Original scientific paper
STRESS REACTIONS AND COPING STRATEGY AMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS DURING COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Abdullah Bany Hamdan
; Clinical Care Excellence, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Latifah Alharbi
; Clinical Care Excellence, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Saleh Alghamdi
; Clinical Care Excellence, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Tariq Wani
; Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abdulhadi Alqahtani
; Research Center, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Musa Alharbi
; Clinical Care Excellence, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Background: Psychological impacts among healthcare professionals have increased significantly due to the increasing number
of COVID-19 cases. This study aimed to identify stress and coping strategies among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia during
the COVID-19 outbreak.
Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study online survey was conducted for health care professionals during a peak of
COVID-19 from March to June 2020 at different healthcare institutions at KSA (n=342).
Results: Sixty-five percent of responders often and always feel fears about infection and subsequent effects on themselves, the
patient, and the family. 57% of them stated that they felt sometimes depressed mode and 47% anxiety during the outbreak. Eightyfour
percent of the respondent always focusing on prevention as the first biosecurity measures such as hand-washing habits and
using hand sanitizer, and 38.3% of them make sometimes relax and rest. While half of the responses (50%) sometimes had physical
exercise. Also, thirty-eight percent joined sometimes community and/or group online chat groups, and 56.1% always keep contact
with family and friends through social messaging or phone calls.
Conclusion: Understanding this topic is important for healthcare organizations, effective strategies, and programs is needed to
provide holistic staff care and wellbeing during outbreaks that focus on the value of mental and emotional support.
Keywords
COVID-19; coping strategy; healthcare professionals; outbreak, stress
Hrčak ID:
272979
URI
Publication date:
8.2.2022.
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