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Background The coronavirus epidemic was first identified in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019. Because of the pandemic, health professionals, including residents in medicine and other health specialties, began working under intense physical and psychological pressure and were at a greater risk of developing mental disorders and psychological distress. Methods This study evaluated the prevalence of symptoms indicative of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress among medical residents and other health specialties during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. This study adopted a cross-sectional design that included postgraduate students in medical and other health residency programmes in Brazil. The recruitment extended from July 29 to September 5, 2020. Results In total, 1,313 resident medical and other health residents participated in the study. The Scale DASS-21 identified depression, anxiety and stress in 51.3%, 53.4% and 52.6% of the participants, respectively. Based on the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), 61.9% of the participants had low resilience. A total of 60.9% of the residents had high scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item depression module (PHQ-9). Conclusions We found a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among medical and nonmedical residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

BACKGROUND The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic was first identified in Wuhan, China, at the end of 2019, and spread across the world in a fast and disordered manner. Because of the pandemic, health professionals, including residents in medicine and other health specialties, began working under intense physical and psychological pressure daily and were exposed to a greater risk of developing mental disorders and psychological distress. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the prevalence of symptoms indicative of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress among postgraduate students who were residents in medicine and other health specialties during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and identified possible associated predisposing factors. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study that included postgraduate students in medical and other health residency programmes in Brazil. The recruitment period was from July 29 to September 5, 2020. Epidemiological and clinical data, including evaluations of psychological and affective aspects, following a predefined protocol, were collected after the participants filled out an electronic form via the Microsoft Forms platform. RESULTS In total, 1,313 medical and other health residents participated in the study. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) identified depression, anxiety and stress in 51.3%, 53.4% and 52.6% of the participants, respectively. Based on the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), 61.9% of the participants had low resilience. A total of 60.9% of the residents had high scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire 9‐item depression module (PHQ-9). CONCLUSIONS We found a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress among medical and non-medical residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. Mental disorders are complex in nature, and the particular academic environment of residency, altered by the need to care for patients with COVID-19, can be a potential stressor and be associated with the high prevalence of these symptoms among residents. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.2196/24298

Background In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic paralyzed the world and exposed the fragility of health systems in the face of mass illness. Health professionals became protagonists, fulfilling their mission at the risk of physical and mental illness. The study aimed to evaluate absenteeism indirectly related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in a large population of health care professionals. Methods An observational longitudinal repeated measures study was performed, including workers linked to 40 public university hospitals in Brazil. All causes of absenteeism were analyzed, focusing on those not directly attributed to COVID-19. Results for the same population were compared over two equivalent time intervals: prepandemic and during the pandemic. Findings A total of 32,691 workers were included in the study, with health professionals comprising 82.5% of the sample. Comparison of the periods before and during the pandemic showed a 26.6% reduction in work absence for all causes, except for COVID-19 and mental health-related absence. Concerning work absence related to mental health, the odds ratio was 39.0% higher during the pandemic. At the onset of the pandemic, there was an increase in absenteeism (all causes), followed by a progressive reduction until the end of the observation period. Interpretation Work absence related to mental illness among health care professionals increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the need for health care managers to prioritize and implement support strategies to minimize absenteeism.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high levels of physical, psychological, and social stress among health care professionals, including postgraduate students in medical and multidisciplinary residencies. This stress is associated with the intense fear of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus known to cause COVID-19. These professionals are at risk of developing physical and mental illnesses not only due to the infection but also due to prolonged exposure to multidimensional stress and continued work overload. Objective This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of mental disorders and burnout syndrome and determine the risk factors for burnout among postgraduate students in medical and multidisciplinary residencies in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods For this prospective cohort study with parallel groups, participants were recruited between July and September 2020 to achieve a sample size of at least 1144 participants. Research instruments such as Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Patient Health Questionnaire; Brief Resilient Coping Scale; and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory will be used to collect data. Data will be collected in 2 waves: the first wave will include data related to sample characterization and psychosocial evaluation, and the second wave will be launched 12 weeks later and will include an evaluation of the incidence of burnout as well as correlations with the potential predictive factors collected in the first wave. Additionally, we will collect data regarding participants’ withdrawal from work. Results The recruitment took place from July 29 to September 5, 2020. Data analyses for this phase is already in progress. The second phase of the study is also in progress. The final data collection began on December 1, 2020, and it will be completed by December 31, 2020. Conclusions We believe the findings of this study will help evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health conditions of health professionals in Brazil as well as contribute to the planning and implementation of appropriate measures that can alleviate these mental health challenges. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/24298

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has led to high levels of physical, psychological, and social stress among health care professionals, including postgraduate students in medical and multidisciplinary residencies. This stress is associated with the intense fear of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus known to cause COVID-19. These professionals are at risk of developing physical and mental illnesses not only due to the infection but also due to prolonged exposure to multidimensional stress and continued work overload. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of mental disorders and burnout syndrome and determine the risk factors for burnout among postgraduate students in medical and multidisciplinary residencies in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS For this prospective cohort study with parallel groups, participants were recruited between July and September 2020 to achieve a sample size of at least 1144 participants. Research instruments such as Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Patient Health Questionnaire; Brief Resilient Coping Scale; and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory will be used to collect data. Data will be collected in 2 waves: the first wave will include data related to sample characterization and psychosocial evaluation, and the second wave will be launched 12 weeks later and will include an evaluation of the incidence of burnout as well as correlations with the potential predictive factors collected in the first wave. Additionally, we will collect data regarding participants’ withdrawal from work. RESULTS The recruitment took place from July 29 to September 5, 2020. Data analyses for this phase is already in progress. The second phase of the study is also in progress. The final data collection began on December 1, 2020, and it will be completed by December 31, 2020. CONCLUSIONS We believe the findings of this study will help evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health conditions of health professionals in Brazil as well as contribute to the planning and implementation of appropriate measures that can alleviate these mental health challenges. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/24298