EXPERIENCES OF PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS IN MANAGING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for public health systems globally, thrusting public health workers (PHWs) into the frontline of outbreak management, often under intense physical, emotional, and ethical strain. Despite their pivotal role, limited qualitative research has captured their lived experiences during this period. Objective: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of PHWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on operational stressors, psychological impacts, institutional support, and coping strategies. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with 26 purposively selected PHWs across varied roles and geographic regions. Thematic saturation guided sample size determination. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using NVivo 12 following Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis framework. Descriptive statistics were applied to summarize participant demographics, and a stress scoring tool adapted from COPSOQ was used to assess psychological burden. Results: Operational stressors such as extended work hours (88.5%) and unclear administrative communication (69.2%) were predominant. Psychological stress was reported by 76.9% of participants, with 42.3% scoring high on stress measures. Institutional support was inconsistently perceived; 84.6% noted the absence of formal psychological services, though 73.1% found peer support valuable. Coping strategies included team-based problem-solving (80.8%) and emotional reframing (65.4%). Participants demonstrated strong professional dedication despite adversity. Conclusion: The study highlights the intense and multifaceted pressures experienced by PHWs during the pandemic, while also revealing significant gaps in systemic and psychological support. Strengthening workforce resilience through targeted mental health services and institutional reform is essential for future crisis preparedness.