AUTHOR=Ahmadi Sina , Irandoost Seyed Fahim , Ahmadi Ahmad , Yoosefi Lebni Javad , Mohammadi Gharehghani Mohammad Ali , Baba Safari Nafe 

TITLE=Explaining Experiences, Challenges and Adaptation Strategies in COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study in Iran

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.778026

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.778026

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: Getting COVID-19 makes a person confront with numerous individual, physical, psychological, family and social challenges. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explain the experiences, challenges and adaptation strategies in patients with COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran.
Methods: The present study was performed with a qualitative approach and phenomenological method among 33 patients with COVID-19. From July 20 to September 21, access to participants and data collection were done in person (15 people) and by phone (18 people) through targeted sampling and snowball and semi-structured interviews. Data management was carried out using MAXQDA-2018 software and its analysis was done by Colaizzi analysis method. Guba and Lincoln criteria were also observed to improve the quality of results.
Results: After analyzing the data, 2 main categories and 17 subcategories were obtained including (1) experiences and challenges (ignoring the disease, blaming, physical health disorders, mental problems, guilt and remorse, being blamed, living a life of disappointment and ambiguity, Emotional challenges, frustrating reactions from others, helplessness and limitation) and (2) disease adaptation strategies (spirituality, learning about COVID-19, doing useful and fun activities, participating in treatment, strengthening one's spirit and hope, trying to make up for past mistakes and virtual communication).
Conclusions: Based on the results, interventions and policies such as increasing health knowledge and literacy of people to get acquainted with the symptoms of the disease and prompt referral for diagnosis and treatment, teaching the methods to deal with stress and psychological pressure, instructing the families to continue emotional and social support for patients and strengthening and reproducing the strategies patients use, along with teaching the skills to cope with the disease, harnessing the potential of cyberspace and the media can make it easier to tolerate illness and get back to life.