Building Resilience Through Symphony and Poetry for COVID-19-Encumbered Healthcare Workers: A Taiwanese Qualitative Study

TL;DR

This study explores how symphonic poetry helped healthcare workers in Taiwan cope with pandemic-related stress and build resilience.

Contribution

The study introduces symphonic poetry as a novel method to enhance mental resilience in healthcare workers during the pandemic.

Findings

Healthcare workers reported pandemic-induced physical and mental exhaustion.

Symphonic poetry was found to be an effective tool for building resilience and enhancing mental toughness.

Participants shared positive experiences through a structured concert and manual-based interview process.

Abstract

Background: In 2021, Taiwan’s healthcare workers faced significant stress due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aims to enhance healthcare workers’ self-awareness of their stress and improve their work efficiency by using symphonic poetry to inspire resilience. Methods: This qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with a panel of physicians, nurses, and specialist nurses. The interviews were conducted using ATLAS—ti 7.5 qualitative analysis software for content analysis. Participants must have attended the “Meeting Mahler, Meeting Myself” concert organized by the medical center. The concert was based on the poetry from the fifth movement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”, and included symphonic poetry and a manual. The manual combined pictures and a complementary interview guide to facilitate participants sharing their pandemic experiences and health. Results: A total of 19 healthcare workers participated in the interviews. All participants had attended the institute’s symphonic poetry concert “Meeting Mahler, Meeting Myself”. The average age of the participants was 44.1 ± 11.4 years, and their average working experience was 19.1 ± 13.1 years. The group included nine physicians (47.4%), eight nurses (42.1%), and two specialist nurses (10.5%). The results were categorized into three major themes: “Pandemic-Induced Physical and Mental Exhaustion”, “Symphonic Poetry as a Tool for Building Resilience”, and “Enhancing Mental Toughness to Overcome Adversity”. Conclusions: Healthcare workers experienced stress and exhaustion during the pandemic. Symphonic poetry can serve as a supportive tool to inspire resilience and enhance mental toughness among healthcare professionals facing pandemic-related challenges.