The Illness Experiences and Psychosocial Support Needs of Healthcare Workers During the Pandemic: The Importance of Social Work Intervention

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 15 Sayı: 2, 123 - 138, 26.12.2025

Satı Gül Kapısız , Elif Gökçearslan , Aybüke Büyükkağnici

https://doi.org/10.32331/sgd.1844725

Öz

Pandemics are multidimensional crises that profoundly
affect healthcare systems and professionalscworldwide.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant
disruptions in the lives of healthcare workers, not only
through its medical consequences but also through its
economic, social, and psychological impacts. This study
employs a phenomenological approach to examine the
illness experiences of healthcare personnel working at
Ankara Bilkent City Hospital who tested positive for
COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews were conducted
with 15 participants aged 27–55 from various healthcare
professions, and the data were analyzed using MAXQDA
Analytics Pro 2020. Participants’ experiences were
categorized under four main themes: emotional reactions
upon receiving their test results, challenges during the
illness process, post-illness effects, and overall evaluation
of the experience. The findings indicate that healthcare
workers experienced substantial stress due to heavy
workloads, the risk of infection, and fear of transmitting
the virus to their families. The study concludes that the
pandemic’s psychological effects may persist in the long
term and emphasizes the need for psychosocial, workplace,
and economic support for healthcare workers. The critical
role of the social work profession in addressing these
challenges is underscored.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pandemic , healthcare workers , medical social work , psychosocial intervention

Pandemi Sürecinde Sağlık Çalışanlarının Hastalık Deneyimleri ve Psikososyal Destek İhtiyaçları: Sosyal Hizmet Müdahalesinin Önemi

Öz

Pandemiler, küresel ölçekte sağlık sistemlerini ve sağlık
çalışanlarını derinden etkileyen çok boyutlu krizlerdir.
COVID-19 pandemisi, yalnızca tıbbi sonuçlarıyla değil,
aynı zamanda ekonomik, sosyal ve psikolojik etkileriyle de
sağlık çalışanlarının yaşamlarında önemli kırılmalara yol
açmıştır. Bu çalışma, Ankara Bilkent Şehir Hastanesi’nde
görev yapan ve COVID-19 PCR testi pozitif çıkan sağlık
çalışanlarının hastalık sürecine ilişkin deneyimlerini
fenomenolojik bir yaklaşımla incelemektedir. Yarı
yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yoluyla 27–55 yaş aralığında
farklı meslek gruplarından 15 katılımcıdan elde edilen
veriler MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020 programı ile analiz
edilmiştir. Katılımcı deneyimleri dört ana tema altında
değerlendirilmiştir: test sonucunu öğrenme anındaki
duygular, hastalık sürecinde yaşanan güçlükler, hastalık
sonrası etkiler ve genel süreç değerlendirmesi. Bulgular,
sağlık çalışanlarının ağır iş yükü, enfeksiyon riski ve
aile üyelerini bulaştırma korkusu nedeniyle yoğun stres
yaşadığını ortaya koymaktadır. Sonuç olarak, pandeminin
ruh sağlığı üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerinin uzun vadede
devam edebileceği; sağlık çalışanlarının psikososyal
desteğe, iyileştirilmiş çalışma koşullarına ve ekonomik
desteklere ihtiyaç duyduğu belirlenmiştir. Çalışma, bu
süreçte sosyal hizmet mesleğinin kritik rolüne dikkat
çekmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pandemi , sağlık çalışanları , tıbbi sosyal hizmet , psikososyal müdahale

Kaynakça

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