Psychosocial factors at work and common mental disorders in health care professionals and workers

Psychosocial factors at work arise from the interactions between the organizational environment and the individual characteristics of workers, potentially affecting health, performance, and job satisfaction.

To investigate psychosocial work factors and the prevalence of psychological distress among health care professionals and workers in a general hospital.

A convenience sample of 157 participants was analyzed. Quantitative data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Health Safety Executive - Indicator Tool for assessing psychosocial work factors, and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire to screen for psychological distress. Qualitative data were gathered from three focus groups divided by job roles - nurses, nursing technicians, and administrative staff - totaling 20 volunteers.

The prevalence of common mental disorders among health care professionals and workers was 36%. An association was found between domains of the Health Safety Executive - Indicator Tool and psychological distress in health care professionals, particularly in the variables Colleague Support, Supervisor Support, and Communication. Among health care workers, this association was also observed in Demand, Relationships, Control, Supervisor Support, and Communication.

Qualitative data highlighted the relevance of psychosocial factors in psychological distress. Sharing these findings with the health care organization is expected to lead to prompt concrete organizational and management actions to implement strategies to minimize psychosocial stressors affecting the health and well-being of workers.