A Diferença de Gênero e Idade na Prevalência de Depressão em Adolescentes

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence (ages 12 to 18) is marked by various changes, making teenagers more susceptible to developing depression. Given that depression is a multifactorial disease with continuous growth, it is necessary to understand the factors that influence the prevalence of the disease. Methodology: Cross-sectional observational study with survey of medical records with PHQ-9 of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years of both sexes seen at the Hebiatrics outpatient clinic at Complexo de Saúde Dr. Wladimir Arruda 2, from January 2023 to December 2023. The data were tabulated and applied to the following tests: Prevalence, Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis. Results and discussion: 113 medical records were analyzed, 58 boys and 55 girls. The total prevalence of depression was 69.2%, the percentage of girls corresponds to 85% and of boys 54% (PHQ-9 ≥ 5). Finally, it was observed that there is no predominant age group for the development of the disease. Conclusion: Our research was compatible with the literature studies regarding girls having a higher prevalence of depression, no relationship was proven between the different age groups studied and the risk classification for depression.