Objectives: To synthesize and reinterpret findings from primary qualitative studies on the emotional experience of health care professionals working with mental health and mental health professionals providing care for people with suicidal behavior. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of the literature with the SPIDER structured search strategy in six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and LILACS). A meta-synthesis was performed with data from qualitative studies published between 2005 and 2021. Two independent reviewers screened and assessed the articles. They evaluated methodological quality of included articles, extracted data, and performed the thematic synthesis. Results: Of 852 articles, 21 met the inclusion/exclusion criteria and were synthesized. The meta-synthesis revealed three descriptive themes: coping with adverse experiences; coming across fortunate experiences; professional-personal implications. Based on these descriptive themes, we elaborated the analytical theme: bittersweet experiences of personal and professional transformation. Conclusions: Mental health professionals working with people manifesting suicidal behaviors must cope with complex emotional experiences that involve controversial and ambivalent feelings. Such feelings have repercussions that may transform personal and professional life. The present results are useful for the development and implementation of interventions that promote better overall mental health outcomes for healthcare providers. Registration number: PROSPERO CRD42021257237.

Abstract The pandemic of COVID-19 demanded unprecedented efforts from psychologists to adapt to technology-mediated care. This study aimed to analyze the scientific production concerning the perception of Brazilian psychologists on online psychotherapy during the pandemic through a scoping review. We consulted four databases, while the reviewed corpus comprehended 29 studies. Psychologists identified both benefits and barriers in the transition to online psychotherapy practice, but the perception that the sparing use of this resource is valid and beneficial predominated. There is a strong perception that information and communication technologies will definitely integrate the repertoire of resources used by psychotherapists, as another relevant alternative, posing the need for further studies.

Resumo A pandemia da COVID-19 exigiu esforços sem precedentes das/os psicólogas/os para adaptação ao atendimento mediado por tecnologia. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a produção científica acerca da percepção de psicólogas/os brasileiras/o sobre psicoterapia on-line durante a pandemia por meio de uma scoping review. Foram consultadas quatro bases de dados e o corpus revisado foi composto por 29 estudos. Psicólogas/os identificaram tanto benefícios como barreiras na transição para prática da psicoterapia on-line, porém predominou a percepção de que o uso parcimonioso deste recurso é válido e benéfico. Há forte percepção de que tecnologias da informação e comunicação integrarão, em definitivo, o repertório de recursos utilizados por psicoterapeutas, como mais uma alternativa relevante, o que coloca a necessidade de novos estudos.