Common mental disorders and sociodemographic characteristics: baseline findings of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Prevalence of common mental disorders in southern Brazilian women: a comparison of two population-based studies (2003 vs. 2015)

PURPOSE

To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of common mental disorders (CMD) in women, and comparing them in two periods, 2003 and 2015.

METHODS

A comparative study was conducted between two surveys with representative samples of women aged 20-60 years residing in southern Brazil. The final sample included 988 and 987 women from the 2003 and 2015 surveys, respectively. The presence of CMD was assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20 ≥ 8) in both surveys. Poisson regression analysis was used to evaluate the associations between the outcome (CMD) and variables of interest.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 38.5 ± 11.1 years (2003) and 40.3 ± 11.4 years (2015). In 2003, the prevalence of CMD was 33.4% (95%CI: 30.5-36.3) and in 2015, it was 33.7% (95%CI: 30.8-36.7). Over 12 years, no significant differences were observed in the prevalence of CMD, except for a reduction in the prevalence in women of color and physically active. After adjusting, the prevalence ratios of CMD in 2003 and 2015 remained associated with low family income, a higher number of pregnancies, and tobacco use.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed a trend toward stability in the high prevalence of CMD among women.

Association of mental health symptoms with the migraine-tension-type headache spectrum in the Brazilian longitudinal study of adult health

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between mental health symptoms and the migraine-tension-type headache (TTH) spectrum in middle-aged adults from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil study).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional analysis (baseline data: 2008-2010), it was evaluated the relationship between each mental health symptom assessed by the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) questionnaire and headache subtypes (migraine and TTH) according to international criteria. It was performed binary logistic regression models, with estimated odds ratios (OR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for confounders including migraine attack frequency.

RESULTS

Among 13,916 participants, 70.1% reported any major primary headache subtype within the last year. The most common subtype was definite TTH (33.4%), followed by probable migraine (21.0%), definite migraine (8.5%), and probable TTH (7.2%). Our main findings indicated positive associations between anxiety-related symptoms and the migraine-tension type headache (TTH) spectrum with a clear trend toward definite migraine more than tension-type headache. The presence of somatic symptoms presented a high likelihood for the associations with headaches, mainly definite migraine (OR: 7.9, 95% CI: 6.4-9.8), probable migraine (OR: 4.5, 95% CI 3.7-5.4) and probable TTH (OR: 3.0, 95% CI: 2.3-3.8). Other symptoms associated with headache disorders included fatigue, panic, irritability, anxiety symptoms, concentration problems, forgetfulness, depressive symptoms, and worry. The effect of associations remained significant after controlling for headache attack frequency.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence of consistent associations between mental health symptoms and primary headache disorders, with a higher burden of anxiety-based symptoms observed in people with migraine than those with TTH.

Socio-demographic differences in access to psychological treatment services: evidence from a national cohort study

BACKGROUND

Since 2008, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has offered adults in England evidence-based psychological treatments for common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety disorders. However, inequalities in access have not been explored at the national level.

METHODS

Using a unique individual patient dataset that linked 2011 Census information of English residents to national IAPT data collected between April 2017 and March 2018, we estimated the rate of access by a wide range of socio-demographic characteristics that are not routinely available. A large household survey was used to estimate the prevalence of probable CMDs by these socio-demographic characteristics. We estimated the probability of access to IAPT amongst people with CMDs by comparing the rates of access from IAPT data and the estimates of prevalence of CMDs from the household survey. Both unadjusted and adjusted (for important patient characteristics) access rates were estimated in logistic regression models.

RESULTS

As a proportion of those with a probable CMD, access to IAPT varied markedly by socio-demographic characteristics. Older adults, males, people born outside of the UK, people with religious beliefs, people from Asian ethnic backgrounds, people reporting a disability and those without any academic or professional qualifications were underrepresented in IAPT services nationally, in adjusted models.

CONCLUSIONS

The identification of patients who may be underrepresented in IAPT provides an opportunity for services to target outreach and engagement with these groups. Further understanding of barriers to access should help increase equity in access.

Suicide risk classification with machine learning techniques in a large Brazilian community sample

Even though suicide is a relatively preventable poor outcome, its prediction remains an elusive task. The main goal of this study was to develop machine learning classifiers to identify increased suicide risk in Brazilians with common mental disorders. With the use of clinical and sociodemographic baseline data (n = 4039 adult participants) from a large Brazilian community sample, we developed several models (Elastic Net, Random Forests, Naïve Bayes, and ensemble) for the classification of increased suicide risk among individuals with common mental disorders. 1120 participants (27.7%) presented increased suicide risk. The Random Forests model achieved the best AUC ROC (0.814), followed by Naive Bayes (0.798) and Elastic Net (0.773). Sensitivity varied from 0.922 (Naive Bayes) to 0.630 (Random Forests), while specificity varied from 0.792 (Random Forests) to 0.473 (Naive Bayes). The ensemble model presented an AUC ROC of 0.811, sensitivity of 0.899, and specificity of 0.510. Features representing depression symptoms were the most relevant for the classification of increased suicide risk. Some of our models presented good performance metrics in the classification of increased suicide risk in the investigated sample, which can provide the means to early preventive interventions.

Association Between 24-Hour Movement Behavior and Cognitive Function in Brazilian Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Findings From the ELSA-Brasil

Background and Objectives

The relationship between 24-hr movement behavior and specific domains of cognitive function is unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify the joint association of daily time spent in light (light-intensity physical activity [LPA]) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep with cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults.

Research Design and Methods

Cross-sectional data from Wave 3 (2017-2019) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health were analyzed. The study included adults aged 41-84 years old. Physical activity was assessed using a waist-worn accelerometer. Cognitive function was examined using standardized tests to assess memory, language, and Trail-Making test. Global cognitive function score was calculated by averaging domain-specific scores. Compositional isotemporal substitution models were performed to identify the association between the reallocation of time spent in LPA, MVPA, sleep, and SB with cognitive function.

Results

Participants (n = 8,608) were 55.9% female (mean age 58.9 [8.6] years). Reallocating time from SB to MVPA was associated with higher cognitive function: Reallocating 15 min to MVPA by reducing 5 min from each other behavior was associated with increased odds of better cognitive function in both insufficient (<7 hr/day; odds ratio [OR]: 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54-0.77) and sufficient (≥7 hr/day; OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.58-0.67) sleep groups. Among those with insufficient sleep, reallocating time to MVPA and sleep from SB was associated with higher global cognitive performance.

Discussion and Implications

Small reductions in SB and increments in MVPA were associated with higher cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults.

