Fatores protetores nos transtornos mentais relacionados ao estresse após exposição ao desastre de rompimento da barragem de rejeitos de Fundão: resiliência e suporte social

Abstract

Whether natural or technological, disasters have a significant impact on the affected population, given the resulting generalized losses. In addition to material losses and economic impact, survivors tend to develop physical and mental health issues. Psychiatric disorders are incident and prevalent in survivors after disasters. The most prevalent disorder is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), occurring in near a third of the survivors. In the sequence, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) are also prevalent in this population. The Fundão dam in Mariana, Minas Gerais, presented a significant leakage in November 2015, yielding nineteen deaths and the displacement of hundreds of families. The event caused material and human losses and environmental consequences in the Rio Doce basin. Several studies assessed factors related to mental illness after disasters, but only a few in the context of technological disasters. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the prevalence of post-disaster mental health disorders (PDMHD) and associated risk factors in the population affected by the Fundão dam collapse. This study is a post hoc analysis of the PRISMMA project's (Research on the Reality of Mental Health in Mariana), a cross-sectional epidemiological survey that used structured interviews to assess health, focusing on mental health. The final sample included 225 adults, 64% female, with an average age of 45.5±17.8 years. The prevalence of PDMHD was 28.9% for MDD, 32% for GAD, and 12% for PTSD. Such findings parallel the results found in previous studies assessing populations affected by other technological disasters. The associated factors common to all three PDMHD in the multi-level analysis were resilience, satisfaction with social support, and the event's impact. This study demonstrated that high levels of resilience and satisfaction with social support have an inverse relationship with the diagnosis of PDMHD, despite the significant impact of the event - which is directly associated with a greater chance of being diagnosed with such disorders. Keywords: technological disasters, resilience, social support, mental health, post-disaster mental health disorders.