Strategies deemed important by frontline healthcare providers for their mental wellbeing during first wave of COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Global research so far has demonstrated a significant psychological impact on frontline healthcare workers and the need to support them. Mitigation strategies are vital to ensure psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers and should take healthcare workers experiences and views into consideration. However, qualitative research on this topic has been limited from the Arab world and we set out to fill this research gap. The objective was to understand participants’ emotional experiences and identify their valued aspects of support, to inform potential mitigation strategies for their psychological wellbeing. METHODS: Content analysis of free-text comments of a web-based survey of healthcare workers associated with the COVID-19 designated hospital and quarantine sites in Qatar, during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Extracts and phrases were used to identify potential themes, with relevant quotes gathered within identified themes. RESULTS: A total of 779 staff members were invited to participate in this study and 286 responded. The results indicate that strategies around infection control practice, personal protective equipment, SARS-CoV-2 testing, workload, financial compensation, religion, psychological support and engaged leadership are deemed important by frontline healthcare workers to maintain their mental wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: Mitigating factors identified by healthcare workers to protect their psychological wellbeing should inform the organizational strategy. Resources which enhance mental wellbeing should be easily and consistently available to all staff.