Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the sleep quality of medical professionals in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Coronavirus pandemic began in China in 2019 (COVID-19), causing not only public health problems but also great psychological distress, especially for physicians involved in coping with the virus or those of the risk group in social isolation, and this represents a challenge for the psychological resilience in the world population. Studies showed that health professionals had psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, among others. Objectives: To investigate the quality of sleep and the prevalence rate of sleeping disorders among physicians during COVID-19 pandemic, and identify the psychological and social factors associated with the condition. Methods: A cross-sectional study of an online questionnaire was applied for physicians in Brazil. Among the 332 participants included, 227 were women. Sociodemographic assessment was used in the questionnaire, as well as the scale of impact on the events of modifications caused by COVID-19, assessment on sleep quality (PSQI), presence and severity of insomnia (ISI), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Results: Most physicians (65.6%) had changes in sleep. Poor sleep quality was reported by 73.1%, depressive symptoms were present in 75.8%, and anxiety in 73.4%. Conclusion: Our study found that more than 70% of the physicians assessed had impaired sleep quality, characterizing insomnia symptoms during COVID-19 outbreak. Related factors included an environment of isolation, concerns about COVID-19 outbreak and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Special interventions are needed to promote health professionals' mental well-being and implement changes in this scenario. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Portuguese) Introducao: A pandemia de coronavirus iniciada na China em 2019 (COVID-19) nao so causou problemas de saude publica mas tambem trouxe grande sofrimento psiquico, principalmente aos medicos envolvidos no enfrentamento da doenca ou aqueles do grupo de risco em isolamento social, e representa um desafio para a resiliencia psicologica da populacao mundial. Estudos mostram que profissionais de saude apresentaram sintomas psicologicos como depressao, ansiedade, insonia, estresse, entre outros. Objetivos: Investigar a qualidade do sono e a taxa de prevalencia de transtornos do sono entre os medicos durante a pandemia do COVID-19, e identificar os fatores psicologicos e sociais associados ao quadro. Metodos: Estudo transversal com aplicacao de questionario on-line a medicos do Brasil e inclusao de 332 participantes, dos quais 227 eram mulheres. Foram utilizados questionarios com avaliacao sociodemografica, escala de impacto a eventos com modificacoes causadas pelo COVID-19, avaliacao da qualidade do sono (PSQI), presenca e gravidade da insonia (IGI), sintomas depressivos (PHQ-9) e ansiedade (TAG-7). Resultados: A maioria dos medicos (65,6%) apresentou alteracoes no sono, sendo a ma qualidade do sono reportada por 73,1%. Sintomas depressivos estiveram presentes em 75,8%, e ansiedade em 73,4%. Conclusao: Nosso estudo constatou que mais de 70% dos medicos avaliados apresentavam comprometimento da qualidade do sono, caracterizando sintomas de insonia durante o surto de COVID-19. Os fatores relacionados incluiram ambiente de isolamento, preocupacoes com o surto de COVID-19 e sintomas de ansiedade e depressao. Intervencoes especiais sao necessarias para promover o bem-estar mental dos profissionais de saude e implementar mudancas nesse cenario. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)