Situação de crianças e adolescentes brasileiros em relação à saúde mental e à violência

Chronic diseases and health conditions in adolescents: Sex inequalities

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases and health conditions in adolescents from Campinas (São Paulo), investigating sex differences according to age group.

METHODS

This population-based study analyzed data from the ISACamp 2014/15 health survey, with a total of 1,022 adolescents interviewed. The interviewees consisted of 517 boys and 505 girls; 492 of them in the ten to 14 age group and 530 in the 15 to 19 age group. We verified the associations using the χ2 test with Rao Scott adjustment and estimated prevalence ratios (PR) with multiple Poisson regression adjusted for age. Analyses were also stratified by age group.

RESULTS

Respiratory diseases, such as rhinitis (25.3%), sinusitis (15.7%), and asthma (10.9%), were the most prevalent among adolescents. Health complaints were high, especially headaches (39.5%), emotional conditions (34.5%), allergies (27.5%), and back pain (21.3%). More than 22.0% of adolescents reported having three or more health conditions. Girls declared a higher number of health conditions (three or more) than boys (PR=2.27).

CONCLUSION

The study showed that adolescents presented a significant number of health conditions, particularly regarding complaints, indicating the need for clinical care and public policies aimed at controlling and preventing these diseases in this age group.

Chronic diseases and health conditions in adolescents: Sex inequalities

ABSTRACT Objective: To estimate the prevalence of chronic diseases and health conditions in adolescents from Campinas (São Paulo), investigating sex differences according to age group. Methods: This population-based study analyzed data from the ISACamp 2014/15 health survey, with a total of 1,022 adolescents interviewed. The interviewees consisted of 517 boys and 505 girls; 492 of them in the ten to 14 age group and 530 in the 15 to 19 age group. We verified the associations using the χ2 test with Rao Scott adjustment and estimated prevalence ratios (PR) with multiple Poisson regression adjusted for age. Analyses were also stratified by age group. Results: Respiratory diseases, such as rhinitis (25.3%), sinusitis (15.7%), and asthma (10.9%), were the most prevalent among adolescents. Health complaints were high, especially headaches (39.5%), emotional conditions (34.5%), allergies (27.5%), and back pain (21.3%). More than 22.0% of adolescents reported having three or more health conditions. Girls declared a higher number of health conditions (three or more) than boys (PR=2.27). Conclusion: The study showed that adolescents presented a significant number of health conditions, particularly regarding complaints, indicating the need for clinical care and public policies aimed at controlling and preventing these diseases in this age group.

Intimate partner violence, breastfeeding, breastmilk substitutes and baby bottle use in the first year of life

This article aims to investigate the relationship between intimate partner physical violence (IPPV) and breastfeeding (BF), use of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) and bottle-feeding among children aged 12 to 15 months. This is a cross-sectional study with mothers in primary care facilities of the city of Rio de Janeiro. IPPV was identified by the Brazilian version of the Conflict Tactics Scales 1-Form R and feeding practices were identified by a 24-hour Dietary Recall. Associations were verified by logistic regression with odds ratio (OR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals. BF was offered to 58.5% of the children and BMS to 88.5%. Also, 70.5% of the children used a baby bottle. Physical violence was observed in 26.7% of couples. Households where couples physically abuse each other are more likely to not breastfeed (OR=2.14, p-value=0.030), to use breastmilk substitutes (OR=5.15, p-value=0.03) and bottle-feed (OR=2.71; p-value=0.01), when compared to households without physical violence. The results highlight the need to investigate intrafamily relationships in cases where inadequate breastfeeding practices are identified, and to enable health professionals to support families in conflict situations.

Triple taboo: considerations about suicide among children and adolescents

This article aims to understand the construction and repercussion of taboos involving suicides among children and adolescents, considering the discomfort, silence, and dread that the theme causes across society. Due to the recognition of a continuum of taboos (taboo of death < taboo of suicide < taboo of child suicide), the authors present, as an attempt to address this issue, the concept of a triple taboo, recognizing the incommensurability of self-inflicted deaths that have children and adolescents as protagonists. Developed from a qualitative study with paediatricians during their medical residence, this paper serves as a call to professionals who assist children and adolescents in the country. Paediatric training needs to recognise these taboos and the dimensions of suicidal behaviour as a manifestation of violence and as a threat to mental health. Their identification is a critical and urgent element in contemporary children and adolescents' care.

