Work overload and mental health impacts on community health workers during the pandemic

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21710871
AutoresThyago Henrique Pereira Santos (0000-0002-0242-3889, Universidade Federal do Ceará), Luciano Pamplona De Góes Cavalcanti (0000-0002-3440-1182, Universidade Federal do Ceará), Kelen Gomes Ribeiro (0000-0003-0870-1971, Universidade Federal do Ceará), Maria Luiza Almeida Bastos (0000-0003-2427-5896, Universidade Federal do Ceará), Maria João Militão Ferreira (0000-0001-5187-4195, Universidade Federal do Ceará)
Año2025
Volumen29
Fecha de publicación2025-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInterface - Comunicação Saúde Educação (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1414-3283 • E-ISSN: 1807-5762
EditorialFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/interface.250143
OpenAlexW4415999232
SCIELO_PIDS1414-32832025000100950
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas13

The aim was to analyze the perceptions of Community Health Workers (CHWs) regarding the aspects related to workload burden and its impacts on mental health within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a Case Study conducted with 37 CHWs in the municipality of Fortaleza. We adopted Discourse Analysis, highlighting four key categories: work process; workload burden; impacts on mental health; and health education activities. Changes in the work process of CHWs caused by the COVID-19 have negatively impacted the mental health of these professionals. Among the factors, exhausting work schedules, increased occupational exposure to biological risks and insufficient Personal Protective Equipment and challenges to implement health education in communities. It’s essential to develop effective actions within the scope of Occupational Health Surveillance for CHWs. After all, their commitment to defending the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) and strengthening PHC is unquestionable

Community health workers · Mental health · Occupational safety and health · Pandemic · Personal protective equipment · Workload · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Health, Nursing, Elderly Care · Occupational Health and Burnout