Working conditions and health of frontline professionals in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The objective was to investigate the working conditions and physical and mental health of health professionals working on the front lines of Covid-19 in urgent, emergency, and intensive care services in Brazil in the second year of the pandemic. Cross-sectional study, using an electronic questionnaire, through which data on working conditions, and physical and mental health were collected, in addition to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS - 21) instrument. The sample (n=209) included nurses (28.7%), nursing technicians (30.1%), physiotherapists (33%), and physicians (8.2%). The professionals had an average age of 34.6 years and reported an average workload of 53.5 hours/week. There was an increase in hours worked (62%) and in the number of patients (84%). Most reported a good relationship with their boss (89%) and job satisfaction (87%). The prevalence of symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression was greater than 45%, with a predominance of severe or extremely severe symptoms. The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue was 84.7% and 83.3%, respectively. Health professionals showed an increase in workload and demand during the Covid-19 pandemic. There was also intense damage to the physical and mental health of these workers.