Impacto da COVID-19 na saúde mental dos profissionais de enfermagem atuantes no estado de São Paulo

Introduction: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brazilian health system suffered from the high demand for care that burdens professionals who make up the front line, especially those in nursing. Thus, in addition to the physical impacts, mental health is an essential and determinant aspect regarding the well-being and coping capacity of these professionals. Objective: Identify the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among nursing professionals working in the state of São Paulo during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional and descriptive quantitative study involving 2,612 nursing professionals working in the state of São Paulo with active registration in the Regional Nursing Council (COREN), aged eighteen and above, of bothgenders. Data collection occurred remotely through an electronic questionnaire and the Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to identify predictors of emotional instability and depressive symptoms. Data were scored according to the normative criteria of the instrument. Results: Anxiety symptoms had a higher prevalence rate (n=1546; 59%) among participants with scores above the normal level for some degree of the disease. The second highest prevalence was related to the intensity of depressive symptoms (n=1557; 60%). Regarding stress, 1,265 professionals (48%) showed some index above the expected level of emotional instability. Based on the results, it was possible to identify that in individuals outside the normal range, anxiety symptoms were predominant at a very severe level (n=647; 25%). Concerning other psychopathologies, a moderate level predominated, with 525 individuals (20%) for depression and 375 (14%) for stress. Conclusion: The study concluded that there was a presence of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among nursing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, with nurses showing signs of greater prevalence of depression and stress compared to nursing technicians and assistants. Regarding anxiety, there was a higher prevalence among nursingtechnicians.