Primary Healthcare workers' discourses in the context of syndemic: psychosocial risks and repercussions

Abstract

The study aimed at understanding the psychosocial repercussions of the syndemic context on Primary Healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the period of labor deregulation. This qualitative research explored the psychosocial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on Primary Healthcare workers in Fortaleza, Ceará. Discourse Analysis was used to examine the reports of 21 workers from three Primary Health Care Units (Unidades de Atenção Primária à Saúde – UAPS), highlighting the risks of urban violence and the biological and psychosocial effects of the syndemic. The results indicated that the pandemic exacerbated job precariousness and the mental health of professionals due to high demand, scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and uncertainties about disease management. Violence in work territories and insufficient resource management were identified as aggravating factors for working conditions and the mental health of Primary Healthcare workers.