524-537. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023037

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Research article

Family support, anger and aggression in health workers during the first wave of the pandemic

1.
Psychiatric Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
2.
Nursing Department, Sotiria Thoracic Diseases Hospital of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
3.
Department of Endocrinology, “Elena Venizelou” Hospital, 11521 Athens, Greece

Received: 26 March 2023 Revised: 24 May 2023 Accepted: 31 May 2023 Published: 15 June 2023

Introduction
Anger is considered as one of the basic human emotions, constituting the affective component of aggression. In the first year of the pandemic, the intense pressure on healthcare workers resulted in the deterioration of their psychosocial problems.

Objective
The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between family support, anger, and aggression.

Methods
The present study included physicians and nurses who completed an online survey of Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5), a Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ) and a Family Support Scale (FSS). Before completing the questionnaires, participants were asked to state their gender, years of work, age, and profession.

Results
Fifty-three men and 190 women participated in the study. Almost one-third of the participants had a positive score on the DAR-5 scale. Male participants displayed lower DAR-5 scores compared to women. Female participants displayed lower FSS scores compared to men, but higher scores when compared with earlier measures. Regression showed that 15.2% of the variance in BAQ scores can be explained by DAR-5 scores, with an additional 3.8% explained by FSS scores, while an additional 2.3% is explained by years of working experience. Mediation analysis highlighted the role of family support as a negative mediator in the DAR-5 and BAQ relationship.

Conclusion
During the first year of the pandemic, there was an increase in the sense of family support among female health workers. One-third of the participants displayed increased anger scores. Family support acts as a mediator by preventing anger derailing into aggression. In healthcare worker support programs, it seems necessary to entail a specific section on anger management.
- anger,
- aggression,
- family support,
- healthcare workers,
- physicians,
- nurses,
- COVID-19 pandemic
Citation: Argyro Pachi, Maria Anagnostopoulou, Athanasios Antoniou, Styliani Maria Papageorgiou, Effrosyni Tsomaka, Christos Sikaras, Ioannis Ilias, Athanasios Tselebis. Family support, anger and aggression in health workers during the first wave of the pandemic[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2023, 10(3): 524-537. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2023037

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Abstract

Introduction

Anger is considered as one of the basic human emotions, constituting the affective component of aggression. In the first year of the pandemic, the intense pressure on healthcare workers resulted in the deterioration of their psychosocial problems.

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between family support, anger, and aggression.

Methods

The present study included physicians and nurses who completed an online survey of Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5), a Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ) and a Family Support Scale (FSS). Before completing the questionnaires, participants were asked to state their gender, years of work, age, and profession.

Results

Fifty-three men and 190 women participated in the study. Almost one-third of the participants had a positive score on the DAR-5 scale. Male participants displayed lower DAR-5 scores compared to women. Female participants displayed lower FSS scores compared to men, but higher scores when compared with earlier measures. Regression showed that 15.2% of the variance in BAQ scores can be explained by DAR-5 scores, with an additional 3.8% explained by FSS scores, while an additional 2.3% is explained by years of working experience. Mediation analysis highlighted the role of family support as a negative mediator in the DAR-5 and BAQ relationship.

Conclusion

During the first year of the pandemic, there was an increase in the sense of family support among female health workers. One-third of the participants displayed increased anger scores. Family support acts as a mediator by preventing anger derailing into aggression. In healthcare worker support programs, it seems necessary to entail a specific section on anger management.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all participants in our study. This research received no external funding.

Use of AI tools declaration

The authors declare they have not used Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the creation of this article.

Conflicts of interest

All authors declare no conflict of interest.

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