Mental Health Studies published in the last 25 years in the Journal Ciência & Saúde Coletiva

A systematic review of the 25-year Mental Health production of Journal Ciência & Saúde Coletiva was performed to identify whether this production had changed over time. We investigated whether these changes would have any relationship with the implementation of a new regulatory and legal framework for this field and the expansion of public services and the promotion of public funding agencies' investigation on the subject. A total of 278 original papers were analyzed from the following categories: sociocultural transformations related to madness and its approach; legislative changes; implantation, coverage range and operation of the network of substitute services; clinic/care developed in substitute services; the role and possibilities of primary care; drug use-related problems; mental health of children and adolescents; epidemiological studies/psychiatric categories; and others - which included ethnic-racial issues, violence, about the elderly population, suicide, bullying, and migration. A chronological relationship can be observed between the increase in publications and research notices and the expansion of services, not seemingly in the same way concerning care for people with alcohol and other drug problems.

Childhood abuse and community violence: Risk factors for youth violence

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the joint effect of child abuse and neglect (CAN) and community violence (CV) on adolescents with peers that commit youth violence (YV).

METHODS

This is a school-based cross-sectional study of 699 students enrolled in four public and nine private schools in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Participants were selected through a complex cluster sampling procedure. CAN was identified using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Exposure to CV was assessed by asking students if they have witnessed cases of lethal violence in the community. YV was measured indirectly through questions about having friends who have committed acts of crime. Multivariate logistic models were used to study the effects of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect in childhood on YV, controlled for confounders, according to different levels of CV.

RESULTS

Emotional abuse OR = 3.32 (CI 95%: 1.79-6.17), sexual abuse OR = 2.33 (CI 95%: 1.20-4.54), and physical neglect OR = 1.81 (CI 95%: 1.02-3.20) increased the odds of YV in adolescents, whether cooccurring with CV or not. Physical abuse OR = 3.95 (CI 95%: 2.29 - 6.80) and emotional neglect OR = 2.93 (CI 95%: 1.83-4.72) are only risk factors for YV involvement when associated with CV.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the relevance of CAN and CV as risk factors for YV and the potential increase in adolescents' vulnerability when exposed to both. Policies aiming at preventing and dealing with CAN are essential strategies to reduce YV, especially in areas with high levels of CV.

Experiencing community and domestic violence is associated with epigenetic changes in DNA methylation of BDNF and CLPX in adolescents

Experiencing violence changes behavior, shapes personalities, and poses a risk factor for mental disorders. This association might be mediated through epigenetic modifications that affect gene expression, such as DNA methylation. The present study investigated the impact of community and domestic violence on DNA methylation measured in saliva collected from 375 individuals including three generations: grandmothers (n = 126), mothers (n = 125), and adolescents (n = 124, 53% female). Using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, in adolescents, we detected two CpG sites that showed an association of DNA methylation and lifetime exposure to community and domestic violence even after FDR correction: BDNF_cg06260077 (logFC −0.454, p = 3.71E‐07), and CLPX_cg01908660 (logFC = −0.372, p = 1.38E‐07). Differential DNA methylation of the CpG BDNF_cg06260077 associated with exposure to violence was also observed in the maternal but not the grandmaternal generation. BDNF (brain‐derived neurotrophic factor) and CLPX (caseinolytic mitochondrial matrix peptidase chaperone subunit) genes are involved in neural development. Our results thus reveal altered molecular mechanisms of developmental and intergenerational trajectories in survivors of repeated violent experiences.

Violent attacks leave lasting imprints in memory. This has been shown in neural connectivity and also in gene expression. Here, we determined DNA methylation, as it controls gene expression, in grandmothers, mothers, and children exposed to high levels of community and domestic violence (N = 375). Especially in adolescents this epigenetic mark was associated with exposures to violence in at least two protein‐coding genes (BDNF, CLPX). Both genes are well known for their role in stress regulation, affecting intergenerational vulnerability or resilience to mental illness. We conclude that developmental and molecular trajectories may be modified in young survivors of repeated violence.

Does Prenatal Stress Shape Postnatal Resilience? - An Epigenome-Wide Study on Violence and Mental Health in Humans

Stress during pregnancy widely associates with epigenetic changes and psychiatric problems during childhood. Animal studies, however, show that under specific postnatal conditions prenatal stress may have other, less detrimental consequences for the offspring. Here, we studied mental health and epigenome-wide DNA methylation in saliva following intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy in São Gonçalo, a Brazilian city with high levels of violence. Not surprisingly, mothers exposed to pregnancy IPV expressed elevated depression, PTSD and anxiety symptoms. Children had similar psychiatric problems when they experienced maternal IPV after being born. More surprisingly, when maternal IPV occurred both during (prenatal) and after pregnancy these problems were absent. Following prenatal IPV, genomic sites in genes encoding the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) and its repressor FKBP51 (FKBP5) were among the most differentially methylated and indicated an enhanced ability to terminate hormonal stress responses in prenatally stressed children. These children also showed more DNA methylation in heterochromatin-like regions, which previously has been associated with stress/disease resilience. A similar relationship was seen in prenatally stressed middle-eastern refugees of the same age as the São Gonçalo children but exposed to postnatal war-related violence. While our study is limited in location and sample size, it provides novel insights on how prenatal stress may epigenetically shape resilience in humans, possibly through interactions with the postnatal environment. This translates animal findings and emphasizes the importance to account for population differences when studying how early life gene–environment interactions affects mental health.

