Association between depression, stress, anxiety and alcohol use among civil servants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify depressive symptoms association with sociodemographic variables, exposure and dimensions of occupational stress. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with 1,239 workers in the technical and administrative category of a public university in the state of São Paulo. Questions were used to evaluate sociodemographic, depressive and anxiety symptoms, alcohol abuse and work stress. RESULTS: public employees reported working under low psychological demand and had high control over the work executed, as well as working with few emergencies. About a fifth of workers presented anxious and/or depressive symptoms and 13.2% met the criteria for problematic alcohol use. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate relevant aspects to be focused on for planning and studies for intervention, for the prevention mental illness of workers, mainly related to depressive symptoms.