IMPACTO PSICOLÓGICO EN EL PERSONAL DE ENFERMERÍA Y TÉCNICOS DE LA SALUD DE PANAMÁ POR LA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated unprecedented challenges for public health systems. Evidence indicates that, faced with a new and highly contagious virus, it is common to feel fear and uncertainty. Added to this, having to work long hours, being continually exposed to the virus, and not having adequate protective equipment supplies, are some of the stressors investigated that increase the risk of health personnel experiencing physical and psychological distress. The objective of this thesis was to describe the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-medical health personnel (nurses and technicians) in Panamá. To carry out this study, approval was obtained from the National Research Bioethics Committee of Panamá (CNBI EC-CNBI-2020-08-87). A mixed research design was defined. A sample of 124 health workers (non-doctors) answered a battery of self-report questionnaires to measure sociodemographic data, work characteristics, coping strategies (COPE-28), stress due to COVID (CPDI), insomnia (Athens Scale) and anxious, depressive and stress symptoms (DASS-21). In a second qualitative stage, 25 people from the sample participated in a semi-structured interview.