Psychological distress of mental health workers in a pandemic context and associated factors: a cross-sectional study

Objective: To analyze the psychological distress of mental health workers in a pandemic context and identify associated factors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 108 workers from four mental health services in a municipality in the interior of São Paulo. Data was collected online between October and December 2020 through a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Self Report Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression of ordinary least squares to analyze the factors associated with the variation in the scale score. Results: The workers had a high average on the SRQ-20 scale (15.07), indicating significant psychological distress. Receiving psychological and/or psychiatric support during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with reducing this distress, with an average reduction of three symptoms assessed by the scale. Conclusion: Mental health support for workers in the pandemic context can be an important coping strategy associated with reducing psychological distress.