Occupational stress, work engagement and coping strategies in Community Health Workers

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the levels of occupational stress, work engagement, and coping strategies among community health workers. Methods: cross-sectional study with 133 Community Health Workers. We used a questionnaire with socioeconomic and professional variables, the Work Stress Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and the Coping Modes Scale. Results: The mean occupational stress score was 2.7. Work engagement levels were high for dedication (4.0), vigor (4.3), and overall score (4.0). Problem-focused coping modes (3.9; ±0.6) and based on religious practices and fantasy thinking (3.4; ±0.7) stood out. Conclusion: there is a high percentage of professionals with significant occupational stress. The levels of work engagement were medium for absorption and high for dedication, vigor, and overall score. The coping strategies are focused on problem solving, religious practices and fanciful thoughts of positive character.

Analysis of the Coping Strategies of Primary Health Care Professionals: Cross-Sectional Study in a Large Brazilian Municipality

“…Through the process of reframing the problem, the professionals who adopt this strategy make cognitive efforts to perceive the problem in a positive way and, from there, attempt to face it [16,35]. These results corroborate the findings of other studies conducted with healthcare professionals that also presented the problem-focused strategy as the main coping strategy [23,25,35,36].…”

“…The strategy based on the pursuit of social support, more evident among community health agents and female workers, shows the importance of expanding the network of social and emotional support to PHC workers. Thus, it is essential that managers encourage team meetings, which are important opportunities for listening to the demands of these professionals and sharing information that contributes to more effective confrontation of the problems present in the work practice, thereby reducing the risk of suffering and mental illness of these workers [25].…”

“…Studies with health professionals in hospital services indicate that the most commonly adopted coping strategies are problem solving and social support, which consist of behavioral strategies aimed at solving the problem and cognitive strategies aimed at perceiving the stressor as a positive experience, in addition to seeking out information and socioemotional support [23,24]. Similarly, in studies with psychologists from a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) and with community health workers, the authors showed that problem solving strategies are more frequently used and more positively perceived by professionals [25,26].…”

Estresse ocupacional e sintomas osteomusculares em Agentes Comunitários de Saúde

“…Além disso, o processo de trabalho inadequado ou extenuante, associado ao desgaste emocional, pode originar morbidades osteomusculares, com presença de sintomas sem entidade clínica específica e aspectos relacionados à dor, à fadiga, à perda de força e da amplitude de movimento e à parestesia (Santos et al, 2016). No caso dos ACS, são considerados fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de dores musculoesqueléticas: a necessidade de caminhar longas distâncias para a realização das visitas domiciliares, permanecendo de pé por várias horas ao longo da semana; a exposição prolongada ao sol; o peso decorrente dos prontuários e formulários transportados em mochilas, sob os ombros ou as costas; e o uso de sapatos inadequados (Baptistini & Figueiredo, 2014;Faria et al, 2021;Santos et al, 2015).…”

Analysis of the Coping Strategies of Primary Health Care Professionals: Cross-Sectional Study in a Large Brazilian Municipality

“…In Brazil, a study with community health workers evidenced the adoption of positive coping strategies, such as problem-oriented ones and those based on the search for religious practices and fantasy thinking [ 23 ]. Similarly, a study with psychologists from a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) evidenced that problem-solving strategies are more used and better perceived by professionals [ 24 ].…”