Psychopathology and Sibling Violence in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents

Sibling violence appears to affect the psychological well-being of adolescents, making them susceptible to the development of psychopathological symptomatology. In a sample of 463 Portuguese adolescents with siblings, we intended to ascertain to what extent psychopathological symptomatology varies depending on age and gender; and to analyze whether the tactics of conflict resolution exert a predictor effect on psychopathological symptomatology. The results of the current study showed that females and older adolescents (17-20 years old) seem to be the most vulnerable to psychopathological symptomatology development. We also found that the perpetration of psychological aggression is the only type of violence that positively predicts the evaluated psychopathological symptomatology. Therefore, high rates of sibling violence can be an alert to psychopathological problems that might ensue. Psychological aggression can lead to mental health problems for siblings, so it would be important to implement prevention and intervention programs in this area.

Resilience and mental health problems in children and adolescents who have been victims of violence

OBJECTIVE:

To understand the process of resilience (social support and resources of the family environment) and the chance of mental health problems in children and adolescents (9–16 years) who have been victims of domestic violence, assisted in specialized services (Group 1 – G1) and in school services without reports of domestic violence (Group 2 – G2).

METHODS:

Various semi-structured instruments were applied to the pairs (guardian and child or adolescent): the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ); the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents (RSCA), including Scale I (SI – sense of control), Scale II (SII – relationship skills) and Scale III (SIII – emotional reactivity); the Social Support Appraisals; the Home Environment Resources Scale and a questionnaire created by the authors to characterize the population.

RESULTS:

There was no difference in the prevalence of resilience between G1 and G2. Children and adolescents of both groups had a higher chance of low resilience in the absence of perception of social support from the teacher (SI; SIII) and other people in the community (SI; SII). Girls had higher chance of low resilience (SIII). The establishment of routine or rules in the lives of the children and adolescents facilitated the development of resilience (SIII). In G1, the prevalence of mental health problems was 65% for the self-application version of the SDQ for children and adolescents (SDQ/CA) and 54% for the version answered by the guardians (SDQ/G). In G2, it was 33% for SDQ/CA and 37.9% for SDQ/G. Domestic violence against children and adolescents was a risk factor for the development of mental disorders (SDQ/G). Subjects with low resilience (SI) had a higher chance of developing mental health problems (SDQ/CA). Despite originating from the same regions, the groups had socioeconomic differences, which showed no relationship with resilience.

CONCLUSIONS:

The quality and perception of social support and resources present in the home environment may have facilitated the development of resilience in the studied children and adolescents. Violence may have increased the chance of mental health problems, domestic violence being an aggravating factor. There is need for research on aspects that predict resilience and investment in intervention strategies for this population, as a way to promote mental health.

Exposição ao aleitamento materno e transtornos mentais comuns na adolescência

Resumo: O objetivo foi avaliar o efeito da exposição e do tempo de exposição ao aleitamento materno na ocorrência de transtornos mentais comuns (TMC) entre adolescentes escolares brasileiros. Este trabalho analisou dados do Estudo de Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescentes (ERICA), avaliando aqueles que tiveram o questionário referente ao aleitamento materno respondido pelos pais ou responsáveis. A presença de TMC foi identificada pelo General Health Questionnaire, versão 12 itens (GHQ-12), considerando-se dois pontos de corte (escores ≥ 3 e ≥ 5). As associações foram testadas em análises bivariadas e por meio de modelos de regressão logística múltipla, com ajustes por variáveis potenciais de confusão. Dentre os 41.723 adolescentes avaliados, a maioria foi composta por estudantes do sexo feminino (54,6%), que tinham idades entre 12 e 15 anos (71%), estudavam em escolas públicas (83,1%), residiam na Região Sudeste (51,9%) e eram das classes econômicas B (53,8%) e C (34,1%). Cerca de metade das mães dos adolescentes não tinha o ensino médio completo (51,7%). O grupo de adolescentes com mais de seis meses de aleitamento materno (51,8%) apresentou uma menor prevalência de TMC para os dois pontos de corte do GHQ-12 avaliados, quando comparado com o grupo que não recebeu aleitamento materno ou que o recebeu por período ≤ 1 mês (RI = 0,82; IC95%:0,69-0,97 e RI = 0,74; IC95%: 0,59-0,91 para 3 e 5 pontos, respectivamente). O aleitamento materno prolongado parece desempenhar um papel protetor para a ocorrência de TMC na adolescência.

