Factors associated with symptoms of depression among the brazilian population in the context of the pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: To identify the factors associated with symptoms of depression among the Brazilian population in the context of the pandemic. Method: This is an analytical cross-sectional study, conducted with the Brazilian population between April and May of 2020 and 2021, the first period at the beginning of the pandemic and the second period after an increase in the number of cases of the disease. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used for data collection. The Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to analyze the mean scores. The chi-square test and logistic regression were used to assess the association of factors. Results: 25,132 (100%) Brazilians participated. The score obtained on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was 8.8 (Standard Deviation=6.6), showing that 62.7% of the participants presented mild symptoms of depression. In the logistic regression, several factors remained associated, such as female sex (Odds Ratio=2.02) and social isolation (Odds Ratio=1.48). Conclusion: Despite the low scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, factors such as female sex, social isolation, and the year 2021 increased the likelihood of developing symptoms of depression among the Brazilian population during the pandemic.