Health‑care workers’ experience of stressors and adaptation strategies for COVID‑19: A qualitative research
نویسندگان
1 Department of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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doi
چکیده
BACKGROUND: The mental health of health‑care workers with their unique role in respondingto the COVID‑19 pandemic is strictly essential. Hence, to react effectively to the pandemic, it isessential to collect further data on the stressors and adaptation strategies. The aim of this study isto explain the health‑care workers’ experiences of stressors and adaptation strategies used duringthe COVID‑19 pandemic outbreak.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative content analysis approach was employed in thisstudy, with semi‑structured in‑depth interviews. Nineteen health‑care workers participated in thestudy by purposeful sampling method. The study setting included selective educational hospitalsthat admitting patients infected with COVID‑19. The data were analyzed using content analysismethod.RESULTS: Stressors were classified under four major categories: idiopathic, i.e., arising fromunknown causes, individual and familial, stressful work environment, and socially imposed stressors.The adaptation strategies were classified under inactive and active adaptation strategies.CONCLUSIONS: The stressors include the stresses arising from the unknown nature of the disease,stressful work environment, individual and familial stresses, and the socially imposed stresses. Theadaptation strategies include inactive and active adaptation strategies. Identification of these factorscan help workers and management to effectively react to the pandemic.