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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to identify the prevalence of affective-emotional disorders in Primary Care users.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify gender differences and the relation between depression, anxiety, stress and age in Primary Care users
Aim: To describe levels of depression, anxiety and stress (DAS) of users of an urban/rural health centre, analyse gender differences and the relation between depression, anxiety, stress and age.
Method: Descriptive analytic study with the Portuguese version of DASS-21 in a consecutive sample (n=784), 67.74 % female and 32.26% male, mean age 50.38, ranging 18-99 years.
Results: 40% to 59% of individuals present some degree of affective-emotional disturbance (depression, anxiety or stress). Severe or extremely severe levels of anxiety and stress were found in around 20% of individuals and severe or extremely severe levels of depression in around 12%. Women show higher mean levels of depression, anxiety and stress. DAS are strongly and positively correlated. Individuals over 65 show higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress.
Conclusion: These results show high point prevalence - higher than in other countries – and higher among the elderly. They also reveal differences according to gender and co-morbidity between the affective-emotional states. They ought to lead to the development of a local and community nursing strategy and a multidisciplinary intervention for the promotion of mental health and prevention of affective-emotional disorders, particularly in female and elderly individuals, thus reducing the weight of psychiatric disorders and the use of psychiatric medication, especially antidepressants.