O Sofrimento Psíquico do Profissional de Saúde Paliativista

Abstract

Introduction and Objective: This study aims to conduct a scoping review of the literature on the psychological suffering of healthcare professionals working in Palliative Care. It seeks to understand how the psychological distress experienced by professionals in this field is addressed. Accordingly, the objective is to map the existing literature and identify gaps to support future research on the topic. Method: Following the PRISMA-ScR protocol, a bibliographic search was conducted from 2020 to 2025 in the PubMed, PsycInfo, and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases using the terms "palliative care professionals" and "professionals psychological suffering." Initially, 115 studies were identified. After applying the selection criteria, 33 scientific articles were included. Following a full-text review of these articles, 19 studies were retained for this scoping review as they met the inclusion criteria. Results: The findings show that research on the psychological suffering of palliative care professionals addresses the mental health of this group of healthcare workers in parallel with the suffering of patients and their families. Among the 19 selected studies, most were conducted in European countries, with no clear pattern regarding the type of study. Discussion: Although the discussion surrounding healthcare professionals' mental health has advanced, in the case of palliative care professionals, there appears to be a correlation between the patient's suffering, the professional's suffering, and the impact on the quality of care provided as a result of the caregivers' psychological distress. Conclusion: The study allowed us to characterize the psychological distress related to palliative care work by observing the factors that give rise to stress and suffering until illness occurs. It listed the types of suffering and their impacts on the psychological health of palliative care professionals. It observed the relationship between this suffering and the quality of care provided to sick people and their families from the perspective of palliative care professionals. Finally, this study also allowed us to identify tools aimed at managing occupational stress and, consequently, reducing suffering and psychological illness related to palliative care practice. Among the limitations is the small sample size due to the low number of scientific articles produced on the subject in the last 5 years. Although there is a vast supply of studies related to psychological distress in the context of palliative care, most refer to the suffering of the sick person and their family members.