Banca de DEFESA: ALINE MONTEIRO DO NASCIMENTO

MENTAL HEALTH AND ILLNESS AT WORK: A LOOK AT PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK IN SPECIALIZED CARE

Mental Health; Occupational Health; Workers' Health; Health Professionals.

 Introduction: Burnout is a syndrome characterized by physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion resulting from chronic stress in the workplace, and is especially prevalent among healthcare professionals. Objective: To analyze burnout levels and their relationship with quality of life indicators, in addition to understanding the perceptions of healthcare workers working in specialized care in the private sector regarding stress in the workplace. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative-qualitative study with a sample composed of healthcare professionals, including technicians, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and psychologists (n = 12). The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) instruments were applied, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. Results: Twelve healthcare workers were evaluated, and of these, 75% were in the initial phase of burnout, while 25% were at risk for the syndrome. The "pain" dimension of the SF-36 showed a statistically significant difference between these groups (p = 0.011). A significant negative correlation was found between burnout and perception of bodily pain (rho = -0.815 | p = 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed that 58.3% identified overload and excessive workload as the main stressor, while 83.3% of companies offered no mental health support initiatives. Among the stressors, significant reference was made to gaps in management training and the need for institutional strategies to manage stress and improve internal communication. As institutional responses, a mental health promotion program is proposed as a technical product, including discussion groups, psychological counseling, information booklets, thematic workshops, and training for managers. Conclusion: Healthcare professionals working in private healthcare have a high prevalence of burnout, especially in its initial phase. This condition is associated with a worse perception of bodily pain and specific sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. Therefore, institutions should promote mental health care actions for healthcare professionals.