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Tengbe, Sia Morenike, Kamara, Ibrahim Franklyn, Ali, Desta B, Koroma, Fanny F, Sevalie, Stephen, Dean, Laura 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-9707 and Theobald, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9053-211X
(2023)
'The Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Frontline Healthcare Workers in Sierra Leone: an explorative qualitative study'. BMJ Open, Vol 13, Issue 8, e068551.
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Abstract
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has wide-reaching health and non-health consequences, especially on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. Healthcare workers involved in COVID-19 patient care are particularly vulnerable to psychosocial distress due to increased pressure on healthcare systems. We explored the psychosocial experiences of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone.
Methods
This qualitative study used purposive sampling to recruit 13 healthcare workers from different cadres across five designated COVID-19 treatment centres in Freetown, Sierra Leone. In-depth interviews were conducted remotely in July and August 2020, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the framework approach.
Results
This study identified three overarching themes: vulnerability, resilience, and support structures. Participants expressed vulnerability relating to the challenging work environment and lack of medications as key stressors resulting in anxiety, stress, anger, isolation, and stigmatisation. Signs of resilience with experiences drawn from the 2014 Ebola outbreak, teamwork and a sense of duty were also seen. Peer support was the main support structure with no professional psychosocial support services available to healthcare workers.
Conclusions
This is the first study to provide evidence of the psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 among frontline healthcare workers in Sierra Leone. Despite signs of resilience and coping mechanisms displayed, they also experienced adverse psychosocial outcomes. There is a need to focus on enhancing strategies such as psychosocial support for healthcare workers and those that overall strengthen the health system to protect healthcare workers, promote resilience, and guide recommendations for interventions during future outbreaks.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | W General Medicine. Health Professions > Health Services. Patients and Patient Advocacy > W 84.4 Quality of Health Care W General Medicine. Health Professions > Health Services. Patients and Patient Advocacy > W 84 Health services. Delivery of health care WC Communicable Diseases > Virus Diseases > Viral Respiratory Tract Infections. Respirovirus Infections > WC 506 COVID-19 WY Nursing > WY 153 Communicable disease nursing |
| Faculty: Department: | Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department |
| Digital Object Identifer (DOI): | https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068551 |
| Depositing User: | Caroline Hercod |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Aug 2023 09:30 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Jan 2024 16:27 |
| URI: | https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/22969 |
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