Sleep irregularity and the association with hypertension and blood pressure levels: the ELSA-Brasil study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations of sleep irregularity with hypertension (HTN) and blood pressure (BP) levels.

METHODS

Adult participants from the ELSA-Brasil performed a clinical evaluation including objective sleep duration (actigraphy), insomnia, and a sleep study for defining obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). To quantify sleep irregularity, we used two parameters obtained through actigraphy: 7-day standard deviation (SD) of sleep duration and 7-day SD of sleep-onset timing. A multivariate analysis was used to determine the independent associations of sleep irregularity with HTN and SBP/DBP values.

RESULTS

We studied 1720 participants (age 49 ± 8 years; 43.4% men) and 27% fulfilled the HTN diagnosis. After adjustments for age, gender, race, BMI, excessive alcohol consumption, physical activity intensity, urinary sodium excretion, insomnia, objective sleep duration and OSA (apnoea-hypopnoea index ≥15 events/h), we found that the continuous analysis of 7-day SD of sleep duration was modestly associated with prevalent HTN. However, 7-day SD of sleep duration more than 90 min was independently associated with SBP [ β : 1.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-2.88] and DBP ( β : 1.07; 95% CI 0.12-2.01). Stratification analysis excluding participants with OSA revealed that a 7-day SD of sleep duration greater than 90 min was associated with a 48% higher chance of having HTN (OR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.05-2.07). No significant associations were observed for the SD of sleep-onset timing.

CONCLUSION

Objective measurement of sleep irregularity, evaluated by SD of sleep duration for 1 week, was associated with HTN and higher BP levels, especially in participants without OSA.

Prevalence of depression and anxiety in older people in low- and middle- income countries in Africa, Asia and South America: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

There is rapid growth of older people in Low- and Middle- Income Countries (LMICs). The aim of this review was to assess the literature on prevalence of anxiety and depression in this demographic, which to our knowledge, has not yet been conducted.

METHODS

Databases including Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, Scielo and African Journals Online were searched for terms including "mental disorders", "neurotic disorders", "mood disorders" and "anxiety disorders". Studies published between 1990 and 2020 providing data on older people (≥50 years) in LMICs (defined by World Bank Criteria) were included and quality-assessed. Meta-analysis was conducted on a subset of higher-quality studies to derive pooled prevalence estimates of depression.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty relevant studies were identified, of which thirty-two were included in meta-analysis. One hundred and fifteen studies reported depression prevalence only, 19 reported both depression and anxiety, and six reported anxiety only. In all studies identified, depression prevalence ranged from 0.5 % to 62.7 %, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder prevalence ranged from 0.2 % to 32.2 %. The pooled prevalence of depression on meta-analysis was 10.5 % (95 % CI, 8.9 % - 11.2 %). Reported prevalence rates of depression were significantly different in studies using ICD-10 compared with DSM criteria, and between community and clinical settings.

LIMITATIONS

The search strategy contained bias towards English language papers and high income country (HIC) publications. There is significant heterogeneity within the meta-analysis.

DISCUSSION

A wide range of methodologies and clinical criteria are used in prevalence studies of depression and anxiety in older people. Studies using screening tools found higher prevalence rates; clinicians and researchers should ensure diagnosis is made with gold-standard clinical criteria. Meta-analysis data suggest that rates of depression are similar in older people in LMICs compared to HICs but mental healthcare resources are limited, suggesting a large potential treatment gap.

Association between meatless diet and depressive episodes: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the longitudinal study of adult health (ELSA-Brasil)

BACKGROUND

The association between vegetarianism and depression is still unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between a meatless diet and the presence of depressive episodes among adults.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis was performed with baseline data from the ELSA-Brasil cohort, which included 14,216 Brazilians aged 35 to 74 years. A meatless diet was defined from in a validated food frequency questionnaire. The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) instrument was used to assess depressive episodes. The association between meatless diet and presence of depressive episodes was expressed as a prevalence ratio (PR), determined by Poisson regression adjusted for potentially confounding and/or mediating variables: sociodemographic parameters, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, several clinical variables, self-assessed health status, body mass index, micronutrient intake, protein, food processing level, daily energy intake, and changes in diet in the preceding 6 months.

RESULTS

We found a positive association between the prevalence of depressive episodes and a meatless diet. Meat non-consumers experienced approximately twice the frequency of depressive episodes of meat consumers, PRs ranging from 2.05 (95%CI 1.00-4.18) in the crude model to 2.37 (95%CI 1.24-4.51) in the fully adjusted model.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design precluded the investigation of causal relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive episodes are more prevalent in individuals who do not eat meat, independently of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors. Nutrient deficiencies do not explain this association. The nature of the association remains unclear, and longitudinal data are needed to clarify causal relationship.

Association between workplace bullying and common mental disorders in civil servants from a middle-income country

Workplace bullying (WB) is associated with Common mental disorders (CMD) in high-income countries, but there is a lack of evidence relating to this subject in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between bullying and CMD in Brazil. A cross-sectional study with 907 judicial civil servants from Porto Alegre, southern Brazil, was carried out. WB was measured by the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ-r) and CMD by the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Logistic regression was used to analyse data and test hypotheses. The overall prevalence of CMD was 32.8%, while the overall prevalence of bullying was 18.3%. WB was strongly associated with CMD, even after controlling for confounders. After adjustment for sociodemographic, personality and occupational confounders, weekly and daily exposures to negative acts increased 4.32 (95% CI: 2.00-9.33) and 6.80 (95% CI: 3.42-13.51) times the risk of CMD, respectively. Considering the operational definition, bullied workers had a 3.45 (95% CI: 2.26-5.25) higher risk of CMD. The results are consistent with studies from high-income countries. Different ways of categorising exposure to WB and testing association with CMD are suggested. Interventions to prevent bullying, focusing on work processes and psychosocial factors at work, could reduce the risk of mental health problems.

