Common Mental Disorders, Socioeconomic and Health Circumstances in Middle-Aged Women

Abstract

Middle age is a developmental period in which women face physical and social changes, as well as role overload, which can lead to a risk of mental illness. However, this group remains underrepresented in mental health research. This study aimed to verify the prevalence of Common Mental Disorders (CMD) in middle-aged women and evaluate associations with sociodemographic and health variables. This web-based cross-sectional study analyzed data from 398 women aged 40 to 59, collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The instruments used were a sociodemographic and health questionnaire and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Chi-square and Spearman's correlation (p≤0.05) tests were performed. There was a high prevalence of CMD in middle-aged women. Considering not having enough money for daily expenses, living only with descendants, brown race/skin color, younger age, worse perceived health, lower education and income, and perception of worsening living conditions were related to higher psychiatric morbidity. The relationships between socioeconomic and health circumstances and the mental health of middle-aged women indicate demands for care linked to gender, race, and social class conditions that must be recognized and accepted.