TRANSTORNOS MENTAIS ENTRE OS PROFISSIONAIS DA ATENÇÃO PRIMÁRIA À SAÚDE: UMA ANÁLISE NO CONTEXTO DA PANDEMIA DA COVID-19

Abstract

Mental Disorders are present among health professionals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the illness was intensified, as the work in an exhaustive way had consequences on the mental health of those on the front line. This study aimed to track mental disorders among Primary Health Care professionals and symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and risk factors in the city of Campo Grande - Mato Grosso do Sul. For this, the methodological course was a cross-sectional study with 193 professionals: doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and physical therapists who worked in primary health care units in the seven urban and rural regions of the city. A socioeconomic questionnaire and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) were applied from November 2020 to October 2021. The prevalence of mental disorders revealed that more than 50% of health professionals who worked in Primary Health Care showed some symptoms of depression, anxiety, or stress. Among mental disorders, workers were tracked in the pandemic period, respectively 59.6%. (CI 95%) 54.4% (CI 95%) and 59.6% (CI 95%) of depression, anxiety, and stress at mild to extremely severe levels. The presence of signs/symptoms of stress was more prevalent among participants under 30 years of age (PR: 2.36; p=0.023), who rate their physical health as poor (PR: 2.41, p=0.008), who have a diagnosis of mental disorder (PR: 1.37, p=0.006), who have sought psychological and/or psychiatric help/treatment (PR: 1.56, p<0.001), who do not feel safe with the actions of coping with COVID-19 (PR: 1.88, p=0.004) and who had changes in the work process (PR: 1.36, p=0.007). Being a dental surgeon was configured as a protective factor for the presence of signs/symptoms of stress (PR: 0.52; p=0.038). The results demonstrate the need for services, programs and projects that prioritize the prevention and rehabilitation of common mental disorders in professionals who work in PHC.

Keywords: COVID-19; Family Health; Mental health; Health professionals.