Prevalência de depressão em mulheres adultas de poder aquisitivo médio-baixo no Brasil / Prevalence of depression in adult women with medium-low purchasing power in Brazil

Abstract

Depressive disorders are characterized by deep, persistent sadness and a variety of emotional, cognitive, and physical symptoms. It is one of the most disabling diseases in the world. According to the WHO, the prevalence of depression increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015, reaching 322 million people worldwide. In Brazil, the prevalence of depression is estimated at 5.8% in the general population, which means, based on the 2021 population, that there are around 12 million people currently living with this disorder in the country. According to Salari et al, there was an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of depression in the world. However, studies carried out before this period already showed a prevalence higher than estimates. The objective of this research was to estimate the prevalence of depression in adult women with medium-low purchasing power in Brazil. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out, based on a national sample of 2,400 participants, and an online questionnaire was applied to inventory depressive symptoms using the Zung Depressive Symptoms Self-Assessment Scale, verify self-reported diagnosis of depression or other psychiatric disorders, and verification of use of medications that act on the central nervous system. The results indicate a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms than reported estimates (61.4%), reinforcing the hypothesis of underdiagnosis and the need for more studies on the causes that lead to this