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MENTAL HEALTH OF PRIMARY CARE PROFESSIONALS IN THE
MUNICIPALITY OF CAUCAIA - CE
Tainah Medeiros Campos1
Abstract: Primary care professionals face a series of daily challenges that directly affect their
emotional well-being. The Unied Health System (SUS) depends on its ability to provide accessible
and continuous care to the population, making it essential to ensure that these workers maintain their
mental health. However, various stressors, such as excessive workload, scarcity of resources, and
high societal expectations, often contribute to the psychological distress of these professionals. These
stressors can result in conditions such as chronic stress, burnout syndrome, anxiety, and depression,
affecting both the individual and the work team as a whole. Furthermore, the quality of care provided
to the community is directly related to the emotional health of these workers, as exhausted or
emotionally compromised professionals tend to provide less empathetic and effective care. A cross-
sectional study using the Maslach Burnout Inventory revealed that 10.6% of professionals were at
high risk of burnout. The subscales showed that 29.8% had high emotional exhaustion, 52.1% had
reduced professional fulllment, and 22.3% had depersonalization. (Silva et al, 2023) This article
therefore seeks not only to identify the factors that contribute to mental illness among primary care
professionals but also to explore solutions that can be implemented to mitigate these impacts. The
literature review and empirical data obtained through interviews with professionals working in the
eld highlight the urgent need for interventions that promote comprehensive care for these workers,
considering their emotional and psychological needs.
Keywords: mental health, primary care professionals, stress, burnout, support strategies, public
health.
1 Graduada em Enfermagem pela Universidade de Fortaleza- UNIFOR
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Introduction
Primary Care is the gateway to the Unied Health System (SUS) and plays a fundamental
role in health promotion and disease prevention. However, the workload, infrastructure conditions,
and emotional demands faced by professionals in this area often have signicant impacts on the
mental health of these workers. Chronic stress, burnout, and anxiety are some of the most common
problems, and their inadequate management can harm not only the health of the professional, but also
the quality of care offered to patients.
The objective of this article is to analyze the mental health of Primary Care professionals
in the Municipality of Caucaia, Ceará, considering the main risk factors and the consequences of
psychological illness, in addition to discussing effective support and prevention strategies.
Literature Review
The Context of Primary Care in Brazil
Primary Care, through the Family Health Strategy (FHS), has as its main function the
promotion of health, disease prevention and continuous and comprehensive care for the population.
Professionals such as doctors, nurses, community health agents and others are responsible for a large
number of consultations and for playing a crucial role in public health.
Stressors in the Primary Care Work Environment
Work overload, scarcity of resources, and lack of institutional support are factors that generate
stress in professionals. The pressure for immediate results and the constant contact with conditions of
social and health vulnerability of the populations served are sources of tension and anxiety. A study
showed that 75% of Primary Care professionals show signs of emotional exhaustion due to excessive
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tasks and lack of adequate support. (Lima et al, 2021)
Burnout and Its Consequences
Burnout is one of the main conditions of psychological illness among health professionals. It
is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and decreased personal fulllment. The
literature indicates that Primary Care workers are particularly vulnerable to this disorder, due to the
intense workload and continuous interactions with patients in vulnerable situations.
Protective Factors and Support Strategies
Despite the numerous difculties faced by Primary Care professionals, several approaches
and interventions can be implemented to reduce the negative effects on their mental health. Continuous
psychological support, for example, is one of the most effective tools to help these workers cope with
the stress and pressure of work. The availability of therapy services and emotional support groups
allows professionals to share their experiences, relieving the emotional burden and strengthening
mental health.
According to Souza and Carvalho (2019), strengthening bonds between members of health
teams and promoting spaces for active listening are essential to prevent psychological suffering
among Primary Care professionals. These authors highlight that strategies such as conversation
circles, institutional psychological support, and self-care practices help mitigate the effects of chronic
occupational stress.
In addition, offering specic training on stress management, self-care, and burnout prevention
techniques is essential. Training on relaxation practices, mindfulness, and other methods of emotional
regulation have been shown to be effective in helping professionals better cope with daily stresses.