Violence and child mental health in Brazil: The Itaboraí Youth Study methods and findings

OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate a study design that could be useful in low-resource and violent urban settings and to estimate the prevalence of child violence exposure (at home, community, and school) and child mental health problems in a low-income medium-size city.

METHODS

The Itaboraí Youth Study is a Norway-Brazil collaborative longitudinal study conducted in Itaboraí city (n = 1409, 6-15 year olds). A 3-stage probabilistic sampling plan (random selection of census units, eligible households, and target child) generated sampling weights that were used to obtain estimates of population prevalence rates.

RESULTS

Study strengths include previous pilot study and focus groups (testing procedures and comprehension of questionnaire items), longitudinal design (2 assessment periods with a mean interval of 12.9 months), high response rate (>80%), use of standardized instruments, different informants (mother and adolescent), face-to-face interviews to avoid errors due to the high frequency of low-educated respondents, and information gathered on a variety of potential predictors and protective factors. Children and adolescents presented relevant levels of violence exposure and clinical mental health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence estimates are probably valid to other Brazilian low-income medium-size cities due to similarities in terms of precarious living conditions. Described study methods could be useful in other poor and violent world regions.

Conjugalidade, parentalidade e coparentalidade: associações com sintomas externalizantes e internalizantes em crianças e adolescentes

Resumo A literatura sustenta que os subsistemas conjugal, parental e coparental impactam no desenvolvimento dos filhos. Entretanto, investigações acerca da articulação entre esses subsistemas são escassas no contexto nacional. Objetivou-se avaliar as associações da conjugalidade, parentalidade e coparentalidade com sintomas internalizantes e externalizantes dos filhos. Foi realizado um estudo explicativo, quantitativo e transversal com 200 indivíduos (100 homens e 100 mulheres), que coabitassem com seus filhos de quatro a 18 anos. Foi utilizado questionário composto por seis escalas. Os resultados evidenciam congruência na percepção de pais e mães acerca da presença de sintomas nos filhos. Adaptabilidade conjugal e aprovação coparental foram preditoras dos sintomas internalizantes e competição coparental, exposição do filho ao conflito coparental prática parental de intrusividade, aprovação coparental e prática parental de supervisão do comportamento foram preditoras dos sintomas externalizantes. Esses resultados sustentam a interdependência dessas variáveis e reforçam a premissa de que intervenções familiares devem atentar para todo o sistema familiar.

Grandmaternal stress during pregnancy and DNA methylation of the third generation: an epigenome-wide association study

Stress during pregnancy may impact subsequent generations, which is demonstrated by an increased susceptibility to childhood and adulthood health problems in the children and grandchildren. Although the importance of the prenatal environment is well reported with regards to future physical and emotional outcomes, little is known about the molecular mechanisms that mediate the long-term consequences of early stress across generations. Recent studies have identified DNA methylation as a possible mediator of the impact of prenatal stress in the offspring. Whether psychosocial stress during pregnancy also affects DNA methylation of the grandchildren is still not known. In the present study we examined the multigenerational hypothesis, that is, grandmaternal exposure to psychosocial stress during pregnancy affecting DNA methylation of the grandchildren. We determined the genome-wide DNA methylation profile in 121 children (65 females and 56 males) and tested for associations with exposure to grandmaternal interpersonal violence during pregnancy. We observed methylation variations of five CpG sites significantly (FDR<0.05) associated with the grandmother's report of exposure to violence while pregnant with the mothers of the children. The results revealed differential methylation of genes previously shown to be involved in circulatory system processes (FDR<0.05). This study provides support for DNA methylation as a biological mechanism involved in the transmission of stress across generations and motivates further investigations to examine prenatal-dependent DNA methylation as a potential biomarker for health problems.

Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) - Short Form: Adaptação e Validação para Adolescentes Brasileiros

Resumo Este estudo teve como objetivo adaptar e validar a Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) - Short Form para adolescentes brasileiros. Participaram do estudo 426 adolescentes de 12 a 18 anos (M = 14,91; DP = 1,66), sendo 264 meninas (62%) e 162 meninos (39%), de escolas públicas da cidade de Porto Alegre-RS, que responderam a uma versão adaptada, nomeada Escala de Depressão, Ansiedade e Estresse para Adolescentes (EDAE-A). As subescalas demonstraram níveis adequados de consistência interna, variando entre 0,83 e 0,90. A análise fatorial confirmatória indicou que o melhor modelo foi o de três fatores, confirmando o modelo original com as dimensões depressão, ansiedade e estresse. No escore total e por fatores, houve diferença por sexo, com maior média entre as meninas em todos os escores. Conclui-se que a EDAE-A apresenta qualidades psicométricas favoráveis, mostrando-se um simples e adequado instrumento de levantamento de sintomas de depressão, ansiedade e estresse para adolescentes brasileiros.