Common mental disorders in South Asian patients with systemic sclerosis: a CIS-R-based cross-sectional study

There are not many studies looking at psychological impact of physical morbidities amongst patients with systemic sclerosis. Our aim was to describe the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) in systemic sclerosis patients, as against the population prevalence of CMDs. We also wanted to assess the utility of revised clinical interview schedule (CIS-R), a standardised interview technique for screening CMDs in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We prospectively recruited 93 consecutive patients fulfilling the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria for systemic sclerosis from our single tertiary care centre. They were interviewed using CIS-R interviewing technique. These patients were assessed for the presence of psychiatric symptoms and presence of common mental disorders. Various associations of documented mental health issues and ICD-10-based psychiatric diagnosis were also analysed. A total of 29 (31%) out of 93 individuals with systemic sclerosis had a common mental disorder as per the earlier defined CIS-R cut off score of 12 and above. Fatigue (50.5%) and sleep issues (43%) were the commonest symptoms. Thirty-four patients (33.6%) fulfilled a total of 39 ICD-10 psychiatric diagnoses. Total CIS-R score is significantly associated with duration of Scleroderma in univariate analysis (p = 0.019), but there was no significant association on a multivariate analysis. Depression [18.3% as against 5% in Asian Indian general population], followed by obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) [15.1% as against 0.7% in general population in India] were the top two ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis in SSc. The occurrence of both depression and OCD, therefore, are far in excess compared to community prevalence. Additionally, modified CIS-R cut off of 10 instead of 12 can also improve the sensitivity (94%) of this screening interviewing tool for an ICD-10 psychiatric diagnosis. Depression is 3.4 times and OCD is 20 times commoner in our cohort of SSc than general population in India. A modified CIS-R cut-off score of 10 may further help in early recognition of these mental disorders in SSc and their referral to a psychiatrist.

Validation of the patient health questionnaire-9 and the generalized anxiety disorder-7 in Lithuanian student sample

BACKGROUND

The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire- 7 (GAD-7) are short screening instruments used for detection of depression and anxiety symptoms in various settings, including general and mental health care as well as the general population. The aim of this study is to evaluate psychometric properties and factorial structure of the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 in a sample of Lithuanian university students.

METHODS

1368 students (mean age 22.5±4.8) completed the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 questionnaires online; after the completion of the survey, students were asked to provide phone contact for an additional interview. Eligible students were approached later by trained interviewers and completed The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised for assessment of depressive and anxiety disorders.

RESULTS

Results showed that the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 are reliable screening tools for depression and anxiety (Cronbach alpha 0.86 and 0.91, respectively). The one-factor structure of the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 was confirmed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis. A cut-off of ≥10 for the PHQ-9 resulted in 71% sensitivity and 66% specificity recognizing students with increased risk for mood or anxiety disorder. For the GAD-7, a cut-off ≥9 resulted in 73% sensitivity and 70% specificity recognizing students at risk. The PHQ-9 was sensitive but not specific in recognizing students with depressive disorders. The sensitivity and specificity of the GAD-7 in differentiating students with generalized anxiety disorders were low.

CONCLUSIONS

The PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 have sufficient formal psychometric properties, but their clinical utility as diagnostic tools for recognition of depressive and anxiety disorders in students is limited. Due to low specificity and high false positive rates, both scales are recommended only as an initial screening tool for recognition of subjects with increased risk of mental disorders, however positive cases should be later assessed using more comprehensive instruments.

Trends in complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of common mental disorders: A bibliometric analysis of two decades

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the trend of scientific production in relation to the modalities of CAM adopted for the treatment of common mental disorders (CMD), and the evolution and distribution of relevant articles.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A bibliometric analysis of studies published between 2001 and 2020 was performed, extracted from the Scopus database, using the terms: integrative medicine, complementary therapy, common mental disorders, anxiety and depression, and synonyms. The relationship between the number of publications, and the years studied were analyzed using Pearson's correlation, followed by linear regression to estimate the number of articles along with the year. The VOSviewer software was used to analyze scientometric data. The study looked at countries with the highest number of publications and citations, co-authorships, most frequent keywords, and leading research organizations.

RESULTS

In the analysis of the two decades, we identified a high positive correlation between the number of publications and year (r = 0.945). In trend analysis, the linear regression equation predicted the growth of publications along with the year, with R² = 0.8949 explaining most of the data variability. Spirituality was the most frequent term among the modalities. The concentration of publications and the number of citations were significantly higher in developed countries.

CONCLUSION

The rise in the number of publications in the past two decades on the application of CAM among individuals with CMD suggests a growing scientific interest in Integrative practices. These bibliometric indicators suggest that new studies are warranted, as well as improvements in public health policies.

Depressão em pessoas sob aprisionamento no sistema carcerário: revisão integrativa

Resumo Esta revisão integrativa objetivou reunir estudos sobre a depressão em pessoas sob aprisionamento no sistema carcerário. As bases de dados pesquisadas foram PePSIC, PsycINFO, SciELO e Web of Science. As ferramentas de suporte para a extração dos artigos selecionados foram o programa computacional StArt e as recomendações Prisma. Os termos usados na busca eletrônica foram “inmate”, “prison”, “prisoner”, “penitentiary” e “depression”. A amostra final foi composta por 10 estudos primários, os quais atenderam aos critérios de inclusão e à questão norteadora da revisão. Dentre os achados, a ocorrência de depressão foi evidente em todos os artigos selecionados, e o Inventário de Depressão de Beck foi o instrumento mais utilizado. Por fim, percebeu-se que a identificação precoce de sintomatologia depressiva pode minimizar prejuízos físicos e mentais na população em encarceramento.

Prevalence and factors associated with minor psychic disorders in intensive care unit physiotherapists in a large city in the state of Bahia

ABSTRACT Studies indicate that work-related factors can make intensive care unit workers ill, but those addressing minor psychological disorders (MPDs) in ICU physical therapists are still scarce. This study aim to estimate the prevalence and factors associated with MPDs in ICU physical therapists in a large municipality in the state of Bahia. This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study that analyzed 60 ICU physical therapists in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia. A self-reporting questionnaire evaluated sociodemographic data, work characteristics, psychosocial aspects of the work and the presence of MPDs. The prevalence of MPDs was 41.7%, with an association between sociodemographic variables, work characteristics, lifestyle, psychosocial aspects of the work and MPD. We observed a high prevalence and a diversity of factors associated with MPDs among the studied physical therapists. The results suggest new epidemiological studies that can better identify the factors associated with MPDs in these workers.

Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of the network approach to psychopathology: Analysis of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Health (ELSA-Brasil) cohort over a 12-year timespan

Cohort studies have displayed mixed findings on changes in mental symptoms severity in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak started. Network approaches can provide additional insights by analyzing the connectivity of such symptoms. We assessed the network structure of mental symptoms in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Health (ELSA-Brasil) in 3 waves: 2008-2010, 2017-2019, and 2020, and hypothesized that the 2020 network would present connectivity changes. We used the Clinical Interview Scheduled-Revised (CIS-R) questionnaire to evaluates the severity of 14 common mental symptoms. Networks were graphed using unregularized Gaussian models and compared using centrality and connectivity measures. The predictive power of centrality measures and individual symptoms were also estimated. Among 2011 participants (mean age: 62.1 years, 58% females), the pandemic symptom 2020 network displayed higher overall connectivity, especially among symptoms that were related to general worries, with increased local connectivity between general worries and worries about health, as well as between anxiety and phobia symptoms. There was no difference between 2008 and 2010 and 2017-2019 networks. According to the network theory of mental disorders, external factors could explain why the network structure became more densely connected in 2020 compared to previous observations. We speculate that the COVID-19 pandemic and its innumerous social, economical, and political consequences were prominent external factors driving such changes; although further assessments are warranted.

