Background
anxiety, psychological disorders, infection, depression, negativism or cynicism
INFECTION, DETACHMENT, SYNDROME
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare workers to face very intense stressful situations at the professional, personal and family level. In the work setting, professionals have endured extended workdays, work overload, the permanent need to concentrate and remain alert, and strict security measures, as well as the occasional shortage of protective equipment. Many workers have had to perform tasks for which they were not prepared, which, together with the sustained risk of infection due to contact with patients, has resulted in very high emotional stress [To adapt to the health crisis, significant organizational changes were implemented in primary care settings within the Catalan health system, including restrictions on in-person visits and the provision of health care via telephone, the creation of special circuits for potential COVID-19 patients, as well as home care for these patients, and the adoption of new roles, such as for screening and case and contact tracing, the out-of-hospital management of most COVID-19 patients, and health care in nursing facilities [This long-lasting situation of stress has put both the physical and mental health of professionals at risk. Symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress have been observed in healthcare professionals, as well as an increase in the incidence of psychological disorders [Burnout is a syndrome resulting from workplace stress and is characterized by the following symptoms: feelings of exhaustion, increased mental detachment or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job and patients, and reduced satisfaction with one’s job. Luceño-Moreno et al. [While the pandemic is now ostensibly under control, the situation has exposed many deficiencies in the health system, which is still under intense pressure especially at the primary care level [In this context, it is appropriate and necessary to develop interventions to promote the mental health of this primary care collective, not only to ensure the well-being of primary care workers, but to also guarantee the quality of their work and the safety of patients [