Anxiety and depression levels among multidisciplinary health residents

Abstract

Objective
to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression of professionals of Multidisciplinary Health Residence Programs.

Methods
this is a cross-sectional study, performed with fifty professionals, using three instruments: one for socioeconomic and demographic data, and the Beck’s Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results
predominance of females (92.0%), average age 26 years old, single (88.0%), family income from two to five salaries (56.0%) satisfied with the work (82.0%) and thought about quitting the program (56.0%) showed anxiety (50.0%) and depression (28.0%).

Conclusion
there was an association between anxiety and depression in multidisciplinary residents, which points to the need for rethinking strategies for identifying these symptoms and control of stress factors for the promotion of mental health.

Full text

Received: Feb. 5th 2016; Accepted: Mar. 14th 2016. Rev Rene. 2016 May-June; 17(3):372-7.
DOI: 10.15253/2175-6783.2016000300010
www.revistarene.ufc.br
Original Article
372
Anxiety and depression levels among multidisciplinary health
residents*

Daniela Salvagni Rotta1, Maria Helena Pinto1, Luciano Garcia Lourenção1, Priscila Regina Teixeira1, Elizangela
Gianini Gonsalez1, Claudia Eli Gazetta1
Objective: to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression of professionals of Multidisciplinary Health Residence
Programs. Methods:
one for socioeconomic and demographic data, and the Beck’s Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results:
         
              
anxiety (50.0%) and depression (28.0%). Conclusion:
in multidisciplinary residents, which points to the need for rethinking strategies for identifying these symptoms
and control of stress factors for the promotion of mental health.
Descriptors: Health Personnel; Internship and Residency; Anxiety; Depression.
Objetivo:            
   Métodos:       

Resultados: predominância do sexo feminino (92,0%), idade média 26 anos, solteiros (88,0%), renda familiar
                
(56,0%), apresentaram ansiedade (50,0%) e depressão (28,0%). Conclusão:   


Descritores: 
1Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil.



Rev Rene. 2016 May-June; 17(3):372-7.
Anxiety and depression levels among multidisciplinary health residents
373
Introduction
The Multidisciplinary Health Residence


     


undergraduate(1). It is a post-graduation modality
lato sensu   
supervision, full-time and is as an effective way of
development and specialization in health care, and
     
community, promoting partnerships among managers,
workers and users, aiming a collective training in
  
the user integrity(2-3). Thus, this program allows the
exchange of knowledge among the various specialties
     
      
the service in contact with users and communities,
integrating theory and practice(1).
With the admission into the residence program,
changes occur in the professional and individual life of
the individual. Many move to other cities to attend the
program, separate from families and friends and need
a fast adaption to the new reality. Several suffer from
anxieties, tensions of lifestyle change and the working
environment and fail to create effective strategies
      

the development of anxiety and depression(4).

formation process in the context of residence, mainly
in specialties, shows that professionals are affected
       

user(5).
Residents may feel incompetent and worthless
       
     
        
environmental factor triggering disorders(6), such
 
professionals(7).
Considering the changes in daily life and stress

in the Multidisciplinary Health Residence, this study
aimed to assess symptoms of anxiety and depression
of professionals of Multidisciplinary Health Residence
Programs.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study, population-
     
the Multidisciplinary Health Residence Programs of
an educational institution in the interior of São Paulo,
Brazil state in 2013, who agreed to participate in
 
     
different areas. They excluded those who were distant
from the professional activities for any reason during
the period of data collection.
The data collection was performed with three
    
       
age, gender, marital status, professional category,
        
       
Beck Anxiety Inventory measures the severity of the
     

     
(8), and the Beck
Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory,
       
related to depressive symptoms such as hopelessness,
       
punished, physical symptoms such as fatigue, weight
(9).
Demographic and socioeconomic data
characterized the study population. Depression
      

Rotta DS, Pinto MH, Lourenção LG, Teixeira PR, Gonsalez EG, Gazetta CE
Rev Rene. 2016 May-June; 17(3):372-7.
374
according to instruments data and categorized in
    
    

The data analysis was performed using
Statistical Package for Social Sciences program, version
      

to 0.05.
      -
ments contained in the national and international
standards, regulatory of research involving human

Results
Fifty professionals from different categories,
most nurses participated in the study (30.0%).
 

an average of 24.5 years old (SD ± 2.6 years) and CI
95% from 23.8 to 25.3 years old; singles and family

It is noteworthy that most of the professionals
       


Residents showed symptoms of anxiety
associated or not with depression (50.0%); as well
     
     

      
     
 
     


      

and depression (p<0.001).
Table 1     
satisfaction characteristics of professionals enrolled
in the Multidisciplinary Residence Program
Variables
Population
Satisfied with the
program
Thought about
quitting
Yes No Ye s No
n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)
Professional category
Nursing 15 (30.0) 12 (29.3) 3 (33.3) 10 (35.7) 5 (22.7)
Nutrition 9 (18.0) 8 (19.5) 1 (11.1) 3 (10.7) 6 (27.3)
Occupational Therapy 7 (14.0) 3 (7.3) 4 (44.4) 7 (25.0) -
Physiotherapy 5 (10.0) 5 (12.2) - 1 (3.6) 4 (18.2)
Psychology 4 (8.0) 3 (7.3) 1 (11.1) 2 (7.1) 2 (9.1)
Speech Therapy 3 (6.0) 3 (7.3) - 2 (7.1) 1 (4.5)
Biological Sciences 2 (4.0) 2 (4.9) - - 2 (9.1)
Pharmacy 2 (4.0) 2 (4.9) - 1 (3.6) 1 (4.5)
Odontology 2 (4.0) 2 (4.9) - 2 (7.1) -
Veterinary Medicine 1 (2.0) 1 (2.4) - - 1 (4.5)
Gender
Female 46 (92.0) 37 (90.2) 9 (100.0) 27 (96.4) 19 (86.4)
Male 4 (8.0) 4 (9.8) - 1 (3.6) 3 (13.6)
Age group (years)
20 – 25 38 (76.0) 31 (75.6) 7 (77.8) 22 (78.6) 16 (72.7)
26 - 30 10 (20.0) 10 (24.4) 2 (22.2) 6 (21.4) 6 (27.3)
Minimum age 21 21 22 21 23
Maximum age 35 33 35 35 29
Middle age 24.5