Post-COVID-19 psychiatric and cognitive morbidity: Preliminary findings from a Brazilian cohort study

OBJECTIVE

The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impairments in a cohort of survivors of moderate or severe forms of COVID-19.

METHOD

425 adults were assessed 6 to 9 months after hospital discharge with a structured psychiatric interview, psychometric tests and a cognitive battery. A large, multidisciplinary, set of clinical data depicting the acute phase of the disease, along with relevant psychosocial variables, were used to predict psychiatric and cognitive outcomes using the 'Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator' (LASSO) method.

RESULTS

Diagnoses of 'depression', 'generalized anxiety disorder' and 'post-traumatic stress disorder' were established respectively in 8%, 15.5% and 13.6% of the sample. After pandemic onset (i.e., within the previous year), the prevalence of 'depression' and 'generalized anxiety disorder' were 2.56% and 8.14%, respectively. Memory decline was subjectively reported by 51.1% of the patients. Psychiatric or cognitive outcomes were not associated with any clinical variables related to the severity of acute-phase disease, nor by disease-related psychosocial stressors.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to access rates of psychiatric and cognitive morbidity in the long-term outcome after moderate or severe forms of COVID-19 using standardized measures. As a key finding, there was no significant association between clinical severity in the acute-phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the neuropsychiatric impairment 6 to 9 months thereafter.

Prevalência e fatores associados a distúrbios psíquicos menores em fisioterapeutas intensivistas de uma grande cidade do estado da Bahia

RESUMO Estudos indicam que fatores relacionados ao trabalho podem levar ao adoecimento de trabalhadores de unidades de terapia intensiva, mas estudos sobre distúrbios psíquicos menores (DPMs) em fisioterapeutas intensivistas ainda são escassos. Este estudo visa estimar a prevalência e os fatores associados a DPMs em fisioterapeutas intensivistas de uma grande cidade do estado da Bahia. Trata-se de um estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal que analisou uma população de 60 fisioterapeutas trabalhadores da terapia intensiva na cidade de Feira de Santana, Bahia. Um questionário autoaplicável avaliou dados sociodemográficos, características do trabalho, aspectos psicossociais do trabalho e presença de DPMs. A prevalência de DPMs encontrada foi de 41,7% e verificou-se associação entre as variáveis sociodemográficas, características do trabalho, hábitos de vida, aspectos psicossociais do trabalho e DPM. Observou-se elevada prevalência e uma diversidade de fatores associados aos DPMs entre os fisioterapeutas estudados. Os resultados apontam a necessidade de novos estudos epidemiológicos que possam identificar com mais precisão os fatores associados a DPMs nesses trabalhadores.

Trajectories of common mental disorders symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 Mental Health Cohort

AIM

Evidence indicates most people were resilient to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. However, evidence also suggests the pandemic effect on mental health may be heterogeneous. Therefore, we aimed to identify groups of trajectories of common mental disorders' (CMD) symptoms assessed before (2017-19) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), and to investigate predictors of trajectories.

METHODS

We assessed 2,705 participants of the ELSA-Brasil COVID-19 Mental Health Cohort study who reported Clinical Interview Scheduled-Revised (CIS-R) data in 2017-19 and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) data in May-July 2020, July-September 2020, October-December 2020, and April-June 2021. We used an equi-percentile approach to link the CIS-R total score in 2017-19 with the DASS-21 total score. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify CMD trajectories and adjusted multinomial logistic regression was used to investigate predictors of trajectories.

RESULTS

Six groups of CMD symptoms trajectories were identified: low symptoms (17.6%), low-decreasing symptoms (13.7%), low-increasing symptoms (23.9%), moderate-decreasing symptoms (16.8%), low-increasing symptoms (23.3%), severe-decreasing symptoms (4.7%). The severe-decreasing trajectory was characterized by age < 60 years, female sex, low family income, sedentary behavior, previous mental disorders, and the experience of adverse events in life.

LIMITATIONS

Pre-pandemic characteristics were associated with lack of response to assessments. Our occupational cohort sample is not representative.

CONCLUSION

More than half of the sample presented low levels of CMD symptoms. Predictors of trajectories could be used to detect individuals at-risk for presenting CMD symptoms in the context of global adverse events.

Prediction of depression cases, incidence, and chronicity in a large occupational cohort using machine learning techniques: an analysis of the ELSA-Brasil study

Abstract.

BACKGROUND

Depression is highly prevalent and marked by a chronic and recurrent course. Despite being a major cause of disability worldwide, little is known regarding the determinants of its heterogeneous course. Machine learning techniques present an opportunity to develop tools to predict diagnosis and prognosis at an individual level.

METHODS

We examined baseline (2008-2010) and follow-up (2012-2014) data of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a large occupational cohort study. We implemented an elastic net regularization analysis with a 10-fold cross-validation procedure using socioeconomic and clinical factors as predictors to distinguish at follow-up: (1) depressed from non-depressed participants, (2) participants with incident depression from those who did not develop depression, and (3) participants with chronic (persistent or recurrent) depression from those without depression.

RESULTS

We assessed 15 105 and 13 922 participants at waves 1 and 2, respectively. The elastic net regularization model distinguished outcome levels in the test dataset with an area under the curve of 0.79 (95% CI 0.76-0.82), 0.71 (95% CI 0.66-0.77), 0.90 (95% CI 0.86-0.95) for analyses 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Diagnosis and prognosis related to depression can be predicted at an individual subject level by integrating low-cost variables, such as demographic and clinical data. Future studies should assess longer follow-up periods and combine biological predictors, such as genetics and blood biomarkers, to build more accurate tools to predict depression course.

Factors associated with common mental disorders: a study based on clusters of women

OBJECTIVE

to identify factors associated with common mental disorders (CMD) in a sample of adult women in Southern Brazil.

