Caracterização do adoecimento psíquico na pós-graduação brasileira : dos dados à teoria

Abstract

Graduate students may show up to six times more symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, as well as high rates of suicidal ideation, when compared to the general population. However, to this date, there is no consistent knowledge concerning the characteristics of mental distress in this population. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic, psychological and contextual factors associated to these symptoms in a Brazilian sample. A cross-sectional, observational, descriptive and survey study was carried out with 3233 graduate students from all country regions. Mean age was of 31.50(7.20) years, 53.20% were master's students, 68% were women, 55.30% single, 79.70% non-parents, 84.50% heterosexual, 53.90% full-time scholarship holders, 50.90% did not hold elsewhere professional activities, 87.60% belonged to public universities and 68.70% saw themselves as white. DASS-21, FSII, IGFP-5, QRE, LPPG and ESV scales were used. Group comparisons were carried out through t and Cohen's d tests; other statistics included analysis of variance, logistic regression and data association measures. Main group differences (d>0.40, p<0.001) included more intense degree demands among early students (d=0.49), worse satisfaction with life among non-workers (d=0.41) and lower income ones (d=0.48); moderate to high effect sizes (up to d=0.758) in symptomatology, academic stress and life satisfaction, when assessing the history of mental disorders and degree regularity, were also observed. The sample showed at least a 5-time higher risk for mental distress when compared to similar ones, with prevalences of 38.90% for stress, 31.30% for depression, 37.40% for anxiety and 41.40% for suicidal ideation. Ultimate logistical models for mental distress included the following predictive variables: age and income (sociodemographic), psychiatric history, neuroticism and life satisfaction (psychological) and graduate stress (contextual). Graduate stress reached the greatest predictive powers for stress, depression and anxiety (OR 1.87 to 2.04), showing itself to be a contextual factor that modulates distress in this population. Regardless of individual differences, graduate education can be assumed as a high stress environment. Brazilian master's and doctoral students showed symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in a much greater intensity than it would be expected from an effective and healthy context for their academic development. Prevalences of mental distress in Brazilian graduate students are amongst the highest globally reported to date. It is instantly necessary to look upon and find alternatives to the organizational culture in this context.