perceived stress caused by the outbreak of COVID_19 in women healthcare workers

With the outbreak of the corona virus in late 2019 in China and its rapid epidemic in the world, this issue has become a global problem with physical and psychological risks.  Since healthcare workers are on the frontline of fighting against this disease, they are more exposed to physical and mental injuries than other people. This study was conducted to investigate the perceived stress of women healthcare workers during the outbreak of corona virus.

Methods and Materials: 

This research was conducted by qualitative method and with phenomenological approach. The study population consisted of all women healthcare workers working in Covid-19 special wards in Tehran in 1399. 10 participants were selected by using purposeful and snowball sampling and were subjected to semi-structured interviews.  After reaching data saturation, interviews were conducted with 2 other participants and sampling was stopped after no new data. Then, data analysis was performed by Collaizi's descriptive method.

Findings of interview analysis were presented in two parts: "Unpleasant feelings and thoughts" and "Restrictive and avoidant behaviors. The results of this study can be used to identify and reduce stressors in similar situations to reduce perceived stress.

The most frequent stressors in the interviewees' conversations (words) were unpleasant feelings and thoughts about physical health and restrictive and avoidant behaviors in the family environment.