Mini Review Open Access

Mental Health Care for Mental Disorders in Primary Care during the Pandemic: Scope Review

Abstract

Objective was to map mental health care for mental disorders in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the scope review methodology that employed the PRISMA-ScR, using the PCC search strategy, with “P” Population (primary health care), “C” Concept (mental disorder) and “C” Context (COVID -19). The search equation used Descriptors in Health Sciences/Medical Subject Headings (DeCS/ MeSH) and Boolean operator and: “"primary health care" and "mental disorders" and "COVID-19". Searches for studies were performed in the following electronic databases: BVS, PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Scopus, CAPES dissertation and theses databases (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), in EMBASE databases, Web of Science and BDTD (Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations). The collection was carried out in July 2021. As inclusion criteria, studies carried out from January 2020 to July 31, 2021 were determined, limited to articles with full texts, open access, published in all languages. A total of 323 publications were found: BVS (68), Embase (104), PubMed/Medline (65), Science Direct (26), Scopus (40) and Web of Science (20). No dissertation and thesis studies were found in CAPES and BDTD. It was shown that primary health care services underwent a remodelling during the pandemic, with the transition from face-to-face and home care to remote or virtual care, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. During this period, there was an increase in significant psychological distress such as fear, loneliness, anxiety, insomnia, posttraumatic symptoms and depression. There was a need for primary care in mental disorders, with the occurrence of discontinuity of care in mental health services due to the reduction in medical referrals and the increase in pharmacological treatment.

Maria Salete Bessa Jorge¹, José Reginaldo Pinto², Cybelle Façanha Barreto Medeiros Linard³, Kamyla de Arruda Pedrosa⁴, Lídia Andrade Lourinho⁵

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