Resilience and Subjectively Experienced Stress Among Paramedics Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Andrzej Piotrowski; Ryszard Makarowski; Radu Predoiu; Alexandra Predoiu; Ole Boe

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.664540

Resilience and Subjectively Experienced Stress Among Paramedics Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Front Psychol. 2021 Jul 15:12:664540. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.664540. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Andrzej Piotrowski¹, Ryszard Makarowski², Radu Predoiu³, Alexandra Predoiu⁴, Ole Boe⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
² Faculty of Health Sciences, Elbląg University of Humanities and Economics, Elblag, Poland.
³ Teachers' Training Department, National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest, Romania.
⁴ Sports and Motor Performance Department, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest, Romania.
⁵ USN School of Business, Department of Industrial Economics, Strategy and Political Science, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.

Abstract

Introduction: Paramedics play a vital role in the healthcare system by providing professional support in situations of direct threat to patient health and life. They experience numerous difficulties during their work, which result in occupational stress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their work has become even more demanding. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of resilience in the subjective experience of stress among paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods: The study was carried out in two phases, in October-November 2019 (N = 75) and in May-June 2020 (N = 84), using the Sense of Stress Questionnaire (Skala Poczucia Stresu) and the Resilience Scale (Skala Pomiaru Prężności).

Results: Paramedics exhibited higher intrapsychic stress before the COVID-19 pandemic. Tolerance of failure and treating life as a challenge were higher during the pandemic, in contrast to optimism and the ability to mobilize in difficult situations. Paramedics who were in contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. Perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences and sense of humor, as well as competences and tolerance of negative emotions were revealed to play a key part in mitigating subjectively experienced stress.

Conclusion: Paramedics' subjectively experienced stress was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paramedics who were in direct contact with patients with COVID-19 experienced higher stress. They had sufficient psychological resources, in the form of resilience (perseverance and determination, openness to new experiences, sense of humor, and competences and tolerance of negative emotions), which allowed them to cope with the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; pandemic; paramedics; personal resources; resilience; stress.