Distress, coping and affective states in healthcare workers during the covid-19 pandemic

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2022.v13.46806

Keywords:

COVID-19, post-traumatic stress disorders, affect, healthcare workers, coping strategies

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic forged a period of global crisis with impacts on the mental health of the entire population, notably frontline health professionals. The study aimed to track the presence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms in frontline healthcare workers and verify its association with coping strategies and affective states during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. A longitudinal online study was carried out with 51 frontline healthcare professionals from the five regions of Brazil who responded to the following instruments: Impact of Event Scale, Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale, Occupational Coping Scale, and questionnaire about personal experience during the pandemic. Comparison of proportions and means, as well as correlation analysis, revealed a high rate of symptoms related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the three point of data collection, with significant correlations with negative affects, but not with coping strategies. The increased risk for the development or worsening of mental disorders in these professionals is highlighted, particularly post-traumatic stress and emotional regulation difficulties, which require urgent psychological care actions.

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Author Biographies

Sofia Marques Viana Ulisses, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC-SP

Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from the Nucleus of Jungian Studies at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.

Omar Moreira Del Bianco, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC-SP

Master in Clinical Psychology from the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC-SP. Psychologist and Mental Health Articulator at SUS.

Jefferson Luiz Pereira, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo

Master in Clinical Psychology from the Nucleus of Jungian Studies at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo - PUC-SP.  

Katerina Lukasova, Universidade Federal do ABC

Professor at the Universidade Federal do ABC.

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Published

2022-12-28

How to Cite

Marques Viana Ulisses, S., Moreira Del Bianco, O., Luiz Pereira, J., & Lukasova, K. (2022). Distress, coping and affective states in healthcare workers during the covid-19 pandemic. Estudos Interdisciplinares Em Psicologia, 13, 01–19. https://doi.org/10.5433/2236-6407.2022.v13.46806

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Section

Original Articles