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Depression among physicians working in public healthcare in Belo Horizonte, Brazil

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Abstract

Purpose

Prevalence of depressive disorders has been reported among physicians in a number of different settings. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of self-reported depression and its associated factors among physicians working in the public healthcare system of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais state, Brazil.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 2009 to investigate individual and occupational dimensions of depressive disorders in a group of physicians working at several municipal healthcare units. The percentage of physicians that self-reported a confirmed diagnosis of depression by another physician was used as the prevalence proportion; the Poisson regression univariate and multivariate models were applied to study factors associated with depression.

Results

The response rate was 81.2 %, of which 12.0 % reported depression confirmed by another physician. Reports of RSI/WMSD (p < 0.001) and passive work (p < 0.05) were positively and independently associated with the outcome.

Conclusions

Our data bring valuable information that may help guide interventions and health-promoting activities for physicians by indicating concrete measures to change working conditions that affect mental health.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported a Grant from the FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa de Minas Gerais-APQ-01821-10) and from CNPq (National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Ada Ávila Assunção & Carla Jorge Machado

  2. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil

    Hugo Alejandro Cano Prais

  3. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil

    Tânia Maria de Araújo

Authors
  1. Ada Ávila Assunção
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  2. Carla Jorge Machado
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  3. Hugo Alejandro Cano Prais
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  4. Tânia Maria de Araújo
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Correspondence to Ada Ávila Assunção.

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Assunção, A.Á., Machado, C.J., Prais, H.A.C. et al. Depression among physicians working in public healthcare in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 49, 1219–1229 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0850-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0850-z

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