A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Canadian Healthcare Workers’ Use of Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Karram, Mauda; D’Alessandro-Lowe, Andrea M.; Ritchie, Kim; Brown, Andrea; Xue, Yuanxin; Pichtikova, Mina; Altman, Maxwell; Beech, Isaac; Millman, Heather; Hosseiny, Fardous; Rodrigues, Sara; Heber, Alexandra; O’Connor, Charlene; Schielke, Hugo J.; Malain, Ann; Lanius, Ruth A.; McCabe, Randi E.; McKinnon, Margaret C.

doi:10.3390/ijerph20032551

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…during the COVID-19 outbreak (Bragard et al, 2022; Cedrone et al, 2022; Danckert, 2022; Killgore et al, 2021). For instance Karram et al (2023) reported in their qualitative research that HCWs used alcohol to reduce stress quickly and effectively.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyle Changes and COVID-19 Related Perceptions of Turkish Healthcare Workers

Batu,

Yanık

et al. 2023

SAGE Open

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This study seeks to investigate and understand the perceptions of and lifestyle changes adopted by healthcare workers (HCWs) in Turkey who were on the front line of the fight against the outbreak of COVID-19. A total of 33 female HCWs with bachelor’s degrees were included in the study. In-depth interview techniques were used. The data analysis was performed with MAXQDA 2020 qualitative data analysis package program. The female HCWs perceived COVID-19 as rapidly contagious, deadly, dangerous, and long-term. Their perception as to the cause of the outbreak was akin to conspiracy thoughts such as bioweapon. In addition, the study determined that social media was the preferred medium for getting news because the news given in the traditional media was not trusted. It was seen that the attitude of participants regarding the preventive measures was in line with the recommendations of international organizations. In terms of lifestyle changes, for example, the dietary habits and physical activity levels of all the HCW participants, changed and online environments were used for communication/socialization. Those HCW participants who smoked, stated that smoking increased the risk and severity of COVID-19, and they declared an increase in the amount of their use. Those HCW participants who consumed alcohol, reported that alcohol consumption increased during the period of the outbreak in order to maintain socialization and relaxation. Those HCW participants who did not smoke or drink alcohol mentioned that they did not intend to start. This study contributes to an understanding of the impact on HCWs of significant health events especially in terms of their perceptions of and their lifestyle changes as a result of such health events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyle Changes and COVID-19 Related Perceptions of Turkish Healthcare Workers

Batu,

Yanık

et al. 2023

SAGE Open

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“…Notably, recent work points towards substance use among HCPs (e.g., alcohol, cannabis) as a means of coping with occupational stress during the COVID-19 pandemic [18,19]. Indeed, while HCPs at times during the pandemic had the capacity to make intentional efforts to care for their health via long-term investment in emotional, mental and physical health, interminable stress was associated with the adoption of "quick fix" strategies, such as the enhanced use of drugs and alcohol, when they did not have the mental capacity to process their emotions [17]. As such, HCPs reported using substances to "numb out" as a means of achieving immediate comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic [17].…”

Section: Substance Usementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, while HCPs at times during the pandemic had the capacity to make intentional efforts to care for their health via long-term investment in emotional, mental and physical health, interminable stress was associated with the adoption of "quick fix" strategies, such as the enhanced use of drugs and alcohol, when they did not have the mental capacity to process their emotions [17]. As such, HCPs reported using substances to "numb out" as a means of achieving immediate comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic [17]. In this vein, Patel et al [34] found that greater endorsement of PTSD symptoms was associated with higher alcohol use among Canadian HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Substance Usementioning

confidence: 99%

“…These coping strategies may include problem-focused planning, self-distraction, religious practices, substance use or seeking social support [15,16]. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, HCPs reported turning to friends and family for support, exercising, substance use, spiritual/religious practice, meditation and psychological well-being apps to manage the stresses associated with their occupational roles [17][18][19][20]. For example, among HCPs in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic, Budzy ńka and Moryś [21] reported that HCPs most commonly engaged in denial, substance use and the cessation of usual activities in relation to the demands of their workplace between August 2021 and March 2022.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Coping, Supports and Moral Injury: Spiritual Well-Being and Organizational Support Are Associated with Reduced Moral Injury in Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

D’Alessandro-Lowe,

Karram,

Ritchie

et al. 2023

IJERPH

Self Cite

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Healthcare providers (HCPs) have described the onset of shame- and trust-violation-related moral injuries (MI) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research suggests that HCPs may turn to various coping methods and supports, such as spirituality/religiosity, substance use, friends/family or organizational support, to manage workplace stress. It remains unknown, however, if similar coping methods and supports are associated with MI among this population. We explored associations between MI (including the shame and trust-violation presentations individually) and coping methods and supports. Canadian HCPs completed an online survey about their mental health and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including demographic indices (e.g., sex, age, mental health history) and measures of MI, organizational support, social support, spiritual well-being, self-compassion, alcohol use, cannabis use and childhood adversity. Three hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted to assess the associations between coping methods/supports and (i) MI, (ii) shame-related MI and (iii) trust-violation-related MI, when controlling for age, mental health history and childhood adversity. One hundred and seventy-six (N = 176) HCPs were included in the data analysis. Spiritual well-being and organizational support were each significantly associated with reduced total MI (p’s < 0.001), shame-related MI (p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively) and trust-violation-related MI (p’s < 0.001). Notably, comparison of the standardized beta coefficients suggests that the association between trust-violation-related MI and both spiritual well-being and organizational support was more than twice as great as the associations between these variables and shame-related MI, emphasizing the importance of these supports and the trust-violation outcomes particularly. Mental health history (p = 0.02) and self-compassion (p = 0.01) were additionally related to shame-related MI only. Our findings indicate that heightened levels of spiritual well-being and organizational support were associated with reduced MI among HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than placing sole responsibility for mental health outcomes on HCPs individually, organizations can instead play a significant role in mitigating MI among staff by implementing evidence-informed organizational policies and interventions and by considering how supports for spiritual well-being may be implemented into existing models of care where relevant for employees.

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

Alshagrawi

2023

Illness, Crisis & Loss

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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.

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A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Canadian Healthcare Workers’ Use of Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Lifestyle Changes and COVID-19 Related Perceptions of Turkish Healthcare Workers

Lifestyle Changes and COVID-19 Related Perceptions of Turkish Healthcare Workers

Coping, Supports and Moral Injury: Spiritual Well-Being and Organizational Support Are Associated with Reduced Moral Injury in Canadian Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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

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