COMVC-19: A Program to protect healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What we have learned.

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.

COMVC-19: A Program to protect healthcare workers' mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. What we have learned

OBJECTIVE: In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a work and stress overload to healthcare workers, increasing their vulnerability to mental health impairments. In response, the authors created the COMVC-19 program. The program offered preventive actions and mental health treatment for the 22,000 workers of The Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP). This paper aims to describe its implementation and share what we have learned from this experience. METHODS: Workers were able to easily access the program through a 24/7 hotline. Additionally, a mobile phone app that screened for signs and symptoms of emotional distress and offered psychoeducation and/or referral to treatment was made available. Data from both these sources as well as any subsequent psychiatric evaluations were collected. RESULTS: The first 20 weeks of our project revealed that most participants were female, and part of the nursing staff working directly with COVID-19 patients. The most frequently reported symptoms were: anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances. The most common diagnoses were Adjustment, Anxiety, and Mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing a mental health program in a multimodal intervention was feasible in a major quaternary public hospital. Our data also suggests that preventive actions should primarily be aimed at anxiety and depression symptoms, with a particular focus on the nursing staff.

Gritos e sussurros: a interconsulta psicológica nas unidades de emergências médicas do Instituto Central do Hospital das Clínicas - FMUSP / Shouts and whispers : interconsultation psychological in the units of medical emergencies of the Central Institute of the Hospital of Clinics - FMUSP

Situações críticas e emergenciais permeiam todos os setores do hospital, mas ocorrem prioritariamente no Pronto-Socorro e nas Unidades de Terapia Intensiva. Estes cenários são marcados por sofrimento físico e emocional intensos; limites de diversas ordens; imprevisibilidade; vivências de perdas e morte. Vivências que geram uma angústia que pode ultrapassa o limiar de contenção dos atores nesse cenário pacientes, familiares e equipe de saúde e implicam a necessidade de intervenção psicológica. A interconsulta psicológica é uma modalidade de intervenção que permite considerar a demanda institucional, que inclui a subjetividade nas relações da equipe, e a assistência psicológica aos pacientes e a seus familiares. O presente trabalho utilizou o método da pesquisa clínico-qualitativa para descrever o serviço de interconsulta psicológica nas unidades de emergências médicas do Instituto Central do Hospital das Clínicas FMUSP. São apresentados cinco relatos de interconsulta, a partir das intervenções junto aos pacientes e junto aos profissionais envolvidos no caso (médicos, auxiliares de enfermagem, enfermeiros e assistentes sociais). Os casos foram analisados por meio do referencial psicanalítico freudiano e evidenciaram que nas unidades de emergência existem urgências físicas e subjetivas, cujo impacto atinge o paciente, seus familiares e os profissionais que se relacionam com ele. A relação pacienteprofissional de saúde aparece repleta de conteúdos inconscientes e transferenciais A equipe vivencia sofrimentos psíquicos relacionados a identificações com o paciente e principalmente ao sentimento de impotência. Observa-se que esse sofrimento interfere na conduta do profissional e, conseqüentemente, na assistência que ele oferece. A intervenção da psicóloga interconsultora permitiu a explicitação de conflitos inconscientes e a intermediação das relações entre pacientes e equipe de saúde(AU)

Critical situations and emergencies are present in all the areas of the hospital, however, they do occur at the emergency rooms and Intensive Care Units. The core traits of these pictures are physical and mental suffering, several ways of limitations, unpredictability as well as loss and death experiences. Such exposures engender anguish which can get out of control of the people involved in the situations patients, their families, hospital staff therefore psychological intervention is necessary. Psychological consultation-liaison is a way of intervention which takes into account the institutional demand, the subjectivity among the team relationships and the psychological assistance to the patients and their families. The present work makes use of a clinic-qualitative study describing the consultation-liaison psychology service in emergency medical units of the Central Institute of Hospital das Clínicas FMUSP. There are five reports described resulting from the intervention in patient and other staff members involved in the case (doctors, nurses, nurse assistants and social workers).The cases were analyzed through the Freudian frames of reference and showed that there are subjective and physical urgencies which impacts the patients, theirs families and the staff in contact with them. The relationship hospital staff-patient presents itself to be full of unconscious and transferential contents. The team experiences mental suffering which is related to their identification with the patient and, mainly, to their feeling of impotence. It was noticed that this suffering influences the professional behavior and consequently the assistance he will offer. The intervention made by the interconsulting psychologist enabled the disclosure of unconscious conflicts and the intermediation of the relationship between the hospital staff and the patients(AU)

Psicologia e emergências médicas: uma aproximação possível / Psychology and medical emergencies: a possible approach

Este estudo pretende caracterizar as necessidades afetivo-emocionais de pacientes atendidos pelo Pronto Socorro do Instituto Central do HC-FMUSP. Segundo a literatura, o Pronto Socorro destina-se a receber pessoas em situações de emergência, mas tem funcionado como um ambulatório com pronto-atendimento. Essa descaracterização, aliada à sobrecarga de trabalho e ao contato com a dor, sofrimento e morte afetam a equipe de saúde e podem comprometer a qualidade da assistência ao paciente. Trata-se de um estudo piloto realizado com 50 pacientes que passaram pela triagem do Pronto Socorro. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados um questionário breve e o diário de campo. Observou-se intensa procura de pacientes, que se mantém pela insuficiência do atendimento na rede pública de saúde e pelo status que o HC carrega. Os pacientes apresentam idealizações e uma demanda subjetiva que não pode ser devidamente considerada no contexto da abordagem médica. Diante disso, fica evidente que a intervenção psicológica pode beneficiar tanto pacientes quanto a equipe de saúde.(AU)

This study intends to characterize the affective-emotional necessities of patients taken care of for the Emergency Room of the Central Institute of the HC-FMUSP. According to literature, the Emergency Room destines to receive people in emergency situations, but it has functioned as a clinic with soon-attendance. This dynamics, allied to the overload of work and the contact with pain, suffering and death affects the health team and can compromise the patient assistance quality. ItÆs a pilot study with 50 patients who had passed for the Emergency Room selection. For the collection of data a brief questionnaire and the field daily one are used. The patients intense search was observed, that if keeps for the public health net attendance insufficiency and for the HC "status". The patients present idealizations and a subjective demand that cannot be considered in the context of the medical boarding duly. Therefore, it is evident that the psychological intervention can benefit patients and the health team.(AU)