Prevalência de sintomas depressivos em professores da rede pública municipal e estadual de ensino do município de Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in teachers from the municipal and state public schools in the municipality of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande do Sul, as well as variables related to the outcome. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, whose data were collected through a questionnaire sent to teachers in their personal e-mails and messages in groups of mobile phone social networks. Sociodemographic, life, health and work data were collected. The outcome was determined using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The research population consisted of 225 teachers from the municipal and state public schools at all levels in Passo Fundo / RS. Through the BDI, there was a prevalence of 76.4% teachers with minimal or absent depressive symptoms, 12.4% mild, 10.2% moderate and 0.9% severe. Still, there was a statistically significant relationship of depressive symptoms with the age group of 40 years or less (p = 0.002), average monthly family income of R $ 5,000 or less (p = 0.008), the fact of not having a partner (p) = 0.008), not performing leisure activities on a regular basis (p = 0.007), less physical exercise (p = 0.002), less satisfaction with teaching (p <0.001), teachers who took more than 30 minutes to reach the workplace (p = 0.014), modes of travel other than car or motorbike (p = 0.025), the fact of having psychotherapeutic follow-up (p = 0.002), low self-perceived health (p <0.001) and those who rated it as bad or very poor quality of sleep (p <0.001), use of sleeping medications (p <0.001), self-reported medical diagnoses at some point in life of depression (p <0.001), Burnout Syndrome (p <0.001), anxiety (p <0.001), autoimmune diseases (p = 0.006) and musculoskeletal diseases / repetitive strain injuries (p = 0.006), salary conditions as a stressor (p = 0.022), suffering some type of violence in the exercise of their function (p <0.001) with emphasis on psychological violence (p = 0.016) and moral harassment (p = 0.017), as well as on teachers who were and / or were away due to health problems (p <0.001). Conclusions: The present study shows a high prevalence of depressive symptoms, as well as problems related to the outcome. The continuity in the production of studies on the relationship between teaching work and depression is essential for the elaboration of measures that are, in fact, effective in combating the illness process. In this way, it may be possible to avoid problems resulting from illness that affects not only teachers, but also students and the quality of teaching, as well as generating economic and administrative impacts generated by absences from work.