ABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction During COVID-19, health workers faced increased stress accentuated by gender roles, such as motherhood. Objective This study analyzed the characteristics of a group of physicians-mothers, its impact on mental health, and their experiences during this pandemic. Method Mixed methods study using an online survey to investigate sociodemographic, family, emotional, and professional aspects, in addition to the personal experience of 537 doctors-mothers during the first stage of COVID-19. Results Due to the pandemic, most of the participants changed their daily activities. The hours dedicated to professional work (HM = 5.08, p< .0001), childcare (HM = 3.74, p< .0001), and food planning and preparation (HM = -6.96, p< .0001) were increased, while the hours dedicated to physical exercise (MH = 8.67, p< .0001) and personal care (MH = 9.54, p< .0001) decreased. It has been pointed out that this pandemic has generated a lack of well-defined spaces, resulting in multitasking. Fear and guilt were two common words in the speeches of the participants. Fear of getting sick and dying, or fear of infecting their families. Guilt at feeling that they did not play a good role either as doctors or as mothers. Most common psychological symptoms were insomnia, sadness or discouragement, and constant worry or tension. Discussion and conclusion The pandemic evidenced and exacerbated both the disparities faced by these female doctors in the medical field, as well as the inequity in housework and home-care. The loss of boundaries between the public and the private showed the mothers-doctor struggling to reconcile their personal and professional life with substantial repercussions for their mental health.
Resumen Introducción Durante el COVID-19, los trabajadores de la salud enfrentaron mayor estrés, acentuado por los roles de género, como la maternidad. Objetivo Analizar las características de un grupo de madres médicas, su impacto en la salud mental, y sus experiencias durante esta pandemia. Método Estudio de métodos mixtos mediante una encuesta en línea que indagó aspectos familiares, emocionales, profesionales y la experiencia personal de 537 madres médicas durante la primera etapa del COVID-19. Resultados Por la pandemia, las participantes cambiaron sus actividades diarias. Asimismo, incrementaron el número de horas dedicadas al trabajo profesional (HM = 5.08, p< .0001), el cuidado de niños (HM = 3.74, p< .0001) y la planificación y preparación de alimentos (HM = -6.96, p< .0001). Disminuyeron las horas dedicadas al ejercicio físico (MH = 8.67, p< .0001) y al cuidado personal (MH = 9.54, p< .0001). Señalaron que esta pandemia generó una falta de espacios definidos, lo que favoreció el multitasking. Miedo y culpa fueron dos palabras habituales en los discursos de las participantes. También miedo a enfermarse y morir, o miedo a contagiar a sus familias. Culpabilidad por sentir que no desempeñaron un buen papel ni como médicas ni como madres. Los síntomas psicológicos más comunes fueron insomnio, tristeza y tensión constante. Discusión y conclusión La pandemia evidenció y exacerbó las disparidades que enfrentan estas doctoras en el campo de la medicina y la inequidad en las tareas del hogar. La pérdida de los límites entre lo público y lo privado mostró a las médicas madres conciliando su vida personal y profesional, con repercusiones sustanciales para su salud mental.
ABSTRACT
When a family member has depression at a level that generates disability in various functional spheres, the informal primary caregiver (IPC) is the individual who provides the majority of emotional and basic needs of the patient. This person is usually a relative and is extremely important in the health-disease-care process. This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to analyze the illness perception, in IPCs of undergraduate medical students previously diagnosed with mild depression. It was found that IPCs generate perceptions about depression based on a lack of knowledge of the disorder, which leads to feelings of sorrow, anger, frustration, and fear, that could interfere with the evolution of patients. Psychiatric disorders, such as depression, strongly impact both patients and people around them. For mental health professionals, in order to provide a more complete clinical approach, it is important to understand the illness perceptions not only of patients but of family IPCs as well.