Stress in healthcare workers in Hospitals and Emergency Care Units in Sergipe public health service during COVID-19 pandemic time

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.