Qualidade de vida: comparação entre o impacto de ter transtorno mental comum e a representação do sofrimento dos nervos em mulheres

Studies in Brazil report a high prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD)diagnosis in primary cares and its association with the female gender. CMD’s continuum of symptoms (depressive, anxious, somatic and dissociative frameworks) resembles unspecific complaints of the commonly known “Nervous Illness”. Its comorbid symptomathologies contain a generic spectrum of a subjectively perceived ill-being of the psyche. Despite “suffering of the nerves” being a personal evaluation of one owns state of health (illness) and not a medical classification (disease), its association with CMD entails distress in the psychic and functional spheres as well as the quality of life of those who suffer from it. Objective: To determine the prevalence of both CMD and “Nervous Illness” in 5 units of the Family Health Programme (FHP) in the municipality of Petropolis-RJ; to analyse possible associations between having CMD (taking the intensity of it into consideration) and self-perceived “Nervous Illness” (taking the duration of the illness into consideration), and to compare the impact of both on the studied range of quality of life (QL) estimators; to verify the interaction between having a grave form of CMD and suffering from chronic “Nervous Illness”; to verify the association between socio-demographic and economic factors with CMD, Nervous Illness and QL; analyse the association between female empowerment and the existence of a social protection network with CMD, Nervous Illness and QL. Methodology: During the year of 2006, 969 women were analysed in 5 units of the FHP in the municipality of Petropolis-RJ for one month. The general prevalence of CMD was determined using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12), with cutting points of 2/3 for light cases and 4/5 for the grave cases. The intensity of the disorder was measured by a continuous GHQ. The perception of acute and chronic “Nervous Illness” was inferred using 2 questions isolated in accordance with the duration of the illness. The socio-demographic data was collected via a general questionnaire. Measurements of QL levels, for each range, were done using WHOQOL-Bref. The analyses of factors associated with QL was done using a multiple linear regression, step-wise backward model, in SPSS.Results: Verified mean prevalence of: 61.7% for CMD; 44.6% for grave CMD; mean intensity of the disorder of 31.0, 47.5% for perceived acute “Nervous Illness”; 24.6% of perceived chronic “Nervous Illness”; and a 16.1% interaction between having a grave CMD and suffering from chronic “Nervous Illness”. Statistically significant association between having CMD, suffering from “Nervous Illness” and QL were shown, with each affecting differently the studied ranges. Grave CMD damaged QL the most, with the psychological range suffering the worst effects ( = -13.4; = 65.7) Followed by perceived acute Nervous Illness, specially in the health satisfaction range ( = -9.1; = 77.0). The interaction between grave CMD and chronic Nervous Illness, has shown a strong adverse impact on the physical range ( = -13.1; = 79.2) although it only ranked third on general negative impact on QL. Amongst the socio-demographic variables that show significant associations with QL were personal income ( = 1,9; = 79,2 in the physical range); head of family and education ( = 2,5 e = 3,9, respectively; = 79,2 in the health satisfaction range), demonstrating therefore the positive impact of female empowerment. Household income, civil status and principally religious frequency ( = 4.6; = 77.0 in the health satisfaction range) increased QL levels, by exerting the supportive effects of the social protection network.Conclusions: There is a high prevalence of grave CMD and perception of acute nervous illness amongst female participants of the FHP. Although the presence of CMD has the worst impact on QL, QL is too diminished by perception of Nervous Illness. Female empowerment and social protection networks have a positive effect on QL. Such results emphasize a need to consider subjective interpretations of self-well-being and not only diagnostic criteria when approaching health issues. Only in this way answers that are capable of contemplating a more comprehensive concept of health as quality of life, can be offered.