Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114890

Jyoti Mudgal, Dr¹, Paola Adanari Ortega-Cegallos, MC¹, Juan Carlos Díaz-Montiel, Nutr cMSc², Marlenne Rodríguez-Salgado, Eng², and Jorge Salmerón, MD MSc DSc². (1) Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Cuernavaca, Morelos. México, Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Av. Plan de Ayala esq. Calle Central s/n, Col. Chapultepec. CP 62450, Cuernavaca, Morelos. México, 62450, Mexico, (52) 7773162944, jmudgal@yahoo.com, (2) Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Cuernavaca, Morelos. México, Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud., Av. Plan de Ayala esq. Calle Central s/n, Col. Chapultepec. CP 62450, Cuernavaca, Morelos. México, 62450, Mexico

Introduction: There is high prevalence of depression (9% to 13%) in Mexico. However, very little is known about its risk factors. Objectives and Methods: This study examines the relationship between depression, social characteristics, and work-stress in a sample of health workers from Mexico. Longitudinal data from the “Cohort Study of Health workers (IMSS-Morelos)” is analyzed to study these effects. The study sample consists of 960 men and women in the age group of 27-89 (First wave of data was collected in 1998 and second wave of data in 2004, almost 3000 questionnaires are expected by the end of June, which will be used for final presentation at APHA). Survey contains important information regarding socioeconomic factors, stressors, psychosocial resources, and mental health outcomes. This study examines the mediating effects of stressors such as work stress in the relationship between social attributes and depression. Multiple regression models are utilized to study these effects. Results: Our results show that work stress is positively and significantly associated with depression in this sample. High levels of stress as well as increasing stress over time, both are significantly and positively associated with increasing depression over time (b=.51, p<.001 and b=.34, p<.001, respectively. R-square=.25). Being female, being separated from the spouse, having lower education, and being in non-professional jobs with lower income is positively associated with depression. Conclusion: Reducing work stress and improving coping skills should be part of intervention programs for reducing depression in this population.

Learning Objectives:

• The audience will learn about the risk factors associated with depression in Mexican health worker population.
• Will be able to design policies and interventions to reduce depression in health workers.

Keywords: Depression, Latin American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.