Transtornos psiquiátricos e comportamento suicida em gestantes adolescentes: estudo de base populacional

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) during pregnancy in teenager mothers, and assess its association with sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history and psychosocial variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a sample of pregnant teenagers enrolled in the national public health system in the urban area of Pelotas, southern Brazil. Sample size was estimated in 871 participants. MDD was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview; the Abuse Assessment Screen was used to identify physical abuse within the last 12 months and during pregnancy; social support was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Survey Social Support Scale. Results: Forty three (4.94%) refused to participate, resulting in 828 participants. Prevalence of MDD was 17.8%; violence within the last 12 months was reported by 9.2%, while 5.8% had suffering violence during pregnancy; mean (SD) overall social support score was 87.40 (±11.75). After adjustment, we found the highest prevalence ratios of MDD in adolescents with less than 8 years of education, followed by those with previous episodes of MDD and in those with lower overall social support. Conclusion: MDD is a relatively common condition in pregnant teenagers and seems to be more frequent in a group of young mothers who were both socioeconomic and psychosocially underprivileged