Crivelli Davide, Pellencin Elisa, Perin Alessandro, Balconi Michela
International research center for Cognitive Applied Neuroscience (IrcCAN), Faculty of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Front Psychol. 2025 Apr 28;16:1568430. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1568430. eCollection 2025.
Work-related stress and burnout are pervasive challenges in healthcare, particularly in high-stakes specialties like neurosurgery. Neurosurgeons face unique demands, including prolonged cognitive and physical strain, emotionally charged patient interactions, and ethical dilemmas. These stressors significantly impact individual wellbeing, patient safety, and organizational efficiency. However, traditional stress assessment methods, such as self-reports and retrospective surveys, fail to capture the dynamic and context-specific nature of stress in real-world clinical environments. This paper introduces an integrated neurophenomenological framework for assessing stress in neurosurgeons, combining continuous physiological monitoring with real-time phenomenological assessments using experience sampling methods (ESM). Wearable devices enable the collection of granular physiological data-heart rate, heart rate variability, electrodermal activity, and skin temperature-while ESM provides real-time subjective insights, reducing recall biases. Synchronizing these data streams offers a holistic understanding of stress dynamics. A pilot study is introduced to discuss the feasibility of this approach. Participants engaged in ward-based and surgical tasks while their physiological data were continuously recorded. Structured interviews and psychometric tools complemented these measures, revealing context-specific stress responses: higher electrodermal activity during emotionally demanding ward shifts and elevated heart rate during physically intense surgical procedures. Discrepancies between physiological activation and subjective stress perception highlighted the importance of interoceptive awareness in modulating stress responses. This framework offers a replicable model for advancing stress research in healthcare. By integrating physiological and phenomenological data, it provides actionable insights into stress dynamics, paving the way for targeted interventions to enhance resilience and optimize patient care.
工作相关的压力和职业倦怠是医疗保健领域普遍存在的挑战，尤其是在神经外科等高风险专业中。神经外科医生面临着独特的要求，包括长时间的认知和身体压力、充满情感的患者互动以及伦理困境。这些压力源对个人幸福感、患者安全和组织效率产生了重大影响。然而，传统的压力评估方法，如自我报告和回顾性调查，无法捕捉现实临床环境中压力的动态和特定情境性质。本文介绍了一种用于评估神经外科医生压力的综合神经现象学框架，该框架将连续的生理监测与使用经验抽样法（ESM）的实时现象学评估相结合。可穿戴设备能够收集详细的生理数据——心率、心率变异性、皮肤电活动和皮肤温度——而ESM提供实时主观见解，减少回忆偏差。同步这些数据流可以全面了解压力动态。本文介绍了一项试点研究，以讨论这种方法的可行性。参与者在进行病房工作和手术任务时，其生理数据被持续记录。结构化访谈和心理测量工具对这些测量进行补充，揭示了特定情境下的压力反应：在情感要求较高的病房轮班期间皮肤电活动增加，在体力要求较高的手术过程中心率升高。生理激活与主观压力感知之间的差异突出了内感受性意识在调节压力反应中的重要性。该框架为推进医疗保健领域的压力研究提供了一个可复制的模型。通过整合生理和现象学数据，它为压力动态提供了可操作的见解，为有针对性的干预措施铺平了道路，以增强恢复力并优化患者护理。
