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Articles

COVID-19 anxiety-coping strategies of frontline health workers in a low-income country Malawi: A qualitative inquiry

ORCID Icon &
Pages 47-67 | Received 13 Feb 2021, Accepted 22 Nov 2021, Published online: 23 Dec 2021
 

Abstract

For this qualitative study, we adopted a two-wave data-collection approach involving 68 frontline healthcare workers at two geographically distinct central hospitals in a low-income country Malawi. We used in-depth telephone interviews and survey emails to explore the sources of COVID-19 anxiety and corresponding coping actions among frontline health care workers. The findings reveal four main sources of work-related anxiety among frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 crisis: (1) on-the-job risks, (2) infrastructure and technological deficits, (3) human-capital deficits, and (4) public stigma. Furthermore, the findings reveal that these workers have been coping with sources of COVID-19 anxiety by using strategic coping actions related to the five themes of (1) health, (2) self-assertion, (3) perception, (4) identity, and (5) social support. Healthcare management can thus manage frontline healthcare workers’ COVID-19-related anxiety by mitigating the sources of such anxiety as well as incorporating insights from employees’ strategic coping actions into organizational stress management programs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Notes

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