Mental health of young Brazilians: Barriers to professional help-seeking

The present study investigated the perception of young Brazilians of professional help and barriers to seeking mental health services. A total of the 1,030 questionnaires were administered to young people aged 8-21 years of both genders attending public and private school or who had received or were receiving treatement at mental health facilities in three Brazilian cities. The data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and comparison between means. The results showed fear of stigmatization as a major barrier to seeking mental health treatment, exerting greater impact than that of structural barriers. Regional differences influenced their perception of the treatment. Having undergone previous mental health treatment was found to be related to a greater perception of the positive effects of the treatment and the structural barriers to accessing care services. It was found that the onset of mental disorders usually occurs during early adolescence. School-related issues, anxiety, fear, and depression were the most common reasons for mental health treatment seeking among young people.

Prevalence of Family Violence and Associated Factors Among In-School Adolescents in São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Family violence is a social and public health issue across the world for many populations and affects many different types of people, for example, children, women, and vulnerable adults. Adolescents are one of the main victims of this important phenomenon. This article estimates the prevalence of family violence in adolescents and associated factors. The study was carried out in 2012 with a probability and representative sample of 656 adolescents aged between 11 and 17 years who were enrolled at public schools located in the extreme South of the city of São Paulo. The association was tested by the proportion test, Pearson's chi-square or Fischer's exact test, and Poisson regression adjusted by robust variance estimation, considering a level of significance of 5%. Among adolescents, 38.9% reported having been victims of family violence. Women were victimized with higher frequency (44.1%). The factors associated with prevalence of family violence were being of the female sex (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.20, 1.80]) and living only with the father (PR = 1.52; 95% CI = [1.11, 2.08]). The prevalence of adolescents who were victims of family violence is high; however, special attention must be paid to women and adolescents who live only with their father-they were established, in this study, as a risk group. Epidemiological studies of this nature are important to reveal the reality of family violence and to aid the construction of intersectoral public policies to promote health, prevent violence, and foster a peaceful culture.

Preditores do Comportamento Antissocial em Adolescentes

RESUMO Este estudo investigou preditores do comportamento antissocial em 142 adolescentes em medida socioeducativa de internação (G1) e 691 estudantes de escolas públicas (G2), que responderam a um questionário. Foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos quanto ao comportamento antissocial, violência intra e extrafamiliar, uso de drogas e eventos estressores, com médias mais altas em G1. Dentre as variáveis investigadas, grupo, uso de drogas e eventos estressores, juntamente com a covariável sexo, explicaram 66,5% da variável dependente. Um modelo de path analysis demonstrou que as variáveis sexo e ambiente estressor, computado pelos eventos estressores, qualidade do relacionamento familiar e violência intra e extrafamiliar predizem o uso de drogas e comportamentos antissociais.

LIVING WITH MENTAL DISORDER IN CHILDHOOD: FEELINGS AND REACTIONS OF THE FAMILY

Descriptive study with a qualitative approach, involving 14 families of children with mental disorders assisted at the Psychosocial Child Care Center of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. The objective was to understand the experiences, feelings and reactions of families of child with mental disorder. Data were collected from January till April 2013 through open interviews and then analyzed using thematic Content Analysis. Two categories emerged "Living with mental disorder in childhood: a daily battle" and "Feeling and reacting: experiencing the mental disorder in childhood". It is concluded that the family needs to understand the disease to accept it and thus learn how to live with it, and it is up to the nurse to provide support in order to face the difficulties.

Family and community violence of schoolchildren from the city of São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This descriptive study aimed to investigate the association between violence in the family, school and community experienced by school children/adolescents of the city of São Gonçalo (RJ), Brazil. Questionnaires were administered to the mothers/guardians to assess violence in the family and school and to children to check their perceptions of community violence. Multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis, two exploratory descriptive techniques, were employed. Data from 280 schoolchildren were analyzed. A total of 43.9% of mothers reported that their children had been physically abused in their homes. With regard to children's/adolescents' perception of community violence, 93.2% said they had experienced or witnessed these events in their communities. For both sexes there was the formation of a cluster of categories with the presence of violence among siblings, presence of severe physical assault and verbal assault committed by parents. Among girls, the presence of violence in the school formed a cluster with the highest category of violence in the community. In conclusion, it should be emphasized that public policies aimed at dealing with violence should expand their scope to the various forms of violence affecting children.