24.6

24,0

24.1

24.6

Marital status
Single 44 (88.0) 36 (87.8) 8 (88.9) 25 (89.3) 9 (86.4)
Married 05 (10.0) 5 (12.2) - 2 (7.1) 3 (13.6)
Other 1 (2.0) - 1 (11.1) 1 (3.6) -
Family income*
2 - 05 28 (56.0) 21 (51.2) 7 (77.8) 19 (67.9) 9 (40.9)
6 – 10 13 (26.0) 12 (29.3) 1 (11.1) 6 (21.4) 7 (31.8)
> 10 9 (18.0) 8 (19.5) 1 (11.1) 3 (10.7) 6 (27.3)
*

Rev Rene. 2016 May-June; 17(3):372-7.
Anxiety and depression levels among multidisciplinary health residents
375
Table 2 
for professionals enrolled in the Multidisciplinary
Health Residence Program
Variables
Depression
Total
Absence
n (%)
Light
n (%)
Moderate
n (%)
Serious
n (%)
Anxiety
 21 (42.0) 3 (6.0) 1 (1.0) - 25 (50.0)
Light 9 (18.0) 1 (2.0) 1 (2.0) - 11 (22.0)
Moderate 6 (12.0) 5 (10.0) - - 11 (22.0)
Serious - - 2 (4.0) 1 (2.0) 3 (6.0)
Total 36 (72.0) 9 (18.0) 4 (8.0) 1 (2.0) 50 (100.0)
 0.240 -0.122 -0.133 0.485 0.072
P value 0.059 * * <0.001 0.420
CI 95% -0.009-0.489 -0.397-0.153 -0.368-0.102 0.247-0.722-0.102-0.245

Discussion
The female prevalence in this study was also
demonstrated in a University Hospital in Spain, where
38.5% of the sample was composed of nurses(5).
      
      Santa Catarina
       
of the students were female(10-11)  
      
is related to the structure of health teams, composed
     
(12-13).
       
      
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, which showed

years old(13), and the Federal University of Pernambuco,
whose professionals average age was 27 years old(12).
Regarding marital status, the Federal University
of Pernambuco and the Federal University of Santa
Maria showed percentages of single professionals
       
and 81.1%, respectively)(12,14). It is assumed that the
prevalence of singles among the studied professionals
        
professionals and recent graduates.
A study with professionals in a university


      
desire to learn and gain experience could make young
people evaluate positive aspects of the work(15).
Anxiety and depression levels among
 
health trainees in Malaysia, which showed anxious
participants (60.7%), slightly anxious (13.5%),
moderately anxious (28.1%) and extremely anxious
(15.7%)(2). There was the prevalence of female
workers (60.6%), single (80.8%) with a mean age of
26.1 years old(2).
On the other hand, a Pakistani study performed
with medical students showed lower symptoms
of anxiety and depression(11), showing that the
student-medical transition is an exhausting process
       
University of Toronto, identifying the anxiety levels at

end of the course, when trust and familiarity with the
(7).
      
reports, poor relationships with colleagues and
superiors are among the factors that cause anxiety(2).
In Norway, exploring personality traits among
professional trainees associated with symptoms of
anxiety, depression and work stress reports during
     
of stress at work was positively correlated with the
       
of symptoms of anxiety higher than depression. It
was also noted that the female trainees experienced
greater work stress levels than men(16).
There are evidences that working and routine
      
to the levels of anxiety and depression (50.0%
and 28.0%, respectively), as the workload of the

Rotta DS, Pinto MH, Lourenção LG, Teixeira PR, Gonsalez EG, Gazetta CE
Rev Rene. 2016 May-June; 17(3):372-7.
376
Multidisciplinary Health Residence programs is
60 hours per week, lasting 24 months, a period in
which professionals develop theoretical and practical
activities. It is understood also that this step of the
training process is one of the most stressful stages


    
different specialties, relationship with family and

    

sectors and institutions(6).
It is also noted that anxiety is typical of every
profession, and therefore, the evaluation of the stressor
and the way of coping or adaptation to the stressor
are individual, depending on the work process and
teaching-learning that accompanies the existential
       
 
    
     
the limits of their personal and professional
identity, teamwork, interpersonal relationships and

care(14).
       

of multidisciplinary health residents, which can
      
        
      
     
residents. To make this assessment more effective,
  
factors related to other contexts, such as the causes of
dissatisfaction and the reasons that lead professionals

was the study performance in just one training center,
limiting the analysis of the results.
Conclusion
Most residents of this study were women,
       
    
       
      
depression, suggesting the need for greater attention
to professionals as well as the implementation of
actions aimed at the welfare of this population, with

control of stress factors and mental health promotion,


Acknowledgements
To the Medicine Faculty of São José do Rio
Preto for funding this study, through the Scholarship

Collaborations
      
analysis and interpretation of data and writing of the

writing of the article, relevant critical review of the
  

      
of data, and with the relevant critical review of the
intellectual content.
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