Telemedicina e saúde mental como estratégia de política pública em Guarulhos/SP: iniciativas no pós-covid para uma cidade inteligente e sustentável

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges related to the mental health of healthcare workers, highlighting the need for innovative, equitable, and sustainable strategies within public policies. In this context, telemedicine emerged as a strategic tool to expand access to mental health services, especially in large municipalities such as Guarulhos/SP, aligning with the principles of smart and sustainable cities. This dissertation aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of telemedicine in monitoring cases of mental disorders among workers of the Municipal Health Department of Guarulhos/SP in the post-Covid-19 period, between 2023 and 2024, attended by the Technical Section for the Reception of Healthcare Worker Health (STASTS). This study is characterized as a qualitative-quantitative and descriptive research, based on a narrative review of the scientific literature and analysis of institutional data from the service studied, in addition to the application of a questionnaire based on the Likert scale to identify the perceptions of healthcare workers who had Covid-19 and were monitored by telemedicine in psychiatry. The results indicate that workers with lower income and education levels presented a higher prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and sleep disorders, as well as less adaptive coping strategies, such as the use of psychoactive substances. In contrast, those with higher income and educational levels demonstrated better adherence to therapeutic referrals and a more positive perception regarding access to mental health services, highlighting the protective role of these socioeconomic factors. Telemedicine is therefore considered a viable and accepted strategy for monitoring mental health disorders in healthcare workers in the post-pandemic context, contributing to more equitable, accessible, and sustainable public health practices, as well as establishing itself as a relevant component in the development of public policies aimed at promoting mental health in smart and sustainable cities.