ArticlePloS one2021
How to bring residents' psychosocial well-being to the heart of the fight against Covid-19 in Belgian nursing homes-A qualitative study.
Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 44 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Ethical issues raised in the care of the elderly during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and possible solutions for the future: a systematic review of qualitative scientific literature.BMC medical ethics · 2025Pooled it
- A Quantitative Meta-Analysis and Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Aged Care Residents' Experiences of Autonomy, Being Controlled, and Optimal Functioning.The Gerontologist · 2024Pooled it
- Health effects of social connectedness in older adults living in congregate long-term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.International journal of older people nursing · 2023Pooled it
- Prevalence, Predictors, and Experience of Moral Suffering in Nursing and Care Home Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Health effects of loneliness and social isolation in older adults living in congregate long term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence.Archives of gerontology and geriatricsPooled it
- Lessons learned from social isolation in nursing homes during the COVID-19 epidemic-group interview with relatives with negative experiences.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Self-perceived quality of life, health, and physical activity among older adults: the roles of marital status and residence during the COVID-19 pandemic.Croatian medical journal · 2026Article
- Public health authorities in Germany during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic - a constructive-critical reflection.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2026Article
- Perceived needs and priorities of older persons in humanitarian crises: A scoping review of literature.Aging clinical and experimental research · 2025Article
- COVID-19's Impact in Long-Term Care Facilities: The Health and Coping Strategies of Older Adults and Their Families.Journal of advanced nursing · 2025Article
- Assistant Nurses' Experiences of Ethical Challenges While Working in Residential Care Facilities During the Pandemic: An Interview Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciences · 2025Article
- Article
- How did COVID-19 lockdown impact the health of older adults in nursing homes? A scoping review.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Ethical challenges causing moral distress: nursing home staff's experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2024Article
- Caring Self-Efficacy of Personal Care Attendants From English-Speaking and Non-English-Speaking Countries Working in Australian Residential Aged Care Settings.Journal of aging and health · 2024Article
- Article
- Article
- Consequences of contact restrictions for long-term care residents during the first months of COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.European journal of ageing · 2023Article
- The impact of protective measures against COVID-19 on the wellbeing of residents in nursing homes and their relatives: a rapid review.BMC geriatrics · 2023Review
- Psychosocial well-being in Long-Term Care in the Wake of COVID-19: Findings from a Qualitative Study in New Zealand.Journal of cross-cultural gerontology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
13 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNursing homes (NH) for the elderly have been particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic mainly due to their hosted vulnerable populations and poor outbreak preparedness. In Belgium, the medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) implemented a support project for NH including training on infection prevention and control (IPC), (re)-organization of care, and psychosocial support for NH staff. As psychosocial and mental health needs of NH residents in times of Covid-19 are poorly understood and addressed, this study aimed to better understand these needs and how staff could respond accordingly.
methodsA qualitative study adopting thematic content analysis. Eight focus group discussions with direct caring staff and 56 in-depth interviews with residents were conducted in eight purposively and conveniently selected NHs in Brussels, Belgium, June 2020.
resultsNH residents experienced losses of freedom, social life, autonomy, and recreational activities that deprived them of their basic psychological needs. This had a massive impact on their mental well-being expressed in feeling depressed, anxious, and frustrated as well as decreased meaning and quality of life. Staff felt unprepared for the challenges posed by the pandemic; lacking guidelines, personal protective equipment and clarity around organization of care. They were confronted with professional and ethical dilemmas, feeling 'trapped' between IPC and the residents' wellbeing. They witnessed the detrimental effects of the measures imposed on their residents.
conclusionThis study revealed the insights of residents' and NH staff at the height of the early Covid-19 pandemic. Clearer outbreak plans, including psychosocial support, could have prevented the aggravated mental health conditions of both residents and staff. A holistic approach is needed in NHs in which tailor-made essential restrictive IPC measures are combined with psychosocial support measures to reduce the impact on residents' mental health impact and to enhance their quality of life.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.