Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Medical Work During the Pandemic, Risk Perception and Fear

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Advances in Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare and Medical Devices (AHFE 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems ((LNNS,volume 263))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 2190 Accesses

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the work of frontline physicians. The human factor is essential here. The objective of this qualitative study is to evaluate doctors’ perception of risk. We asked them to choose three words to define their work in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The variables were date, gender, living with family, being on the frontline, fear of being contaminated and contaminating family. The research took place online (July 2020–January 2021). 363 physicians participated. The software Alceste identified five clusters. Frontline doctors who live with family mention care, protection, prevention. Those who do not and answered in August evoke stress and irritability. Those who answered in November-December mention challenges and exhaustion. Women mention overload. The perception of risk is linked to insecurity. Exposure to burnout increases over time. Living with family is a protective factor. These results are useful to properly take care of physicians.

Grant 2020/07942-5, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Fu, X.W., Wu, L.N., Shan, L.: Review of possible psychological impacts of COVID-19 on frontline medical staff and reduction strategies. World J. Clin. Cases 8(15), 3188–3196 (2020). https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v8.i15.3188, https://www.wjgnet.com/2307-8960/full/v8/i15/3188.htm

  2. Morgantini, L.A., et al.: Factors contributing to healthcare professional burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid turnaround global survey. PLoS ONE 15(9), e0238217 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.one.0238217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shanafelt, T., Ripp, J., Trockel, M.: Understanding and addressing sources of anxiety among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA (2020). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.5893, PMID: 32259193

  4. Paschoal, T., Tamayo, Á.: Validação da escala de estresse no trabalho. Estud. psicol. 9(1), 45–52 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1590/S1413-294X2004000100006, http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-294X2004000100006&lng=en&nrm=iso

  5. Maslach, C., Jackson, S.E.: The measurement of experienced burnout. J. Occup. Behav. 2, 99–113 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Reinert, M.: Quelques interrogations à propos de l’«objet» d’une analyse de discours de type statistique et de la réponse «Alceste». Langage & Société 90, 57–70 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3406/lsoc.1999.2897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Reinert, M.: Alceste, une méthode statistique et sémiotique d’analyse de discours. Application aux «Rêveries du promeneur solitaire». La Revue Française de Psychiatrie et de Psychologie Médicale 49, 32–36 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lima, L.C.: Group’s Positions and Language Use: The Connection Between Themata and Topic Grounds (Lexical Worlds). Psychology - Selected Papers. Gina Rossi, IntechOpen (2012). https://doi.org/10.5772/36842, https://www.intechopen.com/books/psychology-selected-papers/group-s-relations-and-language-use-themata-and-topic-grounds

  9. Dejours, C.: Trabalho vivo. Tomo 1 – Sexualidade e Trabalho. Tomo 2 – Trabalho e emancipação. Paralelo 15, Brasília, DF (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dejours, C., Gernet, I.: Psychopathologie du travail. Masson, Paris (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Man, M.A., et al.: Disease perception and coping with emotional distress during COVID-19 pandemic: a survey among medical staff. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17, 4899 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134899 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerphInt

  12. Ying, Y., Ruan, L., Kong, F., Zhu, B., Ji, Y., Lou, Z.: Mental health status among family members of health care workers in Ningbo, China, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry 20, 379 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02784-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Koster, E.H., Fox, E., MacLeod, C.: Introduction to the special section on cognitive bias modification in emotional disorders. J. Abnorm. Psychol. 118(1), 1–4 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Lam, S.C., et al.: Perceived risk and protection from infection and depressive symptoms among healthcare workers in mainland China and Hong Kong during COVID-19. Front. Psychiatry 11, 686 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00686

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chung, J.P.Y., Yeung, W.S.: Staff mental health self-assessment during the COVID-19 outbreak. East Asian Arch. Psychiatry 30(1), 34 (2020). https://doi.org/10.12809/eaap2014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ahmed, M.Z., Ahmed, O., Aibao, Z., Hanbin, S., Siyu, L., Ahmad, A.: Epidemic of COVID-19 in China and associated psychological problems. Asian J. Psychiatry 51, Article 102092 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102092

  17. Kang, L.J., Li, Y., Hu, S.H., et al.: The mental health of medical workers in Wuhan, China dealing with the 2019 novel coronavirus. Lancet Psychiatry 7, e14 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lai, J., et al.: Factors associated with mental health outcomes among health care workers exposed to coronavirus disease 2019. JAMA Netw. Open 3(3), Article e203976 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3976

  19. Liu, S., Yang, L.L., Zhang, C.X., et al.: Online mental health services in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. Lancet Psychiatry 7, e17–e18 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30077-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhang, W.R., et al.: Mental health and psychosocial problems of medical health workers during the COVID-19 epidemic in China. Psychother. Psychosom. 1–9 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1159/000507639. Advance online publication

  21. Martínez-López, J.A., Lázaro-Pérez, C., Gómez-Galán, J., Fernández-Martínez, M.: Psychological impact of COVID-19 emergency on health professionals: burnout incidence at the most critical period in Spain. J. Clin. Med. 9, 3029 (2020). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9093029, www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm

  22. Teng, Z., et al.: Psychological status and fatigue of frontline staff two months after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in China: a cross-sectional study. J. Affect. Disord. 275, 247–252 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.06.032

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Clinics and Institution of the Health and Society Institute of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), Rua Silva Jardim, 136 - Vila Mathias – Santos, São Paulo, CEP: 11015-020, Brazil

    Laura Camara Lima

  2. Health and Society Institute of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), Rua Silva Jardim, 136 - Vila Mathias – Santos, São Paulo, CEP: 11015-020, Brazil

    Gabriela Correia Netto

Authors
  1. Laura Camara Lima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gabriela Correia Netto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Camara Lima .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept.of Pathology, College of Medicine, Univ.of Saskatchewan Royal Univ.Hospital, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Jay Kalra

  2. Center for Applied Sys. Engineering, Veterans Affairs, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Nancy J. Lightner

  3. Campus du Moulin de la Housse, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims Cedex 2, France

    Redha Taiar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Lima, L.C., Netto, G.C. (2021). Medical Work During the Pandemic, Risk Perception and Fear. In: Kalra, J., Lightner, N.J., Taiar, R. (eds) Advances in Human Factors and Ergonomics in Healthcare and Medical Devices. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 263. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80744-3_92

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80744-3_92

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-80743-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-80744-3

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation