Mental health of Municipal Health Department professionals in Balneário Gaivota – SC during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: The Sars-CoV-2 pandemic has brought significant changes and impacts to people's lives; among healthcare professionals, these impacts have taken an even greater toll, leading to feelings of uncertainty. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the mental health of professionals during the Covid-19 pandemic in a municipality in southern Brazil. Methods: This is a descriptive study conducted with professionals from various fields of the Municipal Health Department of Balneário Gaivota - SC, during the month of October 2022. Descriptive analyses of the studied mental health variables, as well as the sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics of the professionals, were performed and presented in absolute frequencies (n) and relative percentages (%). Results: A total of 72 professionals were studied, with 50% showing depressive symptoms and 36.1% experiencing stress. The feelings of sadness and fear associated with Covid-19 were present in 20% of professionals, and 15.3% reported suicidal ideation. Approximately one-third of them were using psychotropic drugs, with 39.1% starting their use during the pandemic. Alcohol consumption was present in 61.1% of professionals, and of these, about one-third reported an increase in consumption during the pandemic. Regarding smoking, 12.5% of professionals were smokers, and 5.6% reported an increase during the pandemic. Conclusion: The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the mental health of the professionals studied. In light of this, there is a need to provide support to these professionals, making it necessary to create public policies focused on the comprehensive care of professionals with an emphasis on mental health.