Educação permanente sobre depressão pós-parto para enfermeiros da Atenção Primária à Saúde: estudo quase-experimental

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effect of continuing health education on nursing care for women with indications of postpartum depression, for primary health care nurses in a municipality in the southern triangle of Minas Gerais. Method: a quasi-experimental, before-and-after study, with qualitative data analysis (thematic content analysis, by Laurence Bardin), regarding the effect that continuing health education had on the knowledge, skills and attitudes in nursing care for women with indications of postpartum depression, of 14 primary health care nurses, who took part in the research by convenience sampling. Results: The findings indicated that, at the pre-intervention moment, the nurses had limited knowledge about postpartum depression, especially in specific signs and symptoms. In addition, very few professionals had a degree or specialization in mental health. In addition, it was noted that nurses face obstacles to providing care, such as: work overload, communication failures between management and teams to align the main topics for discussion, and a focus on meeting specific targets. Faced with these shortcomings, many nurses felt the need for more training on the subject. After the ongoing health education, there was a significant improvement in knowledge about postpartum depression. The professionals were able to differentiate between the signs and symptoms of the disease and the baby blues, as well as knowing and using the scales available to screen for the condition. As a result, the nurses now know and actively monitor the specific emotional signs and symptoms of PPD properly. The training broadened the participants' view of sensitivity in welcoming and actively listening with quality to the emotional aspects of puerperal women, which was previously directed only at the care of the newborn and the physiological aspects of the woman. In addition, after the training, the nurses reported that they were able to apply the knowledge they had acquired to routine situations in nursing care, which reflected on the safety of care and of the patient. There was also an improved perception of the importance of the community health worker and the multi-professional approach, in order to provide comprehensive, quality care for the emotional needs of puerperal women. Finally, the training also brought about a change in the attitude of the professionals, who were more motivated to provide care and to seek out knowledge on the subject. However, challenges such as: lack of infrastructure, lack of health policies, specific protocols for this condition, and lack of human resources are still faced by nurses, which highlights the need to plan continuing education activities with health professionals together with the Secretariat, in order to identify the topics needed for training. Conclusion: Continuing health education improves nurses' knowledge, skills and attitudes about postpartum depression, resulting in more empathetic, humanized, and comprehensive nursing care. However, barriers such as a shortage of human resources and a lack of specific protocols for this condition highlight the need to invest in public health policies to ensure comprehensive, quality care for these women. The study's limitations include low adherence to the survey by nurses and technical difficulties with the virtual environment.