Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of frontline healthcare workers in a highly affected region in Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Cohen, Mírian
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Cruz, Luciane Nascimento, Cardoso, Ricardo Bertoglio, Albuquerque, Maria de Fatima Pessoa Militao de, Montarroyos, Ulisses Ramos, Souza, Wayner Vieira de, Ludermir, Ana Bernarda, Carvalho, Maria Rosimery de, Vicente, Julianne Damiana da Silva, Viegas Filho, Marcelo Paulino, Cortes, Fanny Julia Mireille, Silva, Marina Teixeira de Siqueira, Almeida, Carla Menezes Cavalcante, Lima, Luana Nepomuceno Gondim Costa, Veras, Maria Amélia, Kendall, Carl, Kerr, Ligia Regina Franco Sansigolo, Martelli, Celina Maria Turchi, Camey, Suzi Alves
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFRGS
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10183/271797
• topic: Depressão; Ansiedade; Saúde mental; Profissionais de saúde; COVID-19; Mental health; Healthcare workers; Anxiety; Depression; PTSD

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), especially in low and middle-income countries, which had to face additional political, social, and economic challenges. We thus aimed to assess the prevalence of mental health outcomes and the associated factors in HCWs treating COVID-19 patients in one of the most affected regions in Brazil. Methods: We used the Respondent-Driven Sampling method to assess the risks of COVID-19 infection and symptoms of mental disorders in nurses, nursing technicians, and physicians who worked on the frontline in the metropolitan region of Recife. 865 healthcare workers completed a survey regarding sociodemographic data, work-related risks, and symptoms of mental disorders - SRQ-20 for common mental disorders (CMD); AUDIT-C for problematic alcohol use; GAD-7 for anxiety; PHQ-9 for depression; PCL-5 for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Gile’s successive sampling estimator was used to produce the weighted estimates by professional category. A Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to analyze factors associated with a positive screening for CMD. We will present the results of a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health outcomes after the first peak of COVID-19 – from August 2020 to February 2021. Results: The prevalence ratios for a positive screening for CMD were 34.9% (95% CI: 27.8–41.9) in nurses, 28.6% (95% CI: 21.3–36.0) in physicians, and 26.6% (95% CI: 16.8–36.5) in nursing technicians. Nurses presented a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (23%). Positive screening for problematic alcohol use (10.5 to14.0%), anxiety (10.4 to 13.3%), and PTSD (3.3 to 4.4%) were similar between the professional categories. The main factors associated with CMD in nurses and physicians were related to an intrinsic susceptibility to mental illness, such as previous or family history of psychiatric disorder, and female sex. Among nurse technicians, work-related factors, such as accidents with biological material, presented the strongest association with CMD. Conclusion: The mental health of HCWs fighting COVID-19 in Recife was severely affected. It is crucial that healthcare services provide adequate working conditions and psychological support, investing in programs to promote and protect HCWs mental health.