330O conceito de stress foi introduzido na área da saú-de, em 1926, pelo médico austríaco Hans Selye para designar a Síndrome Geral de Adaptação, a qual é ocasionada por diferentes agentes noviços que debilitam o organismo, enfraquecendo-o e o levando ao adoecimento (Lipp, 1996;Pafaro & Martino, 2004). Selye, em 1956, descreveu esta síndrome salientando que o processo de stress se desenvolve por meio de três fases: alerta, resistência e exaustão (Alchieri & Cruz, 2004 ABSTRACT Stress, depression and quality of live in beneficiaries of social programs Stress, in response to aversive situation, can be associated to poverty condition. Also depression, while a disorder that affects the relationship of the individual with environment, often related to socioeconomic difficulties. Both refer to a low quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of stress and depression and the perception of quality of life in beneficiaries of social programs. Data were collected with 198 participants, mostly women, and 58% had stress and 41% indicative of depression. The average perception of quality of life ranged from 43.0 in the environment domain to 54.9 in the psychological, in a scale from 0 to 100. The results indicate that the sample didn't have more stress than the people in general. However, this group showed indication of depression and perception of quality of life more unfavorable. Stress, depression and quality of life were correlated.