Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life and mental health in healthcare professionals

Objective. To assess impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on daily life and mental health of healthcare professionals in public medical institutions of the Russian Federation from their perspective and their attitude to the healthcare system’s response measures. Materials and Methods. From September to October 2024, as part of the qualitative data study, a semi-structured interview survey was conducted among 32 physicians and 18 nursing staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic in public outpatient and inpatient public medical institutions of the Russian Federation, repurposed or specially deployed to treat patients with COVID-19. The study was carried out in four cities located in various regions of the Russian Federation. Results. The participants described irregular and increased working hours due to a larger number of patients with a lack of medical personnel. This work overload harmed the emotional state of medical professionals, ranging from fatigue and anxiety to professional burnout and depression. An important aspect of the work that motivated healthcare professionals was the increase in their social value, however, this phenomenon was only temporary. Conclusions. The data obtained can be useful for strategy development of ensuring labor safety in emergencies and, therefore, help reduce the negative impact of future challenges on the Russian healthcare system.