Depression and anxiety in nursing in an intensive care unit

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is defined as a syndrome, composed of several physical and emotional symptoms, with implications on the abilities of individuals in their various spheres. In an ICU, it is common ground that the professional has agility in decision making, a care free of harm, knowledge and emotional control. These elements, added to life habits, conflicts and stress in the work environment can trigger disorders such as depression and anxiety in these professionals. Objective: To identify the prevalence of depression and anxiety in nursing professionals working in the adult intensive care unit..Methodology: Descriptive, cross-sectional research with quantitative approach. Because it was a census, the population was composed of every nursing team that operates in the Adult Intensive Care Unit and that met the eligibility criteria. For data collection, a sociodemographic questionnaire and beck depression and anxiety inventories were used. Descriptive statistics were adopted for data analysis. Results: The mean age of professionals was 35 years, where 86% are female and most are married (46%). It was observed that 77% of the sample did not present depressive symptoms. Regarding anxious symptoms, 85% had a minimum degree of anxiety. Conclusions: The results of this study showed a low prevalence of depression and anxiety. These results bring health managers the possibility of paying attention and reviewing the practices adopted in hospital institutions. It is recommended that other studies, with more robust analyses, be carried out in order to expand knowledge on the subject.

Keywords: Keywords: Depression; Anxiety; Mental health; Nursing team; Intensive Care Units