Depressive symptoms and fear of COVID-19 in Brazilian women during the COVID-19 pandemic: Data from May 2022

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on public life, with a notable strain on mental health. Throughout this global crisis, women have exhibited a heightened susceptibility to common mental health disorders, emphasizing the need for a focused discussion on their experiences with depression and related mental health issues. This study aimed to identify predictors of depressive symptoms in Brazilian women during the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2022, 1225 responses were collected from various regions of the country, spanning over 420 cities. The online survey included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the COVID-19 Fear Scale (FCS-19). Inferential analysis relied on multinomial logistic regression, utilizing depression as the outcome variable stratified as mild, moderate, and severe. The model incorporated explanatory variables, including age, education level, geographic region, skin color, and fear of COVID-19. The findings revealed that most women exhibited severe depressive symptoms. Stronger fears of COVID-19 and a younger age were linked to increased vulnerability to depressive symptoms. Women from the North and Midwest regions displayed more prominent symptoms than those from the Northeast region. These results underscore the significant impact of certain factors on the manifestation of depressive symptoms in women during the pandemic. The significance of this study lies in its potential to identify at-risk groups not only during the COVID-19 crisis but also in analogous scenarios of public health emergencies.