Abstract
Objective: To analyze the coping strategies used by primary healthcare (PHC) professionals. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study realized with professionals working in primary healthcare units in São José do Rio Preto, a large city in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. For data collection, we used an instrument developed by the researchers containing sociodemographic and professional variables, as well as the Problem Coping Modes Scale (EMEP). Results: We evaluated 333 PHC professionals. A difference was observed between the scores of the four coping strategies (p < 0.001), with the highest score for the problem-focused strategy (3.8) and the lowest score for the emotion-focused strategy (2.4). Physicians had the lowest scores in coping strategies focused on religious practices/fantastical thinking (p < 0.001) and pursuit of social support (p = 0.045), while community health agents had the highest scores in these coping strategies. Conclusions: Professionals working in PHC have different coping strategies for the problems and stressful situations experienced in the work environment. These strategies can involve more positive attitudes focused on confrontation and problem solving, and on emotional responses that involve attitudes of avoidance and denial of the problem.
Highlights
In Brazil, the establishment of the Unified Health System (UHS) after the promulgation of the Brazilian Constitution in 1988 determined the universal right of the population to health services
A total of 333 primary healthcare (PHC) workers participated in this study, of which 32 (9.6%) were physicians, 20 (6%) were nurses, 71 (21.3%) were nursing assistants/technicians, and 210 (63.1%)
Participants were predominantly female (81.1%), 60 years old or above (44.7%), with higher education (55.3%), married or in a stable union (63.1%), permanent employees (74.5%), with 40 working hours per week (91.0%), with family income of 2 to 10 minimum wages (56.8%), up to two years working in PHC (37.8%), and satisfied with the profession (77.8%) (Table 1)
Summary
In Brazil, the establishment of the Unified Health System (UHS) after the promulgation of the Brazilian Constitution in 1988 determined the universal right of the population to health services. PHC is considered the “entrance door” for users of the health system and is characterized by a set of health actions at the individual and collective levels that cover health promotion and protection, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, harm reduction, health maintenance, and palliative care. At this level of health care, professionals develop comprehensive care actions that impact people’s health status and autonomy and the health determinants and conditions of the communities. Professionals in FHS teams work with client assignment, home visits, integrality of practice, and health promotion. They are multiprofessional teams, composed of a general physician (preferably a specialist in Family and Community Medicine), a nurse (preferably a specialist in Family Health), a nursing assistant and/or a nursing technician, and community health workers (CHWs) [2,4]
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