Such training not only improves the well-being of workers, but also contributes to a healthier and
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more productive environment. (Silva et al, 2020)
Another important factor is the creation of a work environment that favors collaboration,
mutual respect, and support among team members. When professionals feel welcomed and recognized,
stress decreases and job satisfaction increases. In addition, promoting a space where exchanges of
experiences and coping strategies are encouraged can help reduce collective psychological suffering.
These practices, when implemented in a structured and continuous manner, can prevent
psychological illness among Primary Care professionals and contribute to the general improvement
of the quality of care provided to the population.
Methodology
This study was based on a literature review of scientic articles published in the last ve
years on the mental health of Primary Care professionals. In addition, data were collected through
interviews with professionals who work in Primary Care in the municipality.
Findings
Key Challenges Identied
The main obstacles faced by Primary Care professionals in relation to mental health are
related to the stress caused by the overload of tasks, the lack of adequate human and material resources,
the absence of psychological support and the high emotional demand involved in the care of patients
in situations of vulnerability. These factors create a challenging work environment, where constant
pressure and adverse conditions have a direct impact on the mental health of professionals, in addition
to affecting the quality of care offered to the population.
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Observed Psychological Impacts
Primary Care professionals often indicate that they are dealing with high levels of stress,
emotional fatigue, irritability, and anxiety. The lack of time for rest, added to the pressure to perform
various tasks with few resources, intensies these problems. Burnout syndrome was observed in a
signicant proportion of the research participants, especially among nurses and community health
workers, who face a heavy and constant workload. This emotional exhaustion not only affects the
mental health of professionals, but also negatively impacts the quality of care offered to the population.
Support Strategies
Some strategies adopted include holding conversation circles, psychological support groups,
and training programs for stress management. The implementation of active listening spaces within
teams has been shown to be effective in alleviating emotional distress. However, many professionals
still report the need for more resources and institutional support to deal with daily challenges.
Discussion
The mental health of Primary Care professionals is a complex and multifaceted issue.
Continuous stress, pressure for quick results, and adverse working conditions are factors that contribute
signicantly to psychological illness. The literature highlights that institutional support, such as the
provision of mental health programs, and the encouragement of the creation of more collaborative
work environments, are effective strategies to mitigate these problems.
However, there is still a gap in terms of public policies that effectively promote the mental
health of these professionals, and a more comprehensive approach involving both prevention and
treatment actions is needed.
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Conclusion
The mental health of Primary Care professionals is an extremely important issue, as it affects
not only the well-being of the workers themselves, but also the quality of health services provided
to the population. Healthcare professionals working at this level of care often deal with challenging
working conditions, such as high workload, scarcity of resources, poor infrastructure conditions,
and the constant pressure to meet a large patient demand. These factors can lead to emotional and
psychological exhaustion, affecting both your ability to perform work effectively and your physical
and mental health.
The impact of this wear and tear is twofold: on the one hand, it compromises the health of
the professionals themselves, and, on the other, it harms the quality of care offered to the population.
Overworked, stressed, and emotionally exhausted professionals have more difculties in offering
humanized, empathetic, and quality care, which is essential in Primary Care. This creates a vicious
cycle, where overload and stress generate a decrease in the quality of care, which, in turn, further
increases the stress and dissatisfaction of professionals.
References
SILVA, F. M. da et al. Prevalence of burnout syndrome among care professionals primary health care
in Toledo (PR). Brazilian Journal of Occupational Medicine, São Paulo, v. 21, n. 2, p. 194–201, 2023.
Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37197338/. Access on: 01 May. 2025.
LIMA, M. F., et al. (2021). Impacts of stress on the mental health of Primary Care professionals in
Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Public Health, 55, 13-24.
SILVA, R. S., & Souza, A. G. (2020). Burnout in Primary Care professionals: A qualitative analysis.
Journal of Psychology and Health, 8(4), 34-45.
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SOUZA, L. P., & Carvalho, F. A. (2019). Risk factors and coping strategies in the mental health of
Primary Care workers. Mental Health, 17(2), 12-22.