METHODS

This population-based study, composed of 1,128 women, investigated socioeconomic, behavioral and health/disease explanatory demographic variables. Five response groups were explored: one group with common mental disorders - cut-off point 6/7 in the Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20) - and four others corresponding to the different clusters found using the latent class clustering technique, also from the SRQ-20. These four clusters (low, medium-depressive, medium-digestive and high) were named (denominated) based on the mean scores in the SRQ-20 in each group and on the response patterns of the variables and factorial characteristics. The "low" cluster comprised women with lower SRQ-20 scores and, therefore less likely to present CMD. The "high" cluster, with high mean values in the SRQ-20, was related to higher psychiatric morbidity. We used the Poisson regression technique to compare the findings of the different groups.

RESULTS

We identified ten variables as factors associated with CMD. Age, education, smoking, physical activity, perception of health and number of medical appointments were the common variables for the cut-off point and cluster-based analyses. Heavy alcohol use was associated only when the sample was evaluated as a cut-off point. Social class, work situation and existence of chronic diseases were associated only when the sample was analyzed by clusters. There was a significant association in the "high" cluster with lower classes (D or E), smoking, physical inactivity, existence of chronic diseases and negative perception of health.

CONCLUSION

We identified different associated factors according to the response groups considered. New approaches allowing identification of subgroups of individuals with specific characteristics and associated factors may contribute for a more accurate understanding of CMD and provide the basis for health interventions.

Different Components of Subjective Well-being Are Associated With Chronic Nondisabling and Disabling Knee Pain: ELSA-Brasil Musculoskeletal Cohort

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Chronic knee pain (CKP) is a common pain complaint in older adults that is often associated with disability. This study investigated the relationship between 2 components of subjective well-being (depressive symptoms and life satisfaction) and CKP phenotypes based on the presence of knee disability.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed at baseline of ELSA-Brasil Musculoskeletal cohort (2012-2014). Chronic knee pain phenotypes were identified according to the presence of CKP that was accompanied or not by disability, which was assessed by a question on pain-related limitations to perform everyday activities (overall), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index's physical function subscale (daily tasks) and 5-times sit-to-stand test (objective). Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised and life satisfaction by the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Multinomial logistic regressions used CKP phenotypes as response variables (no CKP as reference).

RESULTS

The sample comprised 2898 participants (mean age, 55.9 ± 8.9 years; 52.9% were female). After adjustments for sociodemographic and clinical factors, depressive symptoms were associated with daily tasks disabling CKP (odds ratio [OR], 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-3.66) and objective disabling CKP (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.29-2.93) and with nondisabling CKP for the overall disability measure (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.17-2.04). Life satisfaction was inversely associated with all phenotypes in fully adjusted models, with strongest magnitude of associations observed for disabling CKP.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of depressive symptoms and life satisfaction with CKP phenotypes suggest the need to address both negative and positive components of subjective well-being in the assessment of individuals with knee complaints.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Common Mental Disorders in Women: A Systematic Review

Objectives: To identify the prevalence and factors associated with common mental disorders in adult women. Methods: Searches were carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Cinahl, Google Scholar and Open Gray databases. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO under number CRD42020168231. Cross-sectional studies showing the prevalence of common mental disorders in women over 18 years were included. Studies with men, children and pregnant women of another age group and with other mental disorders and other types of studies were excluded. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used to assess the risk of bias. Results: Nineteen studies were included in this review. The prevalence of CMD ranged from 9.6% to 69.3%. The main associated factors were unemployment, indebtedness, low income, being a housewife, smoking, low education, poor self-rated health, being single, divorced or widowed. The risk of bias in the studies was classified as low and moderate. Conclusion: This review revealed a variable prevalence rate of CMD in adult women. Public policies are needed to create strategies to prevent the mental illness of these women.

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals With and Without Mental Health Disorders

OBJECTIVE

To identify people with history of mental health disorders before the COVID-19 pandemic in the Brazilian population and estimate the prevalence of mood swings and the subjective distress of the pandemic among individuals with or without mental health disorders.

METHODS

Through an online survey, participants were asked about presence or absence of mental health disorders. In addition, they answered the Brunel Mood Scale and the Impact of Event Scale. The mean percentile of mood swing indicators and psychological impact scores were estimated, and data were analyzed by logistic regression.

RESULTS

13,248 people participated (70.5% women, mean age 35.4 years, 31.2% with history of mental health disorder). Women and younger people were more likely to be diagnosed with mental health disorder. All participants had significant changes in mood due to the pandemic. Anger, depressed mood, mental confusion, and fatigue were higher among individuals with bipolar disorder or with combined disorders. Individuals with mental health disorders had a greater subjective distress, especially the group with bipolar disorder (OR = 4.89 [3.64-6.56]) and combined disorders (OR = 6.89 [5.21-9.10]).

CONCLUSION

Individuals previously diagnosed with mental health disorders at some point in life are more vulnerable to psychological impact from the pandemic.

Prevalence and associated factors of psychological distress in tuberculosis patients in Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

Background

Psychological distress, a major comorbidities of tuberculosis (TB) patients, has posed a serious threat to the progress being made in global TB programs by affecting treatment adherence and health outcomes. However, the magnitude and associated factors of psychological distress have not been fully studied in China. The aim of the current study was to assess the prevalence of psychological distress in TB patients and to further determine the effects of socio-demographic characteristics, health-related variables, substance use status, social support, and experienced stigma on psychological distress.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among TB patients attending three medical institutions in Dalian, Liaoning Province, Northeast China from November 2020 to March 2021. A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data on patients’ socio-demographic characteristics, health-related information, substance use status, psychological distress, family function, doctor-patient relationship, policy support, experienced stigma and so on. The binary logistics regression model was used to determine the associated factors of psychological distress.

Results

A total of 473 TB patients were enrolled in this study, and the prevalence of psychological distress was 64.1%. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that patients with a middle school education level or above (OR: 0.521, 95%CI: 0.279–0.974), no adverse drug reactions (OR: 0.476, 95%CI: 0.268–0.846), and regular physical exercise (OR: 0.528, 95%CI: 0.281–0.993) were more likely to stay away from psychological distress. However, patients who had a high economic burden (OR: 1.697, 95%CI: 1.014–2.840), diabetes (OR: 2.165, 95%CI: 1.025–4.573), self-rated illness severe (OR: 3.169, 95%CI: 1.081–9.285), perceived poor resistance (OR: 2.065, 95%CI: 1.118–3.815), severe family dysfunction (OR: 4.001, 95%CI: 1.158–13.823), perceived need for strengthen psychological counseling (OR: 4.837, 95%CI: 2.833–8.258), and a high experienced stigma (OR: 3.253, 95%CI: 1.966–5.384) tended to have a psychological distress.