A construção do cuidado: o atendimento às situações de violência doméstica por equipes de Saúde da Família

A violência tem se constituído importante objeto da saúde pública, tanto na produção científica como na elaboração de políticas públicas. O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar as estratégias de cuidado construídas por equipes de saúde da família frente a situações de violência doméstica. Optou-se por uma abordagem qualitativa feita pela análise de casos traçadores identificados pelas equipes como “difíceis”, “típicos” e “bem-sucedidos”. Foram entrevistadas duas equipes de saúde da família e profissionais de diferentes serviços da rede intersetorial. Os resultados mostraram que a organização do serviço a partir das diretrizes da Estratégia de Saúde da Família propiciou condições favoráveis para o enfrentamento da violência doméstica. Os profissionais identificaram diferentes tipos de violência nas famílias atendidas, mas as ações das equipes voltaram-se prioritariamente para as situações de maus-tratos contra a criança. A violência contra a mulher em geral não foi tomada como objeto da equipe, demonstrando diferentes graus de “visibilidade” entre as violências. As estratégias incluíram ações de vinculação à família, de monitoramento dos casos e avaliação dos aspectos biomédicos, mas também ações incisivas, como a internação compulsória. As estratégias construídas alternam-se entre uma perspectiva prescritiva e outra centrada na ideia de cuidado, no diálogo com as famílias e suas necessidades. Os agentes comunitários de saúde e os profissionais do NASF foram os principais protagonistas nesses atendimentos, numa articulação entre o saber prático e técnico.

A gente vive equilibrando pratos: olhares sobre a violência que interroga a rede pública de saúde mental do município do Rio de Janeiro

Este artigo buscou caracterizar a rede de saúde mental do município do Rio de Janeiro e compreender os caminhos, práticas e discursos voltados à atenção prestada às pessoas em situação de violência que chegam a esses serviços. Realizou-se um estudo exploratório de abordagens quantitativa e qualitativa que abordou profissionais e gestores em 22 unidades de saúde mental. Como resultado identificou-se a produção de conhecimentos e estratégias para lidar e intervir nas situações tendo como efeitos a interrupção do ciclo de violência, entretanto estas ações têm pouca visibilidade em toda a rede de saúde e estão pouco integradas às diretrizes da Política Nacional de Redução da Morbimortalidade por Acidentes e Violências (PNRMAV). Conclui-se que a atenção na área da saúde mental às vítimas da violência vem sendo realizada, entretanto, de forma não integrada à PNRMAV o que expõe lacunas importantes.

Risk factors associated with mental health issues in adolescents: a integrative review

Objective: To identify the risk factors associated with mental health issues in adolescents. Method: An integrative review was conducted in four databases with publications from 2007 to 2013. The terms Adolescent and Mental Health were used to search adequate articles as DeCs/MeSH bases. Results: Publications were found in different journals in different fields of knowledge and the quantitative research was the most frequent. The mental health issues were categorized as individual factors; drug related factors, school factors, family factors, social factors and STDs/Aids related factors. The most addressed category was individual factors, with 23 publications. Conclusion: The integrative review allowed to point important questions to be addressed in preventive actions by the health professional, including the nurse, to create a space that works with risk conditioning factors in adolescents for mental health aggravation.


Vivências de enfermeiros no cuidado de crianças vítimas de violência intrafamiliar: uma análise fenomenológica

O propósito deste estudo foi compreender a vivência dos enfermeiros no cuidado à criança vítima de violência intrafamiliar. Utilizando a abordagem social fenomenológica de Alfred Schütz, foram entrevistados 15 enfermeiros que atuavam em unidades de emergência, cuidados intensivos e de internação pediátricas. A análise, pautada na Teoria Motivacional de Schütz, permitiu a descrição do tipo vivido, apoiado em três categorias que expressam aspectos significativos da experiência do enfermeiro: o contato com a violência, reações ambivalentes e atitude profissional protetora. O mundo-vida dos enfermeiros que cuidam de crianças vítimas de violência intrafamiliar é composto de diversas dimensões que geram um constante estado de atenção, e reações que causam revolta, inquietação, tristeza e sensação de impotência, as quais precisam ser internamente manejadas no transcorrer de seu atendimento.

Childhood depression: a systematic review

As an important public health issue, childhood depression deserves special attention, considering the serious and lasting consequences of the disease to child development. Taking this into consideration, the present study was based on the following question: what practical contributions to clinicians and researchers does the current literature on childhood depression have to offer? The objective of the present study was to conduct a systematic review of articles regarding childhood depression. To accomplish this purpose, a systematic review of articles on childhood depression, published from January 1, 2010 to November 24, 2012, on MEDLINE and SciELO databases was carried out. Search terms were "depression" (medical subject headings [MeSH]), "child" (MeSH), and "childhood depression" (keyword). Of the 180 retrieved studies, 25 met the eligibility criteria. Retrieved studies covered a wide range of aspects regarding childhood depression, such as diagnosis, treatment, prevention and prognosis. Recent scientific literature regarding childhood depression converge to, directly or indirectly, highlight the negative impacts of depressive disorders to the children's quality of life. Unfortunately, the retrieved studies show that childhood depression commonly grows in a background of vulnerability and poverty, where individual and familiar needs concerning childhood depression are not always taken into consideration. In this context, this review demonstrated that childhood-onset depression commonly leads to other psychiatric disorders and co-morbidities. Many of the retrieved studies also confirmed the hypothesis that human resources (eg, health care team in general) are not yet adequately trained to address childhood depression. Thus, further research on the development of programs to prepare health care professionals to deal with childhood depression is needed, as well as complementary studies, with larger and more homogeneous samples, centered on prevention and treatment of childhood depression.

