Changes in the diagnosis of depression among nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

AIMS: To identify changes in mental health status among nursing professionals in a Brazilian municipality during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: An observational and longitudinal study. METHODS: Using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the presence of depressive symptoms was evaluated among 690 nursing professionals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, at two moments: June/July 2020 and June/July 2021. RESULTS: 13.0% incidence of depressive symptoms was identified; as well as 12.2% remission; 24.1% persistence and 50.7% absence. Among the factors associated with the worst prognoses we can mention female gender, greater workload, feeling of overload, illness of family members or friends due to COVID-19 and use of psychotropic drugs CONCLUSIONS: There was significant mobility in the diagnosis of depression among the professionals studied during the period analysed, with incidence of new cases of significant depression and greater than the number of remissions. In addition to sociodemographic aspects, traumatic experiences and exposure to continuous overload were associated with persistence and incidence of new cases. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies have shown an increase in depressive symptoms among nursing professionals; however, understanding the long-term effects of this scenario is still a challenge. IMPACT: What problem did the study address? This study investigates changes in the mental health status of nursing professionals working at different care levels, taking the prevalence of screening for depression as a proxy, during a period of a year during the COVID-19 pandemic. What were the main findings? Between both data collection moments, 2020 e 2021, there was a significant percentage of professionals with persistent depression, in addition to a significant proportion of incident cases that slightly exceeded the number of remissions and the factors associated with the worst prognoses were sociodemographic aspects such as gender and emotional stressors like illness of family members or close friends due to COVID-19, in addition to those related to the organisation and support provided by the services, such as workload and feeling of overload. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This study will impact the nursing professionals and in role of the health services in order to establishing actions that contribute to minimising the deleterious effects of the pandemic on the mental health of their Nursing teams. REPORTING METHOD: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

[Limitations of social behavior among users of the psychosocial care network in the south of Brazil]. / Limitações de comportamento social entre usuários da Rede de Atenção Psicossocial no sul do Brasil.

This cross-sectional study aims to assess through analysis of data suggested by the Social Behavior Schedule (SBS) quantitatively and qualitatively distinguishing between the limitations of social interaction presented by users of substitute services. Analyses were performed of 385 instruments applied to users of Therapeutic Residential Services (SRT) and the Centers for Psychosocial Care (CAPS). Twenty-one items from the Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS, BR). The data indicate that the individuals studied had from zero to 15 social behavior problems, with an average of 2.5 problems per service user with a standard deviation of 2.84. The majority of the sample appeared to have 1-2 problems among those identified by the scale, and the nonspecific behaviors are present in greater proportion in both services, followed by panic attacks among CAPS users and problems with personal appearance and hygiene in SRT users. In this way, the use of tools that make it possible to assess the data on the social aspects of the psychological distress deserves to be encouraged as a way to further research in this area, and rethink ways of effecting social reintegration of these individuals.

[Evaluation of users' satisfaction regarding mental health care in the Family Health Strategy]. / Avaliação da satisfação dos usuários com o cuidado da saúde mental na Estratégia Saúde da Família.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction of patients with mental suffering regarding the comprehensiveness of the treatment they received from the Family Health Strategy. This case study was developed based on an evaluation study with a qualitative approach at a family health care unit in Chapecó, Santa Catarina. Subjects were 13 users with some kind of mental disorder. The following seven domains were used to evaluate satisfaction: autonomy, confidentiality, communication, respectful treatment, immediate treatment, basic facility conditions, and accessibility to social support networks. It was found that users perceived the strengths and weaknesses of service organization and of the care that was provided: the attachment, the relationship between the team and the community, care with the family, home visits, and the health professionals comprehensive view in the physical exam were reported to be reasons for the users' satisfaction.

[The supply and use of psychotropic drugs in Psychosocial Care Centers in Southern Brazil]. / Descrição de oferta e consumo dos psicofármacos em Centros de Atenção Psicossocial na Região Sul brasileira.

The description of the supply and use of psychotropic drugs at the Centers for Psychosocial Care (CAPS) is relevant for the effectiveness of assistance from mental health services. The objective was to describe the use and supply of these drugs in CAPS types I and II, in Southern Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study, in which surveys were conducted, in May and June 2006, on the structural aspects of the referred service using charts of 1162 users, and self-applied questionnaires answered by 30 engineers working at CAPS where these users were being monitored. Users were identified as mostly female, adult, middle-aged, low economic status, mainly with a diagnosis of major depression and using antidepressants. It was also found that there might be a lack of distribution and supply of psychotropic drugs in the public health system (SUS) network, which affects the drug therapy of this specialized mental health service, given the socioeconomic conditions of the users.

[The integrality in daily work in family health strategy]. / A integralidade no cotidiano de trabalho na estratégia saúde da família.

This work is part of a research for evaluation of the Expansion and Consolidation of Family Health Program (PROESF). This is a study with a qualitative approach, developed in a unit of family health seen as successful experience in relation to the organization to integral care, located in a city of medium size. This article tried to approach the integrality of care with an emphasis on the team work, to identify in the daily practices, the potential and limits to enable the integration. The instruments used were semi-structured interviews with eight members of staff and observations diary recorded in a field. It was verified the existence of alternative practices that escape from the traditional model, considered as completeness potentiators. However obstacles were also highlighted to the integrality such as difficulty of access for users to certain specialties and lack of reception in the service.

Potentialities in integral care: uterine cervical cancer prevention according to the users of the family health strategy.

This study aimed to analyze the integral care in the uterine cervical cancer prevention practices in the conception of users of the Family Health Strategy through an exploratory and descriptive research with a qualitative approach. A total of 14 users who performed the Pap smear in December 2002 in four Family Health Units affiliated to Higher Education institutions were selected for the study. Data were collected between April and June 2003. We found that the users analyze and assess the praxis by issuing a value judgment about the care they receive, mainly in terms of light (relational) technologies. Concluding, humanized practices provided by professional/team favor integral care, strengthening the bond between users and health services, as well as health promotion.

[Emergency care: the perception of the nursing team regarding their work at the reception sector]. / Pronto atendimento: a percepção da equipe de enfermagem quanto ao seu trabalho no setor de recepção.

This study aimed to characterize the nursing team, to find out and analyze its perception about the process of work developed at the reception area of the School Health Center of the Universidade de São Paulo Medicine School at Ribeirão Preto. The theoretical framework was based on directive and organizational principles of the Unified Health System. It is a qualitative research. The authors analyzed the data in two groups, the perception about the reception and the perception about the reception in the process of work. The Nursing work within the emergency care presented potentials, using the reception to change the assistance model.

[Cervix uteri cancer: a critical approach to its prevention]. / Câncer cérvico uterino: um olhar crítico sobre a prevenção.

This article is a pilot study of one of the authors master dissertation about problems related to the preventive measures of cervix cancer. Four women with cancer that were hospitalized at the gynecological ward or under chemotherapy treatment at a hospital in the city of Pelotas, RS, Brazil, were interviewed. Data were collected from April to June 2001, and of the women interviewed only one was examined preventively according to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. Therefore, health professionals should be urged to promote care as well as health education.