Conclusions

The study found that the proportion of psychological distress among TB patients was high in Northeast China, and it was influenced by a variety of factors. Effective interventions to reduce psychological distress in TB patients urgently need to be developed, and greater attention should be given to patients with risk factors.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-021-06284-4.

Urbanization and mental health as a research problem in Latin America (with a focus on Brazil)

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The basic hypothesis of this paper is that, in Latin America, the nature of the set of variables or determinants regarding the relationships of urbanization (and correlated processes of social change, modernization, acculturation, and economic inclusion) and mental health varies with the political context or historical phase considered. To assess the validity of the hypothesis, I propose a periodization of the economic, political, and social changes that occurred in Latin America in the past decades.

RECENT FINDINGS

A brief review of recent studies on social determinants of mental health (with a focus on Brazil), considering research findings by historical context, shows that urbanization-modernization-migration variables were more present in the literature in the decades of 1980 and 1990, whereas social inequity factors (gender, ethnicity/race, and racism) came to be dominant as a research question after the year 2000.

SUMMARY

New approaches of the mental health situation of peripheral societies such as those in the Latin American continent have gone beyond the urban environment as a determinant and start to consider social determination processes and political contexts.

Factors Associated With Mental Suffering in the Brazilian Population: A Multilevel Analysis

Purpose: To analyze how individual characteristics and the social context are associated with mental distress symptoms in the Brazilian population.

Method: A multilevel cross-sectional study with data from the 2013 National Health Survey. There were two dependent variables: (a) decreased vital energy and somatic symptoms, (b) the presence of depressive thoughts. The independent variables were biological characteristics, education and income, habits and lifestyle, and context variables. Bivariate analysis was performed, and Prevalence Ratios calculated in a Poisson Regression (95% CI). A multilevel Poisson Regression was performed to verify the effect of individual and contextual variables.

Results: Regarding depressive thoughts, young and middle-aged individuals, low education, women, absence of partner, smokers or former smokers, and absence of health insurance were the categories at highest risk; belonging to classes D-E and living in states with lower expected years of schooling proved to be protective factors. Similar results were found for the second outcome.

Conclusions: Symptoms of mental distress were associated with the individual characteristics and contextual aspects of the federation unit. These findings indicate the importance of strengthening psychosocial care aimed at vulnerable groups.

Urbanization and emerging mental health issues

Rapid urbanization worldwide is associated to an increase of population in the urban settings and this is leading to new emerging mental health issues. This narrative mini-review is based on a literature search conducted through PubMed and EMBASE. A total of 113 articles published on the issue of urban mental health have been selected, cited, reviewed, and summarized. There are emerging evidences about the association between urbanization and mental health issues. Urbanization affects mental health through social, economic, and environmental factors. It has been shown that common mental syndromes report higher prevalence in the cities. Social disparities, social insecurity, pollution, and the lack of contact with nature are some of recognized factors affecting urban mental health. Further reserach studies and specific guidelines should be encouraged to help policy makers and urban designers to improve mental health and mental health care facilities in the cities; additional strategies to prevent and reduce mental illness in the urban settings should be also adopted globally.

Risk assessment of ayahuasca use in a religious context: self-reported risk factors and adverse effects

Objective:

Whether for spiritual, recreational, or potential therapeutic use, interest in ayahuasca has grown remarkably. Ayahuasca’s main active substances are N,N‐dimethyltryptamine and certain monoamine oxidase inhibitor β-carbolines. Possible drug interactions are a major concern, and research is lacking in this area. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety of ritual ayahuasca use regarding adverse effects and risk factors.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, ayahuasca users from a religious institution answered an online questionnaire about its safety. Adverse effects, safety measures, and possible risk factors (psychiatric diagnosis and medications) were investigated.

Results:

The most frequent adverse effects among the 614 participants were transient gastrointestinal effects (nausea and vomiting). Fifty participants self-reported a psychiatric diagnosis (depression and anxiety were the most prevalent), and these participants experienced adverse effects more frequently. Psychiatric medication use was reported by 31 participants. No indication of increased adverse effects due to drug-drug interactions was found.

Conclusion:

A minority of participants reported being very negatively affected by persistent adverse effects. Psychiatric medication use while participating in ayahuasca rituals was not associated with increased adverse effects. For the most part, the institution’s practices seem sufficient to prevent exacerbated reactions. Future studies may focus on negatively affected users.

Gender Difference in Social Capital, Common Mental Disorders and Depression: ELSA-Brasil Study

Association studies between social capital and health point out that a high level of social capital can act as a protector for mental health. The growing interest in social risk factors for mental health coincides with the development of social capital research. Higher levels of social capital available through social networks can act as a protector for mental health. This study investigates gender differences in the association between social capital and common mental disorders (CMD) and depression. We analyzed 15,052 participants in the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). CMD and depression were assessed by Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) and social capital by the Resource Generator scale. We used Logistic regression models stratified by sex. Women with lower social capital in the social support dimension had a greater chance of presenting CMD (OR = 1.36; CI 95%: 1.16–1.60) and depression (OR = 2.07; CI 95%: 1.57–2.72) when compared to women with higher social capital. No association was identified among men, or among women in the “prestige and education” dimension. The differences found between the dimensions of social capital support its multidimensionality, as well as the differences found between sexes, confirm the need to approach gender in its association with mental health.

Association Between Posterior Segment Eye Diseases, Common Mental Disorders, and Depression: Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analyses of Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health Cohort

BACKGROUND

Posterior segment eye diseases, such as glaucoma and retinal diseases (such as diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and retinal detachment), are chronic diseases that are among the major causes of visual impairment.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the prevalence of anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and common mental disorders in these patients and also the incidence of depression.

METHODS

We examined baseline (2008-2010) and follow-up (2012-2014) data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). We used the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) to perform International Classification of Diseases-10-based diagnoses of anxiety and depressive disorders. Common mental disorder was defined as a Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised >11. We used multinomial logistic regression models to investigate associations between eye diseases and mental disorders, adjusted by age, gender, educational level, self-reported ethnicity, cardiovascular conditions, and self-reported quality of vision.

RESULTS

Out of 10,775 subjects, 249 (2.3%), 303 (2.8%), and 30 (0.3%) reported having retinal diseases, glaucoma, or both, respectively. Patients with retinal diseases and those with glaucoma and retinal diseases presented a higher prevalence of common mental disorders (relative-risk ratios of 1.7 and 3.7, respectively, P < 0.001). These patients also presented a higher incidence of depression at follow-up (relative-risk ratios of 3.0 and 5.9, respectively, P < 0.001). Patients with glaucoma presented neither a higher prevalence nor a higher incidence of mental disorders or depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Retinal diseases but not glaucoma were associated with mental disorders, indicating that patients with posterior segment eye diseases require distinct management of psychiatric morbidity according to the underlying pathology.

