Common mental disorders in adult women: identifying the most vulnerable segments

This study aimed to evaluate the socioeconomic and demographic factors, behaviors and morbidities related to common mental disorders in adult women. This was a cross-sectional population-based study with cluster sample. We analyzed 848 women from a household survey held in Campinas, in 2008/2009. We used the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to evaluate common mental disorders. We estimated prevalence ratios by Poisson regression in hierarchical model of three steps, considering the weights relating to the sampling design. The prevalence of common mental disorders was 18.7%. The hierarchical model showed that older women, with low education level, housewives, separated or widowed, who did not consume fruit/vegetables daily, who slept six or fewer hours per night, who presented several chronic diseases and health problems, and with report of some type of violence were more vulnerable to common mental disorders and, therefore, should be treated with priority by health services. Early diagnosing women with common mental disorders, as well as accompanying and treating them, contribute for reducing the impacts on female quality of life.