Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly strained global health systems, particularly impacting frontline healthcare workers (FLHCWs) who are at increased risk of experiencing mental health issues. These challenges affect the well-being of FLHCWs and have implications for patient care and the sustainability of the healthcare workforce. Despite these critical concerns, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the specific factors contributing to psychological distress among FLHCWs in countries like Sri Lanka. Methods: This study employed semi-structured interviews to explore the factors contributing to psychological distress among doctors and nurses in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 response. Sixteen FLHCWs from various public hospitals were selected using snowball sampling and interviewed until data saturation was achieved. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify and categorize the participants’ major stressors and support needs. Results: Thematic analysis revealed several significant stressors experienced by FLHCWs during the COVID-19 response in Sri Lanka. These included staff shortages, excessive workloads, low confidence levels, moral dilemmas, social stigma, family impacts, issues with protective equipment, triage complexities, and inadequate rewards, particularly prevalent in smaller hospitals. Conclusion: Addressing the psychological distress among FLHCWs necessitates strategic interventions such as capacity building, equitable distribution of resources, ensuring safe working environments, and implementing robust support mechanisms. These findings underscore the importance of developing sustainable strategies to enhance mental health resilience among FLHCWs globally, thereby safeguarding their well-being and patient care quality during emergencies and disasters.
Munasinghe et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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