Salud mental en los médicos oncológicos.

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health (MH) is crucial for the psychological well-being and work efficiency of oncologists, who face a high levels of stress due to the nature of their work. Cancer treatment involves complex and demanding interventions, exposing oncologists to emotionally intense and exhausting situations, which can lead to the development of psychological problems such as burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression, and compassion fatigue. Objective: To understand the mental health status of oncological medical staff. Methodology: This research was conducted through a descriptive literature review with a qualitative approach, analyzing scientific articles within scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed while fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Results: Constant interaction with terminal patients and work pressure exacerbate these conditions, affecting their capacity for empathy and their quality of life, leading to stress. Various risk factors include long working hours, the complexity of oncological treatment, lack of economic resources, and a challenging work environment. Conclusion: Implementing tools to improve oncologists’ MH is essential, such as access to support resources, reducing workload, and promotion of work-life balance. Continuous training and education are also crucial for managing stress and the quality of medical care. Therefore, this research underscores the urgent need to address psychological issues among these doctors to ensure quality care and improve their quality of life.