Sintomas depressivos em adolescentes e adultos jovens : analise dos dados do "Estudo multicentrico de morbidade psiquiatrica em areas metropolitanas"

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

1994

RESUMO

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS: Data analysis of the "Multicentric Study of Psychiatric Morbidity in Metropolitan Areas". INTRODUCTION: Epidemiologic studies conducted in the last two decades on adolescent depression have demonstrated a high frequency of depressive symptomatology (15-50%) and a high comorbidity with suicide ideation and drug abuse. These symptoms are ssociated with old adolescence and females. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study are: I. to determine the frequency of depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults of three urban areas in Brazil; II. to verify the association of these symptoms with sociodemographic variables; III.to compare the frequency of depressi ve symptoms among adolescents (15-19 years old), young adults (20-24 years old) and adults (25-49 years old). METBOD: A two-stage cross-sectional design was used to assess prevalence of psychiatric disorders in three urban areàs in Brazil(São Paulo, Brasilia and Porto Alegre). AlI adult residents in the households selected were asked to fill up a Brazilian screening questionnaire for psychiatric disorders, the "Questionnaire for Adult Psychiatric Morbidity" (QMPA) .This instrument includes nine questions on depressive symptoms. After selecting the population aged between 15-19 years old and 20-24 years old, the frequencies of depressive symptomatology was obtained. Astratification based on sociodemographic variables was then carried out. A comparison of the depressive symptomatology between the three groups (adolescents, young adults and adults), was made. Data from the three cities were analysed separately. RESULTS: For the three cities, the most frequent depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adul ts were: lack of appetite (6-14%) , insomnia (6-11%) , apathy (11-23%) and Irritability (7-15%) . suicidal ideation presented alow frequency among the adolescents (3-4%) and young adults (2-7%). A frequency gradient was observed for the use of tranquillizers and hypochondria. The depressive symptomatology was clearly associated with female, being single and living in houses where less than five people. The comparison of age groups showed a positive association between adult age and depressive symptomatology as well as a similar pattern of symptomatology for adolescents and young adults. The study indicates that depressive symptomatology in adolescents is an important public health problem. Further studies are needed in order to assess the risk and protective factors related with the incidence, duration and outcome of depression in this age group

ASSUNTO(S)

depressão na adolescencia saude mental epidemiologia descritiva

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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