Mental health of community health workers in the COVID-19 context

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 28; no. 8; pp. 2363 - 2376
• Main Authors: Vieira-Meyer, Anya Pimentel Gomes Fernandes, Farias, Sidney Feitoza, Forte, Franklin Delano Soares, Costa, Milena Silva, Guimarães, José Maria Ximenes, Morais, Ana Patrícia Pereira, Oliveira, André Luiz Sá de, Silva Júnior, Fernando José Guedes da, Nascimento, Elaine Ferreira do, Vasconcelos, Maristela Inês Osawa, Dias, Maria Socorro de Araújo, Oliveira, Felipe Proenço de, Machado, Maria de Fátima Antero Sousa, Castro, Marcia C, Yousafzai, Aisha Khizar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva - ABRASCO 01-08-2023
• Subjects: Anxiety - epidemiology; Community Health Workers; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Humans; Mental Health; Quality of Life; Brasil
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232023288.06462023EN

This study aimed to analyze the factors related to the mental health of Community Health Workers (ACS) in the COVID-19 context. A total of 1,935 ACS from four Northeastern capitals and four cities in the inland region of Ceará participated. The following data were collected: sociodemographic; professional; SRQ-20; WHOQOL-Bref, exposure to violence, General Self-Efficacy Scale (EAEG), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), COVID-19-related information, and the coronavirus anxiety scale (EAC). Approximately 40.5% had SRQ > 7, signaling high levels of Common Mental Disorders (CMD)/mental health issues. We adopted the Multiple linear (backward) regression. We observed that the increased risk of CMD was influenced by exposure to violence, EAC, not knowing they had COVID-19, not knowing the variables that reduced the risk, the physical and psychological domains of the WHOQOL-Bref, not having increased working hours, and not having had COVID-19. The data reveal the multidimensional dynamics of mental health and help understand the relationship between community violence, COVID-19, quality of life, age, and ESF working time with the mental health of ACS.