Occupational health, integrative and complementary practices in primary care, and the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify the possible repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workers’ health, the care strategies used, and the provision of Integrative and Complementary Practices in health services in the context of COVID-19. METHOD: Descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, which used a focus group for data collection and content analysis according to Bardin. RESULTS: Eleven health professionals from the city of Registro (SP) participated and, based on the information analysis, four categories emerged: (1) Changes in work routine caused by the pandemic and the feelings they generate in health professionals; (2) Integrative and Complementary Practices as a self-care strategy in the pandemic; (3) Provision of Integrative and Complementary Practices during the pandemic; and (4) Occupational health as the focus and strategy motivator to resume the provision of Integrative and Complementary Practices in the municipality. CONCLUSION: This study allowed the identification of the impact of the pandemic, especially on workers’ mental health, which influenced the search for care strategies that included the Integrative and Complementary Practices. Professionals with this training began to offer the Integrative and Complementary Practices in the service to other workers, given the interruption of their provision to the population due to the COVID-19 pandemic.