Stress of the Polish medical staff of the hospital emergency department in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic

Infectious disease pandemics pose a psychological challenge to the general population, particularly to healthcare professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the level of work stress and coping strategies used by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering sociodemographic and work-related variables. A cross-sectional study included 141 Polish healthcare professionals working with COVID-19 patients. The research was conducted using a diagnostic survey method, employing the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and a self-written questionnaire. Among the respondents, 46.8% reported severe stress. The study found that older age was associated with less frequent use of avoidance-oriented coping styles, such as engaging in alternative activities (p = 0.031) and seeking social contacts (p = 0.005). Additionally, avoidance-oriented coping was more commonly used by individuals from large cities compared to those from villages, and more frequently by those from small cities than by those from villages and medium-sized cities (p = 0.004). Engaging in alternative activities was significantly more common among individuals from medium-sized cities (p = 0.01), while seeking social contacts was more frequent among those from large cities compared to villagers (p = 0.03). The study revealed that the majority of Polish medical staff working in hospital emergency departments experienced high levels of stress. Education, age, place of residence, and work experience significantly influenced the choice of coping styles among medical staff.