Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Workers in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial global impact, attributable to its extensive prevalence, transmission, and consequential morbidity and mortality rates. Healthcare workers (HCWs), in particular, have faced difficult pandemic-related circumstances during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, including a rise in mortality, increased workloads and job hours, insufficient equipment, supplies, and resources, and concern about acquiring and/or transferring COVID-19 to loved ones. This type of exposure increased the risk of negative psychological outcomes such as acute stress, depression, sleep difficulties, insomnia, moral injury, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Using a qualitative research design, the purpose of this research is to gain insight into the coping mechanisms employed by HCWs in Saudi Arabia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the thematic analysis indicated that a majority of the participants demonstrated the ability to determine and employ diverse coping mechanisms in response to the stress and anxiety arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. HCWs encountered difficulties in implementing their typical coping mechanisms amidst the pandemic, due to a range of obstacles. However, HCWs employed a variety of coping strategies, both internal and external, that were influenced by contextual variables such as self-care, self-control, internal motivation, social support, social media, and organizational climate to enhance their resilience and coping strategies. The study findings offer insight into the types of assistance and provisions that can be implemented at both the personal and institutional levels to prepare HCWs to manage heightened levels of stress, with the ultimate aim of enhancing their psychological health and overall wellness.