MENTAL WORKLOAD AND SOCIAL SUPPORT IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE WORKERS

This is a quantitative cross-sectional survey with healthcare professionals from Primary Health Care in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected online between July 2021 and April 2022, using the questionnaire with sociodemographic, employment and healthcare profile information; Job Stress Scale; and Subjective Mental Workload Scale. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, chi-square or Fischer’s exact test (with statistical significance established at p<0.05) and internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient.

Results:

The largest group of workers had an adequate mental workload (48.7%) and there was a prevalence of low social support (57.6%). Mental load had a significant association with having time for leisure (p<0.001) and satisfaction with work (p=0.028). Furthermore, satisfaction with work had a significant relationship with social support (p<0.001). Furthermore, social support had negative and significant correlations with mental load in the health consequences (r=-0.377; p<0.001) and work characteristics (r=-0.192; p=0.008) dimensions.

Conclusion:

Workers with a high mental workload have a lower perception of social support, which may have an impact on their health, considering work characteristics. Furthermore, aspects of satisfaction and leisure activities should be promoted as a way of promoting quality of life at work.

DESCRIPTORS:
Primary Health Care; Social Support; Mental Workload; Health Personnel; Work

Variable	Overall Mental Workload (OMWL)						*p
	Underload		Adequate		Overload
	n	%	n	%	n	%
Sex
Female	41	24.1	83	48.8	46	27.1	0.270
Male	8	38.1	10	47.6	3	14.3	0.270
Marital status
With partner	36	23.5	75	49.0	42	27.5	0.311
No companion	13	34.2	18	47.4	7	18.4	0.311
Children
Yes	39	27.5	66	46.5	37	26.1	0.522
No	10	20.4	27	55.1	12	24.5	0.522
Higher complete training
Elementary or high school	22	32.8	34	50.7	11	16.4	0.089
Undergraduate degree	16	28.6	24	42.9	16	28.6
Graduate degree	11	16.2	35	51.5	22	32.4
Position
Higher-level workers	13	15.1	42	48.8	31	36.0	0.089
Mid-level workers	36	34.3	51	48.6	18	17.1	0.089
Unit type
Basic health Unit	11	19.6	25	44.6	20	35.7	0.105
Family Health Strategy	38	28.1	68	50.4	29	21.5	0.105
Other employment relationship
Yes	6	22.2	13	48.1	8	29.6	0844
No	43	26.2	80	48.8	41	25.0	0844
Intention to leave work
Yes	4	11.8	19	55.9	11	32.4	0.118
No	45	28.7	74	47.1	38	24.2	0.118
Job satisfaction
Dissatisfied or neutral	6	14.0	20	46.5	17	39.5	0.028
Satisfied or very satisfied	43	29.1	73	49.3	32	21.6	0.028
Practice of physical activity
Yes	24	27.9	44	51.2	18	20.9	0.393
No	25	23.8	49	46.7	31	29.5	0.393
Amount of physical exercise (n=86)
1 and 2 times	12	30.0	21	52.5	7	17.5	0.669
3 and 4 times	9	24.3	19	51.4	9	24.3
5 or more	3	33.3	4	44.4	2	22.2
Time for leisure
Yes	30	31.9	54	57.4	10	10.6	0.000
No	3	25.0	3	25.0	6	50.0
Sometimes	16	18.8	36	42.4	33	38.8

Variable	Social support				p*
	Low		High
	n	%	n	%
Sex
Female	101	59.4	69	40.6	0.148
Male	09	42.9	12	57.1	0.148
Marital status
With partner	92	60.1	61	39.9	0.154
No companion	18	47.4	20	52.6	0.154
Children
Yes	81	57.0	61	43.0	0.794
No	29	59.2	20	40.8	0.794
Higher complete training
Elementary or high school	43	64.2	24	35.8	0.012
Undergraduate degree	23	41.1	33	58.9
Graduate degree	44	64.7	24	35.3
Position
Higher-level workers	48	55.8	38	44.2	0.653
Mid-level workers	62	59.0	43	41.0	0.653
Unit type
Basic health Unit	32	57.1	24	42.9	0.936
Family Health Strategy	78	57.8	57	42.2	0.936
Other employment relationship
Yes	17	63.0	10	37.0	0.542
No	93	56.7	71	43.3	0.542
Intention to leave work
Yes	22	64.7	12	35.3	0.355
No	88	56.1	69	43.9	0.355
Job satisfaction
Dissatisfied or neutral	39	90.7	4	9.3	0.000^†
Satisfied or very satisfied	71	48.0	77	52.0	0.000^†
Practice of physical activity
Yes	45	52.3	41	47.7	0.183
No	65	61.9	40	38.1	0.183
Amount of physical exercise (n=86)
1 and 2 times	21	52.5	19	47.5	0.451
3 and 4 times	21	56.8	16	43.2
5 or more times	03	33.3	06	66.7
Leisure time
Yes	47	50.0	47	50.0	0.100
No	07	58.3	05	41.7
Sometimes	56	65.9	29	34.1

Subjective Mental Workload Scale dimensions	Social support
Subjective Mental Workload Scale dimensions	r	p*
Cognitive demands and task complexity	-0.0347	0.634
Task characteristics	-0.1916	0.008
Temporal organization	-0.1667	0.021
Work rate	-0.1435	0.048
Health consequences	-0.3771	0.000
OMWL	-0.2687	0.000

Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Programa de Pós Graduação em Enfermagem Campus Universitário Trindade, 88040-970 Florianópolis - Santa Catarina - Brasil, Tel.: (55 48) 3721-4915 / (55 48) 3721-9043 - Florianópolis - SC - Brazil
E-mail: textoecontexto@contato.ufsc.br

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[1] CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Marculina da Silva marculina.silva@acad.ufsm.br