Common mental disorders: prevalence and associated factors among community health agents

Abstract Introduction The community health agents play an important role in primary health care, forming the link between the community and the family health team. Their daily work can generate stressors that can affect the professionals’ mental health. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of common mental disorders and possible associated factors among community health agents. Methods Cross-sectional and analytical study conducted in Montes Claros-MG. It was used the Self Reporting Questionnaire and a structured form. The data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for Windows, version 18.0, subjected to descriptive analysis, bivariate analysis and multivariate analysis using Poisson regression with robust variance. Results The prevalence of common mental disorders was 41.6%. The highest was associated to: self-declared race (not white); that already sought religious support; which had a monthly income of less than four minimum salary; those who self-rated their health as bad; among those who said their work had impact on health; among those who made use of calming, tranquilizing or antidepressant; and among those who did not diet. Conclusion We identified a high prevalence of common mental disorders, being influenced by sociodemographic and health factors.