Satisfaction and work overload at Psychosocial Care Centers - Alcohol and Drugs in the Minas Triangle region, Brazil

BACKGROUND: The transformations mental health care underwent in recent years require continuous evaluation of services to guarantee the quality of care. As per the public policies in vigor, care providers are the main technical resource in this field. OBJECTIVE: To investigate satisfaction and work overload among workers at Psychosocial Care Centers - Alcohol and Drugs (PCC AD) in the Minas Triangle region, Brazil. METHODS: Participants were 42 care providers at the three PCC AD in the analyzed region. Data collection was performed through a sociodemographic and occupational questionnaire, the Consumers and Caregivers’ Satisfaction with Mental Health Services scale and IMPACT-BR. Numerical variables were subjected to descriptive analysis and expressed as measures of central tendency and dispersion; also Student’s t-test and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used. RESULTS: The mean score for overall satisfaction was 3.47 and that for general work overload 2.10 on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest). CONCLUSION: The results point to relevant administrative and operational aspects of work at PCC AD which need to be improved. Improving the staff’s working conditions is essential to ensure high-quality integrated care to individuals with substance abuse.