Aspectos psicossociais do trabalho e transtornos mentais comuns em trabalhadores da atenção básica

Abstract

Primary health care structure the Unified Health System in Brazil. However, the primary health care workers experience increasing demands, repetitive tasks, fast pace and lack of autonomy on their jobs. These are organizational factors, which can be grouped by psychosocial work characteristics of demand-control model. Demand-control model has assessed job stress and mental and physical illness. Then this study examined the association between psychosocial work characteristics and common mental disorders (CMD) in primary health care workers of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. This study examined the association between psychosocial work characteristics and common mental disorders (CMD) in primary health care workers of the city of Belo Horizonte, Southeastern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A stratified random sampling method was used to select 1,808 health workers. A total of 1,024 participants worked in primary care services. Psychosocial work characteristics were assessed using the demand control model, while common mental disorders were evaluated with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire. The association measures were crude and adjusted prevalence ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p-values. The prevalence of CMD was 27.9% (95%CI = 25.1%-30.7%). Associations were found between common mental disorders and demands (p < 0,001), control (p = 0,008) and social support (p < 0,001). High strain was strongly associated with CMD after adjusting for confounders (PR = 2,52, 95%CI = 1.55-4.08). There was a high prevalence of CMD among primary health care workers. In this study, psychological demands and control had the same influence on mental health. It is recommended that changes should be made in the work characteristics of primary health care. Additionally, the quality of health services will not improve while workers’ health policies are not applied.