Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40150253›Full record

ArticleBehavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Workers' Psychological Distress During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Melissa Spröesser Alonso, Maria Cristina Pereira Lima, Adriano Dias, Hélio Rubens de Carvalho Nunes, Carlos Ruiz-Frutos, Javier Fagundo-Rivera, Juan Gómez-Salgado, João Marcos Bernardes

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Melissa Spröesser AlonsoGraduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618687, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-4530-3315
Maria Cristina Pereira LimaGraduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618687, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-1446-2439
Adriano DiasGraduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618687, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-6895-372X
Hélio Rubens de Carvalho NunesGraduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618687, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-7806-1386
Carlos Ruiz-FrutosDepartment of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain.ORCID 0000-0003-3715-1382
Javier Fagundo-RiveraCentro Universitario de Enfermería Cruz Roja, University of Seville, 41009 Sevilla, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-8286-3381
Juan Gómez-SalgadoDepartment of Sociology, Social Work and Public Health, Faculty of Labour Sciences, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain.ORCID 0000-0001-9053-7730
João Marcos BernardesGraduate Program in Collective/Public Health, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu 18618687, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-4494-9421

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the mental health of workers. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of psychological distress among Brazilian workers during the early months of the pandemic and explore its associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire administered to 2903 Brazilian workers, including 1752 non-healthcare workers (NHCWs) and 1151 healthcare workers (HCWs), between April and May 2020. Snowball sampling was employed for participant recruitment, and the research questionnaire was adapted for use with the Brazilian population through a process of translation and cultural adaptation, based on an instrument initially created and validated for use in Spain. Differences between NHCWs and HCWs were tested using the chi-square or Fisher's Exact test and Mann-Whitney test followed by effect size measurement. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the association between psychological distress and the predictor variables. Psychological distress was observed in 72.6% (95% CI 70.1-74.2%) of the participants, with no significant difference observed between NHCWs and HCWs. Although 32 variables showed statistically significant differences between NHCWs and HCWs, only 7 demonstrated clinical-epidemiological relevance, primarily related to occupational factors. Work-related stress was positively associated with psychological distress, but this relationship diminished in the absence of family members infected with COVID-19. Conversely, a higher sense of coherence was protective against psychological distress, although this effect weakened in the absence of family members infected with COVID-19. The study highlights the high prevalence of psychological distress among Brazilian workers during the pandemic's early months. Work stress played a significant role, while sense of coherence appeared to mitigate mental health challenges. These findings highlight the need for targeted mental health interventions, particularly for workers facing both professional and family-related stressors during crises.

Indexed as

COVID-19epidemiologymental healthpreventive medicinepsychological distresssocioeconomic aspects of health

Identifiers

PMID40150253
PMCPMC11939451

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.