The experiences of Red Crescent relief workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran: a qualitative phenomenological study

BMC Health Services Research

Research

Narges Khanjani¹  Mohammad Sadegh Tavakoli Sani²  Arezoo Sarani²  Minoo Mohammadkhani³ 

[1] Department of Medical Education, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, 79905, El Paso, TX, USA;Health in Disasters and Emergencies Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran;Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran;

关键词: Red Crescent Society;    COVID-19;    Qualitative research;    Phenomenology;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12913-023-09920-8

 received in 2022-09-18, accepted in 2023-08-14,  发布年份 2023

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe daily increase of infected individuals and mortalities related to COVID-19 in Iran increased public fear and anxiety and affected the job performance of many health workers, including the Iranian Red Crescent Society, as one of the organizations responding to COVID-19.MethodsThis study aimed to explore the experiences of Red Crescent rescuers, using a qualitative method with an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), and by conducting semi-structured and in-depth interviews with Red Crescent relief workers from Mashhad in September 2020. Participants were selected by purposive sampling.ResultsRescuers in the Red Crescent Society, had gained different experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experiences were categorized into four main themes. These main themes were: (1) Psychological disorders, (2) Organizational support (3) Mis-management (both structural and human factors), and (4) Opportunities.ConclusionThe COVID-19 epidemic did create unique opportunities to understand the pitfalls of the Red Crescent aid services. Red Crescent rescue workers suffered from psychological symptoms, and mismanagement was also present. Psychological support and organizational improvements should be implemented.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature 2023