A RESILIÊNCIA E A COVID LONGA E SUAS IMPLICAÇÕES NA SAÚDE MENTAL, NO ESTADO FUNCIONAL E NA QUALIDADE DE VIDA DE PROFISSIONAIS DE ENFERMAGEM

Abstract

Resilience has been considered an important human competency to cope with adverse life situations, such as experiencing a health condition. Therefore, resilience may be a relevant variable in studies about long Covid, which has been regarded as a chronic condition with implications for various aspects of life. In the case of healthcare professionals, this condition can be exacerbated by the implications of the work activities while providing direct care during the pandemic. Research on long Covid and the associated physical and mental health factors, particularly those that may mitigate the consequences of the pandemic for these professionals, such as resilience, is scarce. In light of this, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between resilience levels and long Covid and its implications for mental health, the persistence of symptoms after acute infection, functional status, and quality of life among nursing professionals. This is a quantitative, observational, cross-sectional and analytical study. A non-probability convenience sample of 109 nursing professionals from various places of Brazil who reported they were infected with Covid-19 between 2020 and 2022 was used in this study. The variables of interest included: resilience; long Covid; sociodemographic, health, and work-related factors; subjective well-being, post-Covid functional capacity, common mental disorders, and quality of life. The instruments used were the Resilience Scale, the Subjective Well-Being Scale; Post-Covid-19 Functional Status Scale; Self-Report Questionnaire 20; Short Form Health Survey 36; and a questionnaire developed by the researchers covering sociodemographic, health (physical and mental) and work variables, and typical symptoms of long Covid. Data collection took place remotely from July to November 2023 via Google Forms after approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee (opinion n. 6.148.204, CAAE: 69640023.8.0000.0021). Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential analysis, logistic regression, and odds ratios, with a significance level of 5%. Among the participating professionals, 90.8% reported experiencing symptoms persisting for at least four weeks after acute infection, and 67.9% continued to experience symptoms after that phase. Being female, having symptoms for at least four weeks, low resilience, and low positive affect increased the likelihood of experiencing long Covid symptoms by 85.73% (p = 0.001), 55047% (p < 0.001), 83.4% (p = 0.003), and 92.83% (p < 0.001), respectively. Among the 74 professionals with long Covid, those with high resilience levels (N = 35) had a 65.2% (p = 0.002) lower chance of using continuous medication, a 90.4% (p = 0.003) lower chance of having common mental disorders, and a 72.3% (p = 0.041) lower chance of having functional limitations, while they had a 414% (p < 0.001) greater chance of having high life satisfaction. Understanding this relationship may contribute to the development of health promotion actions aimed at addressing the consequences of long Covid through resilience, as resiliance can be built or strengthened through methods like awareness, emotional support, professional appreciation, and healthy dietary and physical habits. Keywords: Post-Acute COVID-19 syndrome; Nursing Professionals; Nursing; Mental Health; Functional Status; Psychological Resilience.