Healthcare workers during corona want better work conditions, not psychological help

Midnattsol

Midnattsol

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A bit related to the pyschologization of symptoms in disease. Health care workers during the pandemic have been offered to talk to psychologist, but most actually wanted better work conditions (data collected between january and april, mostly in China).

Article said:
The main finding of Muller and his colleagues is that there was a difference between what the health workers wanted in terms of measures, and what measures were actually implemented.

- Many said that they did not need a psychologist or therapy. They wanted better infection control equipment and more rest. "I would feel better if I knew more about protection, got more protection and did not have to work for 12 hours every day," was a typical statement. For example, we also found that those who were most stressed and most anxious were those who had less experience. For example, doctors who were educated in another subject area, but who were set to work with covid-19, says Muller.
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https://translate.google.com/transl...beidere-onsket-ikke-psykolog-under-pandemien/

Made me think of how patients say they don't need a psychologist, but could need help with making daily living easier.
 
Trish said:
Reminds me also of the current fashion of offering resilience training in companies where there are poor work relationships. Instead of sorting out the bullies, they supposedly help the bullies' victims to cope better with being bullied.
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Yes, a friend of mine said that any company that makes a big deal out of perks to supposedly help wellbeing, is probably an unpleasant place to work. They think that offering free mindfulness courses and whatnot makes up for being nasty to employees.
 
I hope that the nurses' union continues to say this loud and clear.

And that other groups infested with this blight follow their lead. It's cruel and inhumane to treat people like disposable economic units and then offer them wellness chats to get through the abuse.

This kind of treatment is the exact opposite of normal. And again places the mental wellness coach (or whatever given designation) as the hero of their own story. It doesn't have to be this way.
 
Snowdrop said:
And again places the mental wellness coach (or whatever given designation) as the hero of their own story.
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I wonder how many psychotherapists become disillusioned and quit, at least when deployed in such a blatantly stupid manner. I mean, if you have any sense at all, no matter how gung-ho you start out it can't take too many sessions of talking with overworked covid doctors or schizophrenia patients or whatever to realize that what you are are engaged in is a tragic exercise.

I guess the hope is that things will improve because more people will see the sort of thing that has been going on because it's no longer subtle at all. Psychotherapy, broadly conceived, is grossly overplaying its hand in so many domains; and health systems, insurers, corporations, etc. are employing it so nakedly as a band-aid for actual constructive actions and resources.
 
James Morris-Lent said:
I wonder how many psychotherapists become disillusioned and quit, at least when deployed in such a blatantly stupid manner. I mean, if you have any sense at all, no matter how gung-ho you start out it can't take too many sessions of talking with overworked covid doctors or schizophrenia patients or whatever to realize that what you are are engaged in is a tragic exercise.

I guess the hope is that things will improve because more people will see the sort of thing that has been going on because it's no longer subtle at all. Psychotherapy, broadly conceived, is grossly overplaying its hand in so many domains; and health systems, insurers, corporations, etc. are employing it so nakedly as a band-aid for actual constructive actions and resources.
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We seem to be entering a stage of civilization where the only goal is the elevation and preservation of Me. A profession becomes a ticket, a professional to client transaction becomes a feeding occasion. It’s not confined to us and our disease, it’s not confined to medicine, it’s not at all confined to the sciences and their application. Here in the US, riots are considered a legitimate campaigning tool, even one to be praised.
There is something larger going on, I can’t quite name it.

Edit: corrected missing 1st ‘not’.
 
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Sisyphus said:
We seem to be entering a stage of civilization where the only goal is the elevation and preservation of Me. A profession becomes a ticket, a professional to client transaction becomes a feeding occasion. It’s confined to us and our disease, it’s not confined to medicine, it’s not at all confined to the sciences and their application. Here in the US, riots are considered a legitimate campaigning tool, even one to be praised.
There is something larger going on, I can’t quite name it.
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Don't remind me. I'm only 28 and not savoring these prospects.
 
James Morris-Lent said:
I wonder how many psychotherapists become disillusioned and quit, at least when deployed in such a blatantly stupid manner. I mean, if you have any sense at all, no matter how gung-ho you start out it can't take too many sessions of talking with overworked covid doctors or schizophrenia patients or whatever to realize that what you are are engaged in is a tragic exercise.

I guess the hope is that things will improve because more people will see the sort of thing that has been going on because it's no longer subtle at all. Psychotherapy, broadly conceived, is grossly overplaying its hand in so many domains; and health systems, insurers, corporations, etc. are employing it so nakedly as a band-aid for actual constructive actions and resources.
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I agree that there will be people in these jobs who are better than being willing to be used this way. The sad part of that of course is like in other areas this means that the good people leave. And people who could still learn and develop better skills stagnate in the scummy morass of ill conceived eminent ideology. Usually this has the effect of grinding the person down even as they become hostage to the everything positive (cheer-leading) mentality.

And I do think that things will change. The question is always how long it will take (longer than we hope) and at what cost (the ideologues are not going down easy).

There does need to be more media attention given to this theme and expanded on. People need to be able to imagine an alternative.
 
Sadly it is not a generation thing. The mess of the world is because of people with power wanting more money and power, they were always there and always will be. It's the same mentality that lets BPS ideas be used for short term gain despite it causing suffering for us.

The boomer generation built on the work of previous generations to bring in equal pay for women and women's rights, civil right changes in the US, Friends of the Earth and conservation efforts, and made the first warnings of man made climate change.

Working against powerful interests has been like the ME fight, walking through syrup but making small gains.

I hope there is progress for ME in my lifetime.
 
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