Abstract
The objective of this work was to assess the stress in healthcare workers (HCW) and its correlation with perception of stressors in their work environments - hospitals and emergency care units in the public health system in the state of Sergipe, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a cross-sectional study carried out by non-probabilistic sampling with 58 HCW, using specific questionnaires and a validated scale (Job Stress Scale) about sociodemographic issues, job stress and COVID-19. Using the demand-control-support assessment model, the work performed was classified as passive, active, low strain and high strain, according work's demand and the range of decision-making freedom. Estimated correlations between each questionnaire were performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient through SPSS software, and descriptive statistics, through Excel. Most of the participants were shown to be under high psychological demand (93.10%) and found themselves with high control (89.66%). Some factors affected the HCW’s perception of social support in the workplace, these were their team’s knowledge about COVID-19, the availability of personal protective equipment, and their physical comfort while using it. HCW were involved in active work; although they were not in the worst scenario in relation to psychological stress, they were still under great psychological strain, which reinforces the need to adopt effective measures to reduce it.
Highlights
In January 2020, new corona virus was declared a public health emergency of international concern, and in March was declared a global outbreak by the WHO
58.62% (n = 34) had a second job, which is common among Brazilians Healthcare workers (HCW) [17], the predominant age group was 31-40 years old (58.62%; n = 34), and the majority of the sample had worked in their job for ten years or more (51.72%, n = 30)
Considering the findings of this research, it can be concluded that, in the state of Sergipe, the HCW who are at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19 can be described as being involved in “active work” according to the analysis employed
Summary
In January 2020, new corona virus was declared a public health emergency of international concern, and in March was declared a global outbreak by the WHO. COVID-19 spreads rapidly and the best way to prevent its transmission is through physical distancing, which resulted in people being advised to stay at home [2]. Healthcare workers, have to do the exact opposite. The number of deaths from the disease and the number of confirmed cases keeps increasing as forecast [2], increasing the number of people who need health care. Healthcare workers (HCW) are among the most stressed professional categories. COVID-19 generates stress through several ways, like an overload of activities, long working hours and exposure to the disease [4]
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