Entre alturas e confinamentos : saúde mental e fatores psicossociais no trabalho em ambientes de risco.

Abstract

The relationship between health and work is complex, and can generate both satisfaction and illness. Understanding the factors that influence this dynamic is essential to analyze the impacts of work on worker health. Psychosocial risks, related to effort and perceived rewards, shape the interaction between worker and work environment, influencing well-being and the processes of physical and mental illness. In this context, this master's research, from the Postgraduate Program in Psychology at the University of Santa Cruz do Sul (UNISC), had the general objective of identifying the psychosocial risk and protective factors for the mental health of workers who perform activities at height and in confined spaces in a company in Rio Grande do Sul. This is an intervention research with a qualitative and quantitative approach, developed between February and April 2025, in a company located in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre/RS. The methodological approach adopted is anchored in the theoretical assumptions of the Psychodynamics of Work, based on the studies of Dejours (1992, 2004a), which served as the central reference for conducting the investigation. Three instruments were used for data collection: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Psychosocial Risk Assessment Protocol at Work (PROART), both applied collectively, and semi-structured interviews conducted individually. One hundred and two workers who perform activities at height or in confined spaces participated, all integrating the quantitative stage, of whom eight also participated in the qualitative stage. After this stage, the results were organized into categories of analysis. The quantitative data, obtained through the questionnaire, were grouped into sociodemographic data, activity risks, and leisure activities. The PROART instrument was structured into four categories: Work Organization, Management Styles, Indicators of Suffering at Work, and Work-Related Injuries. The qualitative results, obtained through interviews, were organized into the following categories: Work Organization, Working Conditions, Relationship with Colleagues and Managers, Work-Family Balance, Meaning of Work, Experiences of Pleasure, Strategies for Mediating Suffering, and Health-Work Relationship. The integrated data analysis reveals a management model in transition, combining advances towards participatory practices with the persistence of hierarchical and centralizing traits. Workers experience an ambiguous daily life, marked by both suffering and pleasure in their work. Psychosocial risk factors were identified, such as work overload, lack of recognition, and staff shortages, as well as protective factors such as cooperation, support among colleagues, and meaning in work. The results point to the need for organizational policies that promote healthier, more participatory, and humanized environments. As a technical product, a Guide to Mapping Risk and Protective Factors for Workers' Mental Health was developed from the research data. This material proposes a tool for mapping and developing an action plan to minimize or eliminate psychosocial risks in the workplace, aiming to promote safer and healthier work environments. Finally, it concludes that the study's relevance goes beyond the analysis of physical risks, highlighting the impacts of organizational and working conditions on mental health. It seeks to understand how management style and psychosocial factors influence the suffering and well being of workers. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of further research into health protection factors, aiming to promote healthier, more balanced, and productive work environments.