OS IMPACTOS DA PANDEMIA NA SAÚDE MENTAL DE CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES: análise em um hospital pediátrico

Abstract

The present work is a Course Completion Work (TCC) that aims to analyze the impacts of the pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents at the Municipal Hospital of Valentina (HMV). In March 2020, COVID-19 is characterized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic, being an easily contagious infectious disease. Thus, the mental health of children and adolescents was affected, as they underwent sudden changes in their daily lives, especially changes that allow social interactions, thus increasing the number of children and adolescents seeking mental health care. The methodology of this work comprised a qualitative and quantitative research. Initially, a literature review of the narrative type was carried out, seeking a greater understanding of the subject and after the elaboration of the research project and approval by the ethics committee of the Health Sciences Center (CCS), a field research was carried out in the HMV , through semi-structured interviews with caregivers of children and adolescents and professionals (psychologists and psychiatrists) during the period from March 15 to April 25, 2023. At the institution, it was possible to carry out the research with 14 caregivers of children and teenagers. And with 6 professionals, 4 psychologists and 2 psychiatrists, making up 50% of the total. Then, the collected data were quantified and analyzed to substantiate the research results. The main results of the research indicate that the pandemic affected the mental health of children and adolescents and the main reason that contributed to this was social isolation. In addition, the predominant changes that occurred in the routine of these individuals during the pandemic were in the school routine, the restriction of visits from family and friends, the lack of leisure and the excess of screens. Among the mental disorders identified in children and adolescents, there is a prevalence of depression and anxiety. And with regard to the access conditions of these users to the RAPS services, they had greater difficulty accessing the services during the pandemic period, since they were suspended or operated remotely. Therefore, the mental health of children and adolescents requires greater attention, especially in the post-pandemic period, where the number of children and adolescents with mental health problems has increased, as well as their search for services.