Progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian healthcare workers' emotional burden and the effects on professional fulfillment at the end of the third wave: a longitudinal study

Sonia Regina Loureiro; Antônio Waldo Zuardi; Isabella Lara Machado Silveira; José Alexandre de Souza Crippa; Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak; Flávia de Lima Osório

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1237123

Progression of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian healthcare workers' emotional burden and the effects on professional fulfillment at the end of the third wave: a longitudinal study

Front Psychiatry. 2023 Nov 3:14:1237123. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1237123. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sonia Regina Loureiro^{1

2}, Antônio Waldo Zuardi^{1

2}, Isabella Lara Machado Silveira¹, José Alexandre de Souza Crippa^{1

2}, Jaime Eduardo Cecílio Hallak^{1

2}, Flávia de Lima Osório^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Ribeirão Preto Medical SchoolUniversity of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
² National Institute for Science and Technology (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brasília, Brazil.

Abstract

Introduction: Even though the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers' mental health remain unknown, such effects might negatively impact health services and patient safety, especially in countries like Brazil, where there is little investment in public health policies.

Objectives: To assess how the mental health indicators of Brazilian healthcare workers progressed between the beginning and 2 years after the pandemic (at the end of the third wave when there was a significant decrease in the number of new cases and deaths).

Methods: The sample comprised healthcare workers whose mental health indicators have been monitored since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil. The potential participants were addressed via social media and contacted through class councils and health institutions across Brazil. A total of 165 participants answered instruments at the baseline and 2 years after the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Redcap platform and addressed symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, insomnia, and burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and professional fulfillment).

Results: Brazilian healthcare workers faced three periods of intensified incidence of new cases and deaths due to COVID-19 for 2 years. Approximately one-third of the sample still experiences high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Insomnia indicators remained the most prevalent compared to the baseline assessment, while post-traumatic stress symptoms (p = 0.04) and professional fulfillment (p = 0.005) decreased.

Conclusion: The lack of positive changes in mental health indicators coupled with decreased professional fulfillment over time highlights the pandemic's chronic effects and the need for organizations to monitor these workers' mental health, especially in developing countries like Brazil, where there is a high demand for health services and public policies are poorly structured and unstable.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; burnout; health occupations; longitudinal study; mental health.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovation and Communications; Ministry of Health of Brazil – MoH, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq (Process no. 401058/2020–4). The funders had no role in this study design, analysis, interpretation, or publication.