Socio-demographic and psychiatric risk factors in incident and persistent depression: An analysis in the occupational cohort of ELSA-Brasil

BACKGROUND

Depression is a main source of disability worldwide. Identifying risk factors associated with incident and persistent episodes could inform clinical practice and hence mitigate their burden. However, previous research has focused on populations from developed countries. Thus, we evaluated sociodemographic risk factors and psychiatric comorbidities associated with incident and persistent depression in a large Brazilian occupational cohort.

METHODS

We examined baseline (2008-2010, n = 15,105) and follow-up (2012-2014) data from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Based on the presence of depression diagnosis at two timepoints, we diagnosed persistent and incident depression. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed to explore risk factors associated with incident and persistent depression. As gender is associated with the exposure and outcome variables, analyses stratified by gender were also conducted.

RESULTS

Presence of any anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and female gender were significant (p < 0.001) risk factors for depression incidence (odds ratios of 2.59, 3.6, and 1.82, respectively) and persistence (odds ratios of 6.94, 14.37, and 2.85, respectively) in multiple models, whereas having university degree decreased the odds of depression incidence (0.74) and persistence (0.45). In stratified analyses, the effects of low education were only evident in women.

LIMITATIONS

Brief depressive episodes could not be measured by our assessments.

CONCLUSION

In this occupational cohort, female gender, low education and psychiatric comorbidities were associated with unfavorable depression courses. Interventions targeting comorbidities could prevent depression incidence and persistence.

Prevalence of pain and associated factors in Brazilian civil servants: an introductory analysis using baseline data from the ELSA-Brasil cohort

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.

Introduction:

In Brazil, the prevalence and costs of pain will increase substantially with population ageing. Understanding of pain epidemiology is needed for the development of health care policies that can minimize this projected burden.

Objective:

To investigate the prevalence of pain and associated factors at baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

Methods:

Data were collected in public institutions of higher education/research (2008–2010). Pain in the past 30 days and pain attributed to psychological distress (“with psychological attributions”—PPA) were evaluated by the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R). The independent t-test and χ² test investigated associations between sociodemographic/clinical factors and each pain episode. Multivariable analyses including age, sex, leisure-time physical activity, depression, and arthritis/rheumatism, and factors showing univariate associations at the P < 0.10 level, were performed.

Results:

Fifteen thousand ninety-five civil servants were included (52.1 ± 9.1 years, 54.4% female). The prevalence of any pain was 62.4% (95% confidence interval 61.6%–63.2%), and of PPA was 22.8% (95% confidence interval 22.2%–23.5%). Factors associated with any pain and PPA in multivariable analyses included age (odds ratio [OR] 0.97), female sex (OR 1.86–2.01), moderate and vigorous leisure-time physical activity (OR 0.60–0.84), excessive drinking (OR 0.68–0.83), depressive symptoms (OR 1.28–1.96), anxiety symptoms (OR 1.63–2.45), sleep disturbance (OR 1.62–1.79), and arthritis/rheumatism (OR 1.32–2.18). Nonroutine nonmanual occupation (manual occupation as reference), body mass index, and smoking were independently associated with either any pain or PPA.

Conclusion:

This study provided preliminary information on the epidemiology of pain at baseline of the largest Latin American cohort on chronic noncommunicable diseases.

Factors Associated with Common Mental Disorders in Truck Drivers

Abstract This study aimed to identify the risk factors of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) using a sample of 565 Brazilian truck drivers. For data capture were applied the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), Scale subscale of Psychosocial risks and questionnaire with socio-demographic, working and occupational stressors. The results obtained by multivariate binary logistic regression analysis, have explained the 39.9% of variation on CMD. The occupational stressor working hours is the predictor variable with highest impact, may implying in an increase of 5.41 times more chance of the trucker to present CMD. The results indicate actions by management level as work organization and public authorities with regard to the external work conditions.

Dietary Patterns and Depression: First Results in a Cross-Sectional Study from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil)

Background: Relations between diet and mental health continue to be a subject for controversy and an increasing numbers of studies. Recent literature is represented by papers that examine overall diet by way of dietary patterns and its association with depression, replacing previous studies about nutrients. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the relation between dietary patterns and depressive episode in the baseline (2008–2010) population of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). We analyzed 14,798 participants of ELSA-Brasil. Methods: We constructed dietary patterns based on the Food Frequency Questionnaire using multiple correspondence and cluster analysis; to evaluate depressive episodes, we used the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R). As an independent variable, we used the patterns: Traditional, Low-Sugar/Low-Fat, Fruit-Vegetables, and Bakery Products. We used multiple logistic regression models to evaluate relations between the dietary patterns and depressive episodes. Results: The Traditional pattern showed the highest percentages of consumption. After adjusting, the Bakery Products (OR = 1.33; 95%CI 1.05–1.70) was associated positively and significantly with depressive episodes only for women. Conclusions: International studies corroborated this finding, suggesting that the Bakery Products pattern could be a marker of a specific population group in which depressive episodes are frequent.

Association between ideal cardiovascular health and depression incidence: a longitudinal analysis of ELSA-Brasil

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether ideal cardiovascular health (ICH), a metric proposed by the American Heart Association, predicts depression development.

METHODS

Cohort analysis from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Adults with no current depression and other common mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and antidepressant drug use at baseline had their ICH (composite score of smoking, dietary habits, body mass index, blood pressure, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and physical activity) assessed and classified into poor, intermediate, and optimal. Depression was assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R). Poisson regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic factors and alcohol consumption, were employed. Stratified analyses were performed for age and sex.

RESULTS

We included 9214 participants (mean age 52 ± 9 years, 48.6% women). Overall depression incidence at 3.8-year follow-up was 1.5%. Intermediate and poor ICH significantly increased the risk rate (RR) of developing depression (2.48 [95%CI 1.06-5.78] and 3 [1.28-7.03], respectively) at a 3.8-year follow-up. Higher ICH scores decreased the rate of depression development (RR = 0.84 [0.73-0.96] per metric). Stratified analyses were significant for women and adults < 55 years old.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor cardiovascular health tripled depression risk at follow-up in otherwise healthy adults. Ameliorating cardiovascular health might decrease depression risk development.

