Prevalência de depressão e fatores associados em mulheres atendidas pela Estratégia de Saúde da Família

Abstract

Introduction: Clinical depression is one of the major public health problems facing our society today. According to the Ministry of Health, there are more than 10 million people suffering from depression in Brazil. Incidence rates were higher among people aged 20 to 40 years old, just at the peak of professional career. Women are the most vulnerable and the number of cases is twice as high as compared to men. Objective: to evaluate the prevalence of depression and associated factors among women aged 20 to 59 years including areas covered by Family Health Strategy at a city in Zona da Mata Mineira; to analyse the illness experience among women aged 20 to 59 assisted in primary care and evaluated with depression according to PHQ-9. Methods: A cross-sectional study with women aged 20 to 59 enrolled in two Family Health Units, using a questionnaire containing sociodemographic variables, social support, self-reported health status, lifestyle, morbidity and women's health. The depression diagnosis was assessed according to the PHQ-9, considering as positive women scoring ≥ 10 points. In order to analyse the associated factors, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using robust Poisson regression. To analyze illness experience, women who scored positively on PHQ-9 were interviewed by psychiatrists using the CIS-R (Revised Clinical Interview Schedule), an instrument which has been used as a reference standard in studies of common mental disorders. Women with a positive diagnosis for depression were identified and there were others with symptoms of sadness, but were not diagnosed with clinical depression. For this group of women McGill Illness Narrative Interview questionnaire (MINI) was applied and content analysis of the material was performed. Results: Considering 1,958 women included in this analysis, 28.5% were aged 30 to 39 years; 15.4% had not finished elementary school; 54.5% were not employed or have never worked and 44.2% declared themselves not White. The prevalence of depression was 19.7% and the associated factors were: low level of education, currently employed, and with previous diagnosis of mental disorder. The factors associated with the depression in the investigated population were: low level of education, currently employed and with previous diagnosis of mental disorder. Among the protection factors, there are: be married or live with a partner, perform physical activities regularly and report positive health self-assessment. Qualitative analysis revealed that women with depression do not pay much attention to her appointments due to a sense of inability, prostration, demotivation which prevents her from overcoming inertia and take on daily routine. Death is seen as a relief and the only possible solution to end suffering. Spirituality and religiosity have played a crucial role in order to relieve suffering, being important factors to promote a change in life and rehabilitation. Conclusion: The outcomes have shown that a specific assistance in primary health care should be delivered to women, especially to those with low levels of education, those who are employed and do not practice exercise, in order to reduce suffering and promote health. It was also highlighted that lack of meaning in life appears normal to the extent that it prevents women from searching treatment for the disease. There is a clear gap in the use of screening instruments for cases of depression in primary care. Health professionals must be trained so they may correctly make the diagnosis of mental disorders, especially to distinguish depression and sadness, avoiding medicalization and stigmatization. It is crucial to improve healthcare network, recognizing how important it is to sharply articulate primary health care and specific policies/actions directed to mental health field