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Psychiatric morbidity in three primary medical care clinics in the city of Sao Paulo

Issues on the mental health of the urban poor

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Summary

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychiatric disturbance in three primary medical care settings (Brasilandia, Servidor and Barra Funda) in a large city of a developing country and the effect of relevant sociodemographic factors (sex, age, marital status, occupation, migration, colour of skin and housing) on minor psychiatric morbidity.

The prevalence rates of psychiatric morbidity were estimated at two levels: for minor and for severe psychiatric disturbance. The extent of minor psychiatric morbidity was found to be very high in the three primary medical care clinics (Brasilandia 56%, Servidor 50% and Barra Funda 47%) and about one-quarter of persons attending each clinic presented a ‘severe’ psychiatric disturbance.

Two factors were found to be associated with minor psychiatric morbidity (sex and family income per capita) when the joint effects of the sociodemographic variables were investigated. Women were more likely than men to present a minor psychiatric disturbance and the lower the family income the higher the risk of minor psychiatric morbidity. These findings are discussed in the light of the mental health of the urban poor living in the large cities of developing countries.

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  1. Departamento de Psiquiatria da Escola Paulista de Medicina, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Jair de Jesus Mari

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Mari, J.d.J. Psychiatric morbidity in three primary medical care clinics in the city of Sao Paulo. Soc Psychiatry 22, 129–138 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00583847

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