Caracterização da demanda de atendimento psicológico na pandemia

Resumo (EN)

Characterize the demand for psychological care and understand the experience of professionals who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, on an online psychological care platform. A document analysis and semi-structured interview were carried out with 20 psychologists who worked at least 6 months on the platform between Mar/2020 and Dec/2022, in which a total of 15,963 patients were served. Among the demands, suicidal ideation with planning, anxiety and depression prevailed. The prevalent profile of patients treated during the pandemic corresponds to the literature, in non-pandemic periods, as well as the prevalence of anxious and depressive symptoms. However, it highlighted the emergence of a high number of patients with suicidal ideation, which suggests a worsening of mental disorders, triggered by the pandemic, in addition to a common difficulty for interviewees, related to the clarity of the clinical criteria used to determine the severity of cases. Psychologists pointed out difficulties in managing these serious cases, intensified by the emotional impact of the pandemic also felt by them, along with their lack of preparation for their online activities, perceiving them as limitations. Despite the lack of preparation, the high demand encouraged professionals to adhere to the specificities of the modality. They reported having sought theoretical support and emotional support to maintain the internal, cognitive and emotional resources necessary for the therapeutic setting. It can be concluded that the results highlighted the importance of reflecting on the clinical assessment criteria used to understand the severity of cases, without forgetting to consider the patients' internal resources related to their capacity to suffer, which can be identified when maintained the professional's ability to reverie.