Estresse e fatores associados em trabalhadores da saúde do Rio Grande do Sul durante a pandemia de COVID -19

Abstract

The present dissertation aimed to evaluate the level of stress and associated factors among health workers in the State of Rio Grande do Sul during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research is part of a larger project, with a mixed design, entitled “Gender and mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychosocial impacts and production of vulnerabilities among health workers”, which was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. (CEP) of the University of Vale dos Sinos (UNISINOS). It was an online crosssectional study whose data collection took place between July 2020 and May 2021. Participants were 610 health workers from different categories working in hospitals and Primary Health Care (PHC) services. A standardized and self-administered questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic, health, work, and behavioral characteristics. EVENT scale measured the perception of vulnerability to stress related to job conditions. Stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Ordinal regressions were performed to identify the association of these variables with stress levels, also stratifying between PHC and Hospital workers. In the adjusted model for the total sample, women, PHC workers, those who had less Personal Protetive Equipments (PPE) availability, greater perceived vulnerability to stress in relation to the climate and organizational functioning and to pressure at work had higher levels of stress. Those which increased the use of alcoholic beverages and non-prescription psychiatric medication during pandemic also showed higher stress. Among hospital workers, greater chances of high stress were found among women, people with white skin color, who had less availability of PPE, used psychiatric medication and had a perception of greater vulnerability to stress in terms of organizational climate and functioning and pressure at work. Among PHC workers, greater chances of high stress kept associated with lower family income and the perception of greater vulnerability to stress at work in terms of infrastructure and routine. Being over 46 years old was a protective factor for stress among PHC workers. The study findings contribute to the inform actions to reduce occupational stressors in health services and improve the quality of life of health workers.