Community violence and childhood asthma prevalence in peripheral neighborhoods in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil

This study aimed to identify degrees of exposure to community violence reported by parents and guardians of children from four to 12 years of age and the association with childhood asthma symptoms. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,232 parents/guardians in 24 peripheral neighborhoods in Salvador, the capital of Bahia State, Brazil. The authors investigated asthma symptoms in children and acts of violence in the community. More than 75% of parents/guardians had been exposed to community violence in the previous year, with 20% reporting high levels of exposure. Children that were more exposed to violence showed higher asthma prevalence (28.4%) as compared to non-exposed children (16.4%). Children exposed to maximum levels of violence were nearly twice as likely to present asthma symptoms (adjusted OR = 1.94; 95%CI: 1.12-3.36). The study highlighted the relevance of community violence as a risk factor for asthma and the need for further research to elucidate methodological issues.

Violência familiar contra a criança e perspectivas de intervenção do Programa Saúde da Família: a experiência do PMF/Niterói (RJ, Brasil)

O objetivo do estudo é estimar a prevalência e caracterizar a Violência Familiar contra Crianças (VFC) adscritas ao Programa Médico de Família de Niterói/RJ, discutindo possibilidades de atuação das equipes visando à prevenção, detecção precoce e acompanhamento de famílias em situação de violência. Trata-se de um inquérito de base populacional, com amostra de 278 crianças, selecionadas através de amostragem sistemática, dentre aquelas adscritas a 27 equipes de Saúde da Família. A prevalência de VFC foi estimada utilizando-se a versão nacional da Conflict Tactics Scale Parent-Child (CTSPC). A agressão psicológica ocorreu em 96,7% (IC 95%: 94,7-98,8) dos domicílios. O castigo corporal foi referido por 93,8% (IC 95%: 92,0-96,7) dos respondentes. A violência física menor e a grave foram praticadas por 51,4% (IC 95%: 45,5-57,3) e 19,8% (IC 95%: 15,1-24,5) das famílias, respectivamente. A mãe foi a principal autora de todos os tipos de maus-tratos, embora a maioria das crianças sofra agressões psicológicas e punições corporais por parte de ambos os pais. Diante das altas prevalências e do envolvimento de toda a família nas situações de violência, preconiza-se que o problema seja considerado prioridade na Estratégia Saúde da Família.

Violence and injuries in Brazil: the effect, progress made, and challenges ahead

Although there are signs of decline, homicides and traffic-related injuries and deaths in Brazil account for almost two-thirds of all deaths from external causes. In 2007, the homicide rate was 26·8 per 100,000 people and traffic-related mortality was 23·5 per 100,000. Domestic violence might not lead to as many deaths, but its share of violence-related morbidity is large. These are important public health problems that lead to enormous individual and collective costs. Young, black, and poor men are the main victims and perpetrators of community violence, whereas poor black women and children are the main victims of domestic violence. Regional differentials are also substantial. Besides the sociocultural determinants, much of the violence in Brazil has been associated with the misuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, and the wide availability of firearms. The high traffic-related morbidity and mortality in Brazil have been linked to the chosen model for the transport system that has given priority to roads and private-car use without offering adequate infrastructure. The system is often poorly equipped to deal with violations of traffic rules. In response to the major problems of violence and injuries, Brazil has greatly advanced in terms of legislation and action plans. The main challenge is to assess these advances to identify, extend, integrate, and continue the successful ones.

A Violência urbana e suas consequências em um centro de atenção psicossocial na zona norte do município do Rio de Janeiro

OBJETIVO: Descrever a interferência da violência urbana e do tráfico de drogas sobre um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS) localizado na zona norte do Rio de Janeiro. METODOLOGIA: Pesquisa qualitativa com abordagem teórico-metodológica baseada nos princípios da observação participante e no trabalho de campo. Grande parte dos CAPS da zona norte está inserida em regiões de maior risco social, onde há intensificação da violência. A presença dessa problemática social se reflete na rotina do serviço, que precisa criar estratégias protetivas, realizar visitas domiciliares, atender à demanda de usuários de drogas com precária situação de vida e ainda enfrentar continuamente novos desafios. RESULTADOS: A elevada frequência da percepção de problemas sociais, como as altas taxas de violência e criminalidade, a questão do tráfico de drogas, o aumento da desigualdade social e a consequente sobreposição de exclusões a que estão submetidas essa parcela da população, requer novos estudos que permitam compreender as consequências do impacto da violência na saúde mental dos usuários de serviços em tratamento na comunidade.

