Shielding in Cystic Fibrosis, A Psychological Perspective

Despite the benefits shielding has in reducing COVID-19 infection rates, the negative psychological impact for patients as well as the economic downturn on many cannot be overlooked. Patients with cystic fibrosis reported experiencing post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger in addition to stressors associated with infection fears, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma which significantly impacted their mental health.¹

In this webinar Dr Bryon discusses the psychological implications of shielding during the COVID-19 pandemic, and presents different ways in which the psychological burden could be reduced with key focus on how officials and clinicians can manage shielding times, information dissemination to those patients which are shielding and rationale communications.

References

1. Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, Rubin GJ. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The Lancet. 2020 Mar 14;395(10227):912-20.

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• Dr Mandy Bryon

  Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Joint Head of the Paediatric Psychology & Play Services

  Read biography
  Dr Mandy Bryon

  Consultant Clinical Psychologist & Joint Head of the Paediatric Psychology & Play Services Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, UK

  Role and Location 

  Dr Mandy Bryon is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Joint Head of the Paediatric Psychology and Play Services at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), London, UK. Dr Bryon has worked as the psychologist for the Cystic Fibrosis team since February 1990. 

  Education 

  Qualifications:
  – BA Psychology University of Wales 1984
  – Dip Clin Psy Clinical Psychology University of Wales 1988
  – PhD University of Wales 1998
  – Registered Clinical Psychologist, Health Professionals Council

  Research Interests

  She has researched in many areas of the psychological impact of childhood illness, particularly sibling relationships, adherence to treatment, attachment, eating disorders and body image disturbance in CF. Dr Bryon has been involved in the UK validation of the CFQ-UK, a quality of life measure for children and adults with cystic fibrosis. She has developed a new measure of disturbed eating attitudes and behaviours in people with cystic fibrosis (the CFEAB).

  Memberships

  Dr Bryon co-founded the national professional interest group of psychosocial professionals in CF (UKPPCF). She has organised an annual study day for all CF professionals in the UK for the past 20 years. She has written the Psychology section of the CF Standards of Care for the UK and contributed to the ECFS European Standards of Care publication and invited to continue in the update process. Dr Bryon was a member of the NICE committee for producing guidelines on the management of Cystic Fibrosis (published 2017). She established the European Psychosocial Special Interest Group (EPSIG) with colleagues in the early 1990’s resulting in the group running an annual pre-conference study day at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) conference. She has been a member of the ECFS for many years and has contributed to the conference regularly in workshops and symposia. Dr Bryon is currently a member of the ECFS Steering Committee for the annual CF conference.