Prevalência de transtornos psiquiátricos na população adulta atendida na atenção primária à saúde em um município do norte gaúcho

Abstract

Objective: To assess the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in the population served in Primary Health Care. Method: This study represents a subset of a larger research project called "Injuries, Morbidities, and Health Care in Primary Care," conducted in Primary Health Care (PHC) in the municipality of Marau/RS, in the year 2019. This study is a cross-sectional analytical study, and data from 1,581 patients, representing the total adult population (20-59 years) of the total sample, were selected. The data, collected from electronic medical records available in the G-MUS Municipal Health Management system, after analyzing information on health, sociodemographic, and behavioral characteristics, were entered and validated in the EpiData software, and statistical analyses were performed using the PSPP software, both freely available. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders (dependent variable) was calculated with a Confidence Interval (CI95%), for which the mental health diagnosis was found in the medical record. The prevalence distribution of psychiatric disorders was also analyzed according to exposure variables (independent) using the chi-square test with a significance level of 5%. The larger study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee with Human Beings of UFFS under Opinion number 4.769.903.Results: In the sample (n=1581), the prevalence of psychiatric disorders was 18.3% (CI95 16-20), with a statistically significant difference in relation to female gender (21.4%; p<0.0001), skin color (19.4% in whites; p<0.094), incomplete elementary school education (25.9%; p<0.335), labor market insertion (21.6% in the unemployed; p<0.0001), tobacco consumption (28%; p<0.001), and alcohol consumption (34.4%; p<0.001). The most prevalent disorders in the adult population were Major Depressive Disorder (34.9%) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (32.8%). Conclusions: The prevalence of psychiatric disorders is high among females, whites, the unemployed, smokers, and alcohol consumers. Therefore, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to pay attention to the mental health of PHC users, improving services and enhancing the quality of life of the adult population.