A SAÚDE MENTAL DOS PROFISSIONAIS DE SAÚDE NO CONTEXTO DE PANDEMIA DE COVID-19

In December 2019, there was an alert on cases of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, China, linked to the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In March 2020, the pandemic state of COVID-19 was decreated by the World Health Organization. The growth in the number of cases, the lack of Personal Protective Equipment, work overload and the lack of beds in hospitals are some problems experienced by health professionals. Faced with an emergency context, emotional responses are in evidence, making mental health a factor that needs to be analyzed. The main purpose of this study was to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of health professionals. This is an exploratory research, characterized as a narrative review of literature from December 2019 to May 18, 2020. This context has caused psychological impacts such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and feelings of fear and helplessness in health professionals, especially those working on the front lines against COVID-19. It is necessary to provide basic working conditions through the health system, mainly through the role of managers. For example, the reduction of working hours, flexible scales, the provision of Personal Protective Equipment and the provision of specialized psychological support. New research, in the short and long term, needs to be carried out to critically assess the impacts of this pandemic on the mental health of health professionals. Such findings may contribute to the development of mental health actions and policies.