PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AND FAMILY RISK IN ADULTS MONITORED AT A PRIMARY CARE FACILITY IN PORTO ALEGRE, RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and family risk at a primary care facility in a Health Unit in southern Brazil, identifying factors associated with the outcomes of interest. Method: Cross-sectional study of adult patients attending a primary health care facility in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, conducted in 2020. Data collection was based on a sociodemographic questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and the assessment of Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) and Family Risk Scale (FRS). Continuous outcomes (BDI and FRS) were compared across sociodemographic, clinical and anthropometric variables using Student’s t test or ANOVA. Multivariable analyses were performed using Poisson Regression. Results: A total of 98 participants were included, of which the majority were female (83,7%) and of caucasian ethnicity (84,7%). Mean (± standard deviation) age was 42.8 ± 11.9 years and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 55.1%. Mean BDI (± standard deviation) scores were higher among patients with the presence of family history of depression compared to those absent of such history (18.5 ± 9.1 vs 9.2 ± 8.4; p ≤ 0.001). In multivariable analysis, the presence of family history of depression was associated with a 1.55 times greater prevalence of depression (IC95%, 1.27 to 1.91; p ≤ 0.001) compared to absence of family history. Approximately 30% of the sample presented with some degree of family risk but FRS scores were not statistically significantly associated with sociodemographic variables. In addition, mean anthropometric values were not statistically significantly different depending on presence or absence of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The high prevalence of depressive symptoms in the studied population and its strong association with family history suggest that routine investigation of family history may be a simple and efficient measure for identifying individuals at risk of depression in the context of Primary Care.