Transtorno mental comum em mulheres adultas: identificando os segmentos mais vulneráveis

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic and demographic factors, behaviors and morbidities related to common mental disorders in adult women. This was a cross-sectional population-based study with cluster sample. We analyzed 848 women from a household survey held in Campinas, in 2008/2009. We used the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to evaluate common mental disorders. We estimated prevalence ratios by Poisson regression in hierarchical model of three steps, considering the weights relating to the sampling design. The prevalence of common mental disorders was 18.7%. The hierarchical model showed that older women, with low education level, housewives, separated or widowed, who did not consume fruit/vegetables daily, who slept six or fewer hours per night, who presented several chronic diseases and health problems, and with report of some type of violence were more vulnerable to common mental disorders and, therefore, should be treated with priority by health services. Early diagnosing women with common mental disorders, as well as accompanying and treating them, contribute for reducing the impacts on female quality of life.

Factors associated with common mental disorders in a hospital cleaning staff

“…The results corroborate with other studies carried out among hospital cleaners regarding the predominance of women (3,5) , complete high school education, and absence of any association between sociodemographic and labor conditions with common mental disorders (5)(6) . The predominance of women in this activity is related to the gender inequality that attributes to women activities related to domestic work, a less socially valued activity when compared to those performed by men (3) .…”

“…The prevalence of the disorder in this study was lower than that of another study that used the same cut-off score with cleaners and within the percentage range, according to studies with the Brazilian female population (5)(6) .…”

“…Although it is not characterized as pathology, depressive moods reveal mental suffering that generate a decrease in quality of life and can lead to interferences at work (5) . Depressive moods, coupled with the decrease in vital energy, may be related to the large percentage of women in activity, with smaller children and high loads of domestic tasks after the work shift (12 hours/day), who reported intense physical exhaustion (6) . It is estimated, that worldwide, depressive disorders affect more than 300 million people (8) .…”

“…Cleaning service professionals working in hospitals are exposed to increased risks for the appearence of health problems (5) . Some of these are mental health problems, which have grown and become a highly significant concern for both public health and the economy (5)(6)(7)(8) , since they represent more than a third of the total number of disabilities in the Americas, with Brazil at the top of the ranking of disability (8) .…”

“…Mental disorders can appear through symptoms such as insomnia, fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, somatic complaints and feelings of worthlessness, in addition to anxiety and depression, and can be generated from high work demands, predominantly among women (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10) .…”