Psychological alterations experienced by workers in an COVID-19 quarantine facility

Abstract

Introduction: since the outbreak of COVID-19 that the nation experienced in November 2020, the temporary group to confront the epidemic opened new COVID-19 quarantine facilities with the main objective of providing comprehensive medical and nursing care to patients who have been in contact with people infected with this disease. Objective: to identify the most frequent psychological alterations experienced by doctors, nursing staff and medical students in the isolation facilities located at the Faculty of Medicine No. 2 of Santiago de Cuba. Method: a descriptive study was carried out on 150 workers in the red zone of this facility in the period from March 1st to May 31st, 2021, for which a mixed methodology was used, with a data triangulation strategy in a quantitative sense. Results: the psychological alteration of the affective sphere that predominated in these workers was anxiety, with 98% among doctors and nurses and 100% among students. Regarding the cognitive sphere, the presence of intrusive images stood out in 72% of the doctors, 68% of the nursing staff and 54% of the students. While in the volitional sphere, discomfort due to the use of means of protection prevailed in 100% of the subjects surveyed. Conclusions: in the quarantine center studied, psychological alterations were identified in the medical staff, nursing staff and medical students. The most frequent ones that stand out were: anxiety, stress, intrusive images, difficulty concentrating, the use of legal substances and sleep disorders.

Keywords

• alteraciones psicológicas
• covid-19
• centros de aislamiento