[Prevalence of common mental disorders and associated factors in urban residents of São Paulo, Brazil]

Studies in developing countries report a steady increase in mental disorders, with major social and economic repercussions. The current study proposes to analyze the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and associated factors in urban residents of São Paulo, Brazil. Based on data collected in the Health Survey in São Paulo City (ISA-Capital) in 2015, the study identified the presence of CMDs using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). The association of CMDs with sociodemographic variables and health conditions was analyzed as relative frequency, corrected by the respective weights resulting from cluster sampling, estimating the prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and assessing the association's significance by the chi-square test, corrected by the F distribution. Prevalence of CMDs was 19.7% (95%CI: 18.2-21.4), higher in women (24.3%); persons 60 years or older (25.3%); followers of the African-Brazilian umbanda or candomblé religions (37.8%); widows/widowers (30.4%); individuals that had never attended school (31.4%); unemployed (28.3%); those with family income up to one minimum wage (28.8%); individuals that reported illness in the previous 15 days (36.9%); those with physical disabilities (21.6%); mental or intellectual disabilities (44.4%); emotional or mental problems (48.9%); headache (33.63%); and individuals with one or more chronic diseases (24.1%). The information in this study reaffirms the relevance of the prevalence of CMDs and their association with the most vulnerable social groups, corroborating the need to implement public measures in mental health.

Sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue: data from the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2013

This study aims to describe the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue and their association with socio-demographic and behavioral factors. Data from the Brazilian National Health Survey conducted in 2013 with 60,202 adults (≥ 18 years old) were used. The outcomes evaluated were self-reported sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue in the last two weeks. Sleep disturbance was defined as the presence of difficulty to fall asleep, frequently waking up during the night or sleeping more than usual; daytime fatigue was defined as the presence of not feeling rested and motivated during the day, feeling tired and lacking energy. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and chronic health aspects were explored as exposures for both outcomes. Prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue were 14.9% (14.4-15.4) and 11.9% (11.4-12.3), respectively. Both outcomes were more common in women, older people, people with no formal education, smokers and among physically inactive individuals. The association with education was inverse (the highest the level of education the lower the prevalence ratio - PR - of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue; adjusted p-value for trend < 0.001). Prevalence of sleep disturbances combined with daytime fatigue was 6.7% (6.4-7.1) and was about 6 times higher among those with three or more chronic health disturbances (PR = 6.2; 95%CI: 5.3-7.2). Strategies to decrease the prevalence of sleep disturbances and daytime fatigue should be encouraged and focused on chronically ill individuals that share other modifiable risk factors.

Prevalence of depression among patients with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Objective:

To estimate the prevalence of major depressive episode (MDE) in patients with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis (pre-PTB, defined by cough lasting ≥ 3 weeks) and compare it between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) and without PTB.

Methods:

Patients with pre-PTB (n=260) were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Those individuals with scores ≥ 10 were subsequently assessed with the depression module of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) to confirm diagnosis. Associations of categorical variables with PTB and MDE were calculated using the chi-square test and OR.

Results:

PTB was confirmed in 98 patients (37.7%). A high proportion of both groups (active PTB and no PTB) screened positive for depression (60.2 vs. 62.1%, respectively). Among 159 patients who screened positive for depression, a subset of 97 (61.0%) were further evaluated with the MINI-Plus; current MDE was confirmed in 54.6% (53/97). On univariate and multivariate analysis, female sex was the only factor associated with the diagnosis of current MDE (p = 0.04).

Conclusion:

The prevalence of MDE was high among individuals with prolonged respiratory symptoms, independent of PTB diagnosis. This is consistent with other studies of depression in primary care in Brazil.

Severe depression and anxiety in women with overactive bladder

AIM

Depression and anxiety are prevalent psychiatric conditions and are associated with overactive bladder. The objective of this study was to determine prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression associated with overactive bladder (OAB) in women.

METHODS

274 women with clinical diagnosis of OAB were recruited from 2012 to 2015. They were submitted to the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI).

RESULTS

Severe or moderate depression was present in 59.8% of women and severe or moderate anxiety was identified in 62.4%. Higher scores of depression and anxiety were associated with higher scores of ICIQ-OAB (P = 0.0031 and 0.0049). Women with severe depression had higher nocturia score than those with mild depression (P = 0.0046). Also, women with severe depression had higher urgency incontinence score than those with minimal depression (P = 0.0261). Patients with severe anxiety had higher nocturia score than those with minimal anxiety (P = 0.0118) and women with moderate anxiety had higher urgency incontinence score than with minimal anxiety (P = 0.0300).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate or severe depression and anxiety are prevalent in women with OAB. There is a correlation between intensity of OAB symptoms with depression and anxiety. Anxiety and depression levels are mainly related with urgency incontinence and nocturia.

A Mental Health Survey of Different Ethnic and Occupational Groups in Xinjiang, China

Poor mental health has become a serious social and public health-care burden. This cross-sectional study used multistage stratified cluster random sampling to gather mental health information from 11,891 adults (18-60 years) employed in various occupations categorized according to the Chinese Standard Occupational Classification. Mental health was measured by the General Health Questionnaire, and participants exceeding the cut-off score were defined as having poor mental health. The overall prevalence of poor mental health was 23.8%. The prevalence of poor mental health was significantly higher in the Han ethnic group than Kazak ethnic group and in health-care workers, teachers, and civil servants compared to manual workers. Females (odds ratios (OR) = 1.139, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.012-3.198) and knowledge workers (1.697, 1.097-2.962) were risk factors for poor mental health, while Kazak ethnicity (0.465, 0.466-0.937), other minority status (non-Han) (0.806, 0.205-0.987), and working ≥15 years in the same occupation (0.832, 0.532-0.932) were protective (p < 0.05). We concluded that the general level of mental health in Xinjiang, China, is higher in the Kazak ethnic group than the Han ethnic group. The prevalence of poor mental health is higher among knowledge workers than in manual workers due to high incidences of poor mental health in civil servants, health-care workers, and teachers.

Common mental disorders and associated factors: a study of women from a rural area

Abstract OBJECTIVE Identifying the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders and analyzing the influence of sociodemographic, economic, behavioral and reproductive health variables on Common Mental Disorders in women of childbearing age living in the rural area of Uberaba-MG, Brazil. METHOD An observational and cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic, economic, behavioral and reproductive health instruments were used, along with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to identify common mental disorders. Multiple logistic regression was used for multivariate data analysis. RESULTS 280 women participated in the study. The prevalence of Common Mental Disorders was 35.7%. In the logistic regression analysis, the variables of living with a partner and education level were associated with Common Mental Disorders, even after adjusting for the other variables. CONCLUSION Our findings evidenced an association of social and behavioral factors with Common Mental Disorders among rural women. Identification and individualized care in primary health care are essential for the quality of life of these women.