Perception of quality of life and emotional disorders in Brazilian nursing during COVID-19

Abstract

Objectives: to identify factors associated with the presence of emotional disorders and the quality of life of nursing professionals who provided care to patients with COVID-19. Methods: a quantitative study was conducted between February and March 2021, with a convenience sample of 11,477 nursing professionals from Brazilian institutions. The Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-bref were administered. Results: in the sample (86.24% women, mean age 33.27 years), female professionals belonging to a risk group for COVID-19, who worked in hospitals with a shortage of personal protective equipment, suffered verbal or physical aggression on public transportation, or were isolated from their families, presented higher levels of emotional disorders measured by the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 and reduced quality of life in all World Health Organization Quality of Life-bref domains. Conclusions: personal and institutional work conditions have impacted the mental health and quality of life of Brazilian nurses.