Objective: To compare the distress level among Brazilian healthcare professionals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and estimate risks by sex, age, and occupation. Methods: In a longitudinal cohort design, a nationally distributed online survey was used to collect data from 10,490 active healthcare professionals who worked during the pandemic. Participants were mostly female, aged 18 to 82 years; 13 different health professions and all states of Brazil were represented. Results: The most frequent professions were psychology, dentistry, and nursing. The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) score suggested an increased distress perception among health professionals. Females showed poorer mental health than males, but the absolute rise in Global Severity Index (GSI) score was larger in males than in females. Younger adults reported more symptoms of psychological distress than older adults. The most impacted age group was between 30-39 years. Nurse technicians presented the highest risk of distress. Conclusion: Health professionals are essential to overcoming the pandemic; thus, their mental health status should be monitored, and features associated with increased distress should be identified. Our findings suggest distress risk should be stratified by occupation, age, and sex. Health professionals showed an increased distress perception. Women, individuals between the ages of 30 and 39, nursing personnel, and physicians were more likely to report distress compared with other health professionals.

Abstract Introduction The existence of a general factor related to psychiatric symptoms is supported by studies using a variety of methods in both clinical and non-clinical samples. Objectives This study aims to evaluate the replicability of the internal structure of the Brief Symptom Inventory in a large Brazilian sample. Methods Participants were 6,427 Brazilian subjects (81% female). Mean age was 42.1 years (standard deviation [SD] = 13.6, Min = 13, Max = 80). All participants completed the online version of the Brief Symptom Inventory. This scale presents a general score (GSI) and nine specific clusters of symptoms (depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, interpersonal sensibility, psychoticism, paranoid ideation, obsessive-compulsive behavior, hostility, and somatization symptoms). Results Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess the factor structure of the BSI. The results showed that the best-fitting model was a bifactor solution and the general factor was the main dimension explaining most of the reliable variability in the data. Conclusion The findings suggest that the BSI’s internal structure was replicated in a non-clinical sample and that the general factor is the most reliable score. However, it is necessary to better understand the meaning of the general factor scores in a non-clinical sample to increase interpretability of scores.

Resumo: Avaliar e conhecer os principais sintomas depressivos entre homens e mulheres, inclusive nas fases de desenvolvimento iniciais, são elementos fundamentais no desenvolvimento e normatização de instrumentos psicométricos. O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar as diferenças na expressão de sintomas depressivos por sexo e faixa etária. A amostra foi composta por 1.697 alunos com idades entre 8-17 anos. Os dados coletados com a Escala Baptista de Depressão Infantojuvenil foram submetidos à análise de teoria de resposta ao item. Os resultados mostraram que os sintomas de internalização são mais comuns em meninas e sintomas de externalização em meninos. Pode-se concluir que as normas para meninos e meninas devem diferir, assim como são necessários padrões diferentes para crianças e adolescentes.

Abstract: Assessing and discovering the major depression symptoms among men and women, even in the early stages of development, are key elements in the construction and standardization of psychometric instruments. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in the expression of depressive symptoms by gender and age group. The sample consisted of 1,697 students aged 8-17 years. The data collected through the Escala Baptista de Depressão infantojuvenil were submitted to item response theory analysis. Results showed that internalizing symptoms are more common in girls and externalizing symptoms in boys. It can be concluded that standards for boys and girls should differ, just like different standards are needed for children and adolescents.

Resumen: Evaluar y conocer los síntomas principales de la depresión mayor entre los hombres y las mujeres, incluso en las primeras etapas de desarrollo son elementos fundamentales en la construcción y la normalización de los instrumentos psicométricos. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar las diferencias en la expresión de los síntomas depresivos por sexo y grupo de edad. La muestra estuvo conformada por 1.697 estudiantes entre 8 y 17 años. Los datos recogidos a través de la Escala Baptista de Depressão Infanto-Juvenil se sometieron al análisis de la teoría de respuesta al ítem. Los resultados mostraron que los síntomas de internalización son más comunes en las niñas y los síntomas de externalización son más comunes en los niños. Se puede concluir que las normas para niños y niñas deben ser diferentes, al igual que se necesitan normas diferentes para niños y adolescentes.