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

Abstract

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.

Spirituality, Religiosity, and Mental Health in Patients with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: A Brazilian Multicentric Case–Control Study

“…In addition, in the new World Health Organization report, Brazil led the ranking of anxious people in 2022 [ 47 ]. These factors are supported by the socio-economic situation in Brazil, with high rates of urban violence, food insecurity, lack of access to healthcare services, loss of purchasing power/wage devaluation, and unsafe urban planning [ 48 ].…”

Transtornos Mentais Comuns em Motoristas de Transporte Coletivo de Passageiros

“…Os TMC são morbidades que acometem uma parcela significativa dos trabalhadores no Brasil e no mundo (Baasch et al, 2020). No que tange aos trabalhadores e às organizações nas quais estes estão inseridos, os transtornos mentais e comportamentais são considerados a terceira causa de afastamento do trabalho e indicam grande probabilidade de absenteísmo (Illangasinghe et al, 2021), rotatividade no trabalho, redução de produtividade (Vries et al, 2018), maior quantidade de afastamentos (Mota et al, 2020) e insatisfação no trabalho (Souza et al, 2021).…”

“…Esses profissionais cumprem um papel vital no que se refere à segurança e eficiência dos sistemas de transporte público, portanto, sua saúde e seu bem-estar são fundamentais para a mobilidade urbana (Cunradi et al, 2019). Assim, identificar e discutir o sofrimento psíquico é relevante para compreender esta realidade e desenvolver planos de ação eficazes para o cuidado em saúde mental, fortalecendo as políticas públicas existentes e construindo novas que entendam a saúde mental como um direito humano (Bezerra et al, 2021). Pelo exposto, este estudo de delineamento observacional, analítico e de corte transversal objetivou identificar os fatores sociodemográficos, laborais, riscos psicossociais e estressores ocupacionais associados aos TMC em motoristas de transporte coletivo de passageiros.…”

Racial inequalities in mental healthcare use and mortality: a cross-sectional analysis of 1.2 million low-income individuals in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2010–2016

“…Few studies have explored associations between race and mental healthcare usage and mental health outcomes in Brazil, with previous work producing mixed findings 17–21. Evidence from the Brazilian National Health Survey suggests there is no association between poor mental health and skin colour in the country,18 yet a recent systematic review found a higher prevalence of mental disorders in non-white Brazilians 17.…”

“…Few studies have explored associations between race and mental healthcare usage and mental health outcomes in Brazil, with previous work producing mixed findings 17–21. Evidence from the Brazilian National Health Survey suggests there is no association between poor mental health and skin colour in the country,18 yet a recent systematic review found a higher prevalence of mental disorders in non-white Brazilians 17. Furthermore, research frequently focuses on anxiety and depression, neglecting other mental disorders,22–25 and there have been few studies investigating racial/colour and socioeconomic inequalities beyond prevalence 26–33.…”