Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 na saúde mental e qualidade de vida de colaboradores da Atenção Primária a Saúde em Fortaleza, nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of health professionals in the Primary Care of Fortaleza. Methods: cross-sectional and quantitative study, applying the MEDICAL OUTCOMES STUDY 36-ITEM SHORT-FORM HEALTH SURVEY questionnaire, among workers of the Primary Care Units of Regional II. Results: A total sample of 146 participants was obtained, with over 70% being female and an average age of 40 years. Among the participants, 65.8% reported a history of COVID-19 infection, with only three requiring hospitalization. When compared to Brazilian population norms, the study sample exhibited higher mean scores in functional capacity (82.5 (18.05)) and physical aspects (78.3 (31.39)), and lower mean scores in social aspects (41.9 (25.87)) and pain (51.1 (40.94)). When comparing professionals based on years of service, those with over five years of experience showed significantly better scores in physical aspects (81.6 (30.91)) (p=0.0074), vitality (60.5 (23.34)) (p=0.0097), and mental health (70.5 (20.32)) (p=0.0131). Conclusion: Healthcare professionals in Primary Care from Regional II presented a lower overall quality of life. However, a direct correlation with COVID-19 infection could not be established.