OBJECTIVE To identify the prevalence of 12-month self-reported pain and chronic pain in a general population and to describe their clinical profile to assess if chronic pain is associated with 12-month mental disorders.METHODS The data used comes from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey, a population-based study assessing adult (≥ 18 years) residents of the São Paulo metropolitan area, Brazil. We have assessed the respondents (n = 5,037) using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0), with a global response rate of 81.3%. Descriptive analyses have been performed, and crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) have been calculated with logistic and multinomial regression and presented with respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).RESULTS The prevalence of pain and chronic pain in the past 12 months were 52.6% (95%CI 50.3–54.8) and 31.0% (95%CI 29.2–32.7), respectively. Joints (16.5%, 95%CI 15.4–17.5) and back or neck (15.5%, 95%CI 14.2–16.9) were the most frequently reported anatomical sites of chronic pain. On a 10-point analogue scale, the mean intensity of the worst pain was 7.7 (95%CI 7.4–7.8), and the mean average pain was 5.5 (95%CI 5.2–5.6); the mean treatment response was 6.3 (95%CI 6.0–6.6). Mean pain duration was 16.1 (95%CI 15.6–17.0) days a month and 132 (95%CI 126–144) minutes a day. Chronic pain was associated with 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders (OR = 2.7, 95%CI 2.3–3.3), anxiety disorders (OR = 2.1, 95%CI 1.9–3.0), and mood disorders (OR = 3.3, 95%CI 2.4–4.1).CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of chronic pain in multiple sites is observed among the general adult population, and associations between chronic pain and mental disorders are frequent.

Mental disorders are associated with employment status as significant predictors and as consequences of unemployment and early retirement. This study describes the estimates and associations of 12-month DSM-IV prevalence rates of mental disorders and use of health services with employment status by gender in the São Paulo Metropolitan Area, Brazil. Data from the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey was analyzed (n = 5,037). This is a population-based study assessing the prevalence and determinants of mental disorders among adults, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The associations were estimated by odds ratios obtained through binomial and multinomial logistic regression. This study demonstrates that having mental disorders, especially mood disorders, is associated with being inactive or unemployed among men and inactive among women, but only having a substance use disorder is associated with being unemployed among women. Among those with mental disorders, seeking health care services is less frequent within unemployed.

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Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) contributes to a significant proportion of disease burden, disability, economic losses, and impact on need of treatment and health care in Brazil, but systematic information about its treatment coverage is scarce. This paper aims to estimate the gap in treatment coverage for MDD and identify key bottlenecks in obtaining adequate treatment among adult residents in the São Paulo Metropolitan area, Brazil. Methods: A representative face-to-face household survey was conducted among 2,942 respondents aged 18+ years to assess 12-month MDD, characteristics of 12-month treatment received, and bottlenecks to deliver care through the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Results: Among those with MDD (n=491), 164 (33.3% [SE, 1.9]) were seen in health services, with an overall 66.7% treatment gap, and only 25.2% [SE, 4.2] received effective treatment coverage, which represents 8.5% of those in need, with a 91.5% gap in adequate care (66.4% due to lack of utilization and 25.1% due to inadequate quality and adherence). Critical service bottlenecks identified were: use of psychotropic medication (12.2 percentage points drop), use of antidepressants (6.5), adequate medication control (6.8), receiving psychotherapy (19.8). Conclusions: This is the first study demonstrating the huge treatment gaps for MDD in Brazil, considering not only overall coverage, but also identifying specific quality- and user-adjusted bottlenecks in delivering pharmacological and psychotherapeutic care. These results call for urgent combined actions focused in reducing effective treatment gaps within services utilization, as well as in reducing gaps in availability and accessibility of services, and acceptability of care for those in need.

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