Impact of exposure to intimate partner violence on children's behavior

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) against women and children's dysfunctional behaviors and school problems.

METHODS

Population-based study part of the WHO Multicountry Study on Domestic Violence Against Women including 790 women living with their children aged five to 12 years in two different regions of Brazil: the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, and Zona da Mata area in the state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. Three multivariate models were developed to estimate the strength of the relationship between explanatory variables such as social and community support, stressful events of life, sociodemographic factors and "IPV severity," among others, and three outcomes: number of dysfunctional behaviors; aggressive behavior; and school problems (interruption, drop out or failure).

RESULTS

Exposure to severe physical and/or sexual IPV was associated to school problems, behavioral dysfunctions in general and aggressive behaviors in the univariate analysis. Exposure to severe IPV against women was associated to the occurrence of three or more dysfunctional behaviors in their children, regardless of common mental disorder, low schooling, physical IPV against maternal grandmother, social and community support in the multivariate models. Severe IPV remained associated to aggressive behavior and school problems after adjustment for other sociodemographic variables, among others. Maternal mental health status was identified as a mediating factor between IPV exposure and dysfunctional behaviors, especially aggressive behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Severe IPV affects children's behaviors and should be addressed in health policies for school-aged children through the development of common interventions for mothers and children.

Adolescentes em sofrimento psíquico e a política de saúde mental infanto-juvenil

O presente estudo é uma revisão de literatura dos artigos publicados a respeito da saúde mental de adolescentes no Brasil, entre janeiro de 2005 e abril de 2010. Os unitermos utilizados nos sites LILACS e SciELO foram: saúde mental, adolescentes, cuidado e produção do cuidado. Foram analisados 35 artigos, empregando-se a técnica de análise do conteúdo. Os estudos mostrarem ser indispensável reconhecer que o adolescente em sofrimento psíquico é um sujeito e que vive em um contexto subjetivo. Desta forma, as propostas de transformação não terão o alcance necessário às necessidades e demandas desses indivíduos sem uma articulação efetiva entre os diversos setores, trabalhadores de saúde, usuários e família. Neste debate, ainda são poucas as publicações que abordam as novas experiências, o redimensionamento do ato clínico, a clínica ampliada ou a produção do cuidado na atenção à saúde mental destes sujeitos.

Problemas de saúde mental na adolescência: características familiares, eventos traumáticos e violência

A ocorrência de situações traumáticas, exposição à violência e características das relações parentais são fatores de risco para saúde mental. Este estudo procurou identificar as situações individuais, familiares e contextuais associadas às manifestações de problemas de saúde mental em adolescentes estudantes da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, RS. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Inventário de Eventos Estressores na Adolescência, Triagem da Exposição de Crianças à Violência na Comunidade, Inventário de Estilos Parentais e o Child Behavior Checklist- versão YRF. Participaram 245 adolescentes, sendo 114 (46,5%) do sexo masculino com idade média de 16,02 anos (DP=1,83). A análise dos dados realizou-se através de estatística descritiva e inferencial para estimar os determinantes do diagnóstico clínico. Situações de violência, práticas parentais negativas e eventos traumáticos associaram-se ao diagnóstico clínico. Aponta-se a necessidade de implantação de ações preventivas e de atenção em saúde mental na infância e adolescência.

Desigualdades socioeconômicas e saúde mental infantil

OBJETIVO: Analisar a associação de determinantes sociodemográficos com o desenvolvimento de problemas de comportamento e de competência social em crianças. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal realizado com 479 escolares entre seis e 13 anos de idade, da primeira série do ensino fundamental de escolas públicas em São Gonçalo (RJ), em 2005. Foram investigadas variáveis socioeconômicas, estrutura familiar, escolaridade dos pais, cor da pele da criança, problemas de comportamento e competência social. Foram calculadas razões de prevalência com respectivo intervalo com 95% de confiança. Os dados apresentados foram expandidos para a população de alunos da rede de ensino investigada. RESULTADOS: Crianças abaixo da linha de pobreza, de cor da pele negra, com pais com baixa escolaridade, e vivendo em famílias monoparentais ou compostas por madrasta/padrasto apresentaram mais precária competência social e mais problemas de comportamento. À medida que se elevavam os fatores de risco, crescia a prevalência das crianças com baixa competência social e problemas de comportamento. CONCLUSÕES: A associação entre os determinantes sociodemográficos com a maior prevalência de problemas de comportamento e com mais precária competência social em crianças requer que ações preventivas e de assistência sejam tomadas como prioridade para as políticas públicas, minorando a existência de dificuldades sociais e emocionais infantis graves, que podem se manter até a vida adulta.