Depressive symptoms among Brazilian elderly people: a study based on the National Health Survey - 2019

The aim is to investigate the prevalence and identify sociodemographic factors and health conditions associated with depressive symptoms among Brazilian elderly people. Data collected from 21,965 elderly people participating in the National Health Survey - 2019 were used. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to track depressive symptoms, considering the cutoff point ≥ 9. The Poisson regression model was used to detect associated factors, at a significance level of p < 0.05. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.2%. After adjustment, female sex, negative self-rated health (fair or bad/very bad) and having two or more chronic diseases were positively associated with the presence of depressive symptoms. Negative associations were detected for ages between 70 and 79 years and living in rural areas and in the Northeast and North regions. Considering the frequency with which depressive symptoms occur among elderly people, and the consequences for the quality of life of this population segment, health services must organize themselves to monitor them and provide or refer appropriate care.