Impacts of COVID 19 on the Mental Health of Health Professionals and Service Providers at a Public Maternity Hospital in the State of Amapá

Abstract

Covid 19 today represents a serious public health problem worldwide, as it is a disease caused by a virus, it is highly transmissible mainly in closed places and hospital environments. In this regard, health professionals are particularly susceptible to infection, due to prolonged working hours, making breaks and rest difficult, in addition to having to adopt differentiated norms and procedures during care, often resulting in a high stress load affecting their mental health, this scenario that aroused the interest to carry out this research that counted as a general objective: To analyze the impacts of Covid 19 on the mental health of health professionals and service providers in a public maternity hospital in the State of Amapá. And specifically: To draw the socio-demographic profile of health professionals and service providers (cleaning, reception and make-up artists) of a public maternity hospital in the State of Amapá; Compare and evaluate the impacts and changes in the mental health of health professionals and service providers acquired during the Covid 19 pandemic period, highlighting the main triggering factors; Compare the results of the variables aimed at assessing mental health between the two groups, showing differences and correlating the findings with the literature. The research is exploratory, descriptive with a quantitative approach. The research was carried out in a public maternity hospital in the city of Macapá. The sample consisted of 100 professionals (health and service providers). Data collection was carried out after a favorable opinion from the Research Ethics Committee, in addition to signing the Free and Informed Consent Form of the participants. Through the results of this research it was found that: Due to the atypical moment of pandemic that we live there were reports of health professionals and service providers for psychological changes such as anxiety, fear, depression, sleep loss and psychosomatic symptoms that directly impact mental health of these. Specifically by category, Doctors reported the most prevalent feelings: fear, distress and insecurity. Nurses were: fear, fear, indisposition, anguish, sadness, stress and psychological pressure. By the nursing technicians were: stress, fear, worry, anger and sadness. and finally by the Service Providers were: fear, malaise, stress and indignation. There were no significant differences when comparing the responses to the questionnaire containing the mental health assessment variables between health professionals and service providers. Thus, it was observed that the feelings generated by the pandemic were shared by all, regardless of the sector of activity and training. Thus, it is extremely necessary to implement long-term strategies aimed at the mental health of frontline professionals in the Covid-19 pandemic. To this end, mental health care networks must be organized, including the use of technologies such as the use of telephone counseling platforms and video telemedicine, maintaining a direct channel of communication with mental health specialists (psychologists, psychiatrists) and others), aiming to ensure a quick and effective psychosocial intervention, because the faster the approach, the less the psychological damage in the medium term.