Perceived stress among Primary Health Care Professionals in Brazil

Abstract

Objective:: To evaluate the perceived stress (PS) of professionals in Primary Health Care and its association with the characteristics of the teams in the Family Health Program (FHP). The association between PS and self-referred morbidity was also investigated.

Methods:: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 450 employees from 60 teams in 12 Basic Health Units (BHUs) in a region of São Paulo. The differences in the total score in the Perceived Stress Scale were evaluated through multiple linear regression models.

Results:: Higher levels of PS were observed in those who had been working for one year or more in the same team, in the categories of doctors, nurses and community health workers, females, non-religious, and in BHU professionals in incomplete teams (absence of a physician). Lower perceived stress was found in widowers. It was observed that individuals with higher levels of PS have higher chances of reporting chronic health problems.

Conclusion:: It can be concluded that the perception of stress in this population is associated with individual, professional factors, and the composition of teams in healthcare units.