Sintomas depressivos no ambiente universitário no contexto da pandemia por Covid-19: achados e implicações
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Data
2024-06-14
Autores
Peixoto, Meiriane
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Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo
Resumo
Introduction: Depression is the most common mental disorder and is considered the leading cause of disability and premature death worldwide. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that over 322 million people are affected by depression. Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has been considered a factor that can increase and/or exacerbate symptoms indicative of depression. As a result, the university population has been a target of study due to the significant impact that mental disorders have on academic life. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of depression among students and staff at Brazilian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Methods: The first phase is na epidemiological, observational, cross-sectional, analytical, individual study comprising public servants, undergraduates, and postgraduates from the Alegre campus of the Federal University of Espírito Santo, conducted from June to October 2020. Participants responded to an online questionnaire that included variables such as academic trajectory, sociodemographic data, lifestyle habits, health conditions, and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of SPSS® version 20. The second phase of the study involves a systematic literature review, registered in PROSPERO, conducted in the Medline via PubMed, LILACS, Scielo, and Embase databases using descriptors from Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS), and EMTREE terms, following the PRISMA guideline recommendations and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool for bias analysis of the publications. Cross sectional studies published in Portuguese, English, or Spanish, measuring the prevalence of depression among the university population, and published between 2020 and 2023 met the inclusion criteria. Subsequently, two independent researchers evaluated titles, abstracts, full texts, and extracted data. Results: The sample (first phase) comprised 519 participants: 15.6% faculty, 5.6% public servants, 71.5% students, and 7.3% postgraduates. The data revealed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms before the pandemic (37.4%) compared to the general population, with a significant increase during the pandemic period (44.9%) (p-value<0.05). The main risk factors associated with depressive symptoms were female sex and smoking. The majority of the population is female (68.2%), with 74.8% single, living in shared housing (40.7%), and with a predominant family income of 1 to 3 minimum wages (61.1%). Most participants are from the Center for Exact, Natural, and Health Sciences (CCENS), with the pharmacy course being the most represented (11.3%). In the systematic review, out of 96 identified records, 10 articles met the eligibility criteria. The studies were conducted in public and private universities across all regions of the country. The predominant methodological design was cross-sectional (n=9), with one study being a qualitative-quantitative investigation (n=1). The sample sizes ranged from 217 to 5985 participants, comprising undergraduates, postgraduates, and staff. The prevalence found ranged from 10.1% to 81.0%. Three studies analyzed undergraduates from health-related courses (pharmacy, dentistry, and medicine), and only one study analyzed all three populations together. The most commonly used instrument to assess prevalence was the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Conclusion: The data presented in the first article reveal a high prevalence of depression in the university population at UFES Alegre campus, exacerbated during the pandemic period and associated with females and smokers. The systematic review data corroborated the findings of the first article regarding the pandemic period; however, the analyzed population included universities from across the country. Therefore, the results indicate the need for prevention, care and support measures for the academic and can be used to support future projects for university and public health policies to address the psychological distress of the university population.
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Covid-19 , Saúde mental , Depressão