COVID-19 and its negative impact on the mental health of health professionals: an integrative literature review

The current pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has triggered a scenario of danger and fear of contagion because of the elevated transmissibility and mortality. This in turn is responsible for development of anxieties and feelings of psychological suffering, triggering possible harm to the mental health of the health professionals who are daily faced with this battlefield scenario. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic caused by COVID-19 on the mental health of health professionals working in this situation. An integrative literature review was conducted based on searches of the electronic scientific databases Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde), National Library of Medicine, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, and Scientific Electronic Library Online. Publications were only identified in the Virtual Health Library database, with a total of 547 articles. After the filtering process, a total of 13 articles remained, which were screened by reading titles, abstracts, and full texts, leaving a total of eight articles, on which the manuscript is based. The scenario of uncertainties, anxieties, and fears faced by health professionals can have negative psychological repercussions for their health.