Coping mechanisms and mental health impact among COVID-19-Infected Health Workers in a Colombian Secondary Care Hospital, 2020-2021

Background: during the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers encountered significant challenges in managing their own illness while fulfilling their professional roles. Despite this, the strategies they used to cope with the disease remain largely unexplored. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing strategies that foster resilience, well-being, and their ability to continue providing care. Objective: to describe the coping strategies employed by healthcare workers in a secondary care hospital, during the period from august 2020 to september 2021, when they themselves suffered from COVID-19, as well as their perception of how they were affected and the impact on their mental health. Materials and Methods: cross-sectional study with mixed-methods approach. Healthcare workers at Clínica Boyacá in Duitama, Colombia who contracted COVID-19, once discharged and prior to their re-entry, responded to a semi-structured interview, the questionnaires Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. Descriptive correlational statistics, cross frequency tables and hypothesis testing were conducted, along with a qualitative content analysis. Results: a total of 73 healthcare workers were evaluated, with a predominance of adaptive coping strategies, particularly those focused on meaning. Reported conditions included anxiety (49,68 %), stress (31,51 %), and depression (26,03 %). Notably, anxiety exhibited a significant positive correlation with non-adaptive coping strategies (r = 0,39 p < 0,01). Conclusions: after illness, healthcare workers mainly used adaptive coping strategies, particularly positive re-signification. Non-adaptive strategies correlated with higher anxiety. Promoting adaptive coping mechanisms may not only protect mental health but also enhance the quality of patient care.