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The aim of this research paper is to examine the current situation, emotional reactions of university students and their coping mechanisms during and after the COVID-19 quarantine. The study was undertaken in a major higher education institution in Lebanon. An exploratory qualitative research design was adopted. A phenomenological qualitative method was employed where, semi-structured interviews were carried out among 20 university students during and 3 months after release from quarantine. The qualitative analysis have revealed 5 themes during quarantine period namely 'Concerns regarding learning and evaluation methods', 'Overwhelming load', 'Dealing with technical difficulties', 'Confinement', and 'Coping with problems', in addition to 3 themes after the quarantine period namely 'Relief of academic stress', 'Fear of becoming infected and jeopardizing family health', 'Stigma of being infected'. The quarantine has inflicted multiple psychological challenges among university students, which should be highlighted and mediated by higher education institution in order to support the students' learning and their academic achievement., Author(s): Mirna Fawaz [sup.1] , Mohamad Al Nakhal [sup.1] , Mohammad Itani [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.18112.3b, 0000 0000 9884 2169, Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, [...]

Objectives: Lebanese frontline nurses were not only fighting off a pandemic for the past year but also facing escalating political, social, economic, and humanitarian turmoil that have accentuated the pressures exerted upon them. However, their needs for psychological support and coping mechanisms have been uncharted in light of the documented stress frontline nurses have been living for the past year. This paper aimed at exploring the perceptions of frontline ground zero nurses in Lebanon regarding their psychological needs and coping mechanisms during the most recent COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study was conducted in 2 main ground-zero hospitals in Beirut. This research paper has adopted a qualitative exploratory research design through employing the phenomenological approach, where online interviews were carried out among 15 frontline ground zero nurses in the 2nd week of January 2020. Results: The results of this study showed that the nurses perceived a need for significant psychological support led by their hospital, while they had to employ various coping mechanisms. The qualitative analysis of the verbatim conveyed by participating nurses have resulted in the emergence of five themes; "Need for actual support," "Need for formal psychological counseling," "Praying and being spiritual," "Avoiding the news," and "Self-reminders.". Conclusion: This study demonstrated that sufficient action has not been taken to enhance the mental health of these frontline nurses, where they shared their perspective of inadequate support mechanisms and the necessity for technical, systemic, and structured mental health support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For the past 2 months the number of COVID-19 cases in Lebanon has been on the rise, while frontline nurses after the Beirut Blast of August 4th have been practicing through limited resources and a challenging context. Aim: This paper aims at exploring the psychological experiences of Lebanese frontline nurses serving at ground zero hospital during the current COVID-19 outbreak. Setting: This study was carried out in three main ground-zero hospitals in Beirut which are receiving COVID-19 cases. Method: This study have employed a phenomenological exploratory qualitative research design, where virtual interviews were conducted with 18 frontline nurses during the second week of January 2021. Results: Thematic analysis of the data expressed by the frontline nurses working in the approached ground-zero hospitals gave rise to five themes, namely 'helplessness and impending doom', 'increased mortality rates and depressive mood', 'fear of death and obsessive thinking', 'flashbacks, panic, and incompetence', and 'public recklessness, governmental responsibility, and anger'. Conclusion: The frontline nurses working at ground zero hospitals in Beirut are facing significant psychological challenges that should be mediated by the government and health policymakers in order to safeguard the quality of care and avoid higher mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]