The association of depression, anxiety, and stress with caring for a child with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil; Results of a cross- sectional study
The association of depression, anxiety, and stress with caring for a child with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil; Results of a cross- sectional study
Data
2019
Autores
Kuper, Hannah
Moreira, Maria Elisabeth Lopes
Araújo, Thália Velho Barreto de
Valongueiro, Sandra
Fernandes, Silke
Pinto, Marcia
Lyra, Tereza Maciel
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Resumo
Background
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in pregnancy can cause microcephaly and a wide spectrum of
severe adverse outcomes, collectively called “Congenital Zika Syndrome” (CZS). Parenting
a child with disabilities can have adverse mental health impacts, but these associations
have not been fully explored in the context of CZS in Brazil.
Methodology/Principal findings
A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Recife and Rio de Janeiro, including 163 caregiv-
ers of a child with CZS (cases) and 324 caregivers with an unaffected child (comparison
subjects), identified from existing studies. The primary caregiver, almost always the mother,
was interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect information on: depression, anxi-
ety, and stress (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—DASS-21), social support (Medical
Outcomes Study Social Support Scale—MOS-SSS), and socio-demographic data. Data
was collected May 2017-January 2018. Ethical standards were adhered to throughout the
research. A high proportion of mothers reported experiencing severe or extremely severe
levels of depression (18%), anxiety (27%) and stress (36%). Mothers of children with CZS
were more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety andstress, compared to
mothers of comparison children. These associations were more apparent among mothers
living in Rio de Janeiro. These differences were reduced after adjustment for socio-eco-
nomic status and social support. Among mothers of children with CZS, low social support
was linked to higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress, but there was no association
with socio-economic status.
Conclusions/Significance
Depression, anxiety and stress were very common among mothers of young children in Bra-
zil, regardless of whether they were parenting a child with disabilities. Mothers of children
with CZS may be particularly vulnerable to poor mental health, and this association may be
buffered through better social support.
Description
Palavras-chave
Adult, Anxiety / epidemiology*, Anxiety / etiology, Brazil, Caregivers / psychology, Case-Control Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depression / epidemiology, Depression / etiology, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Microcephaly, Mothers / psychology*, Social Class, Social Support, Stress, Psychological / epidemiology*, Stress, Psychological / etiology, Surveys and Questionnaires, Zika Virus Infection / congenital*
Citação
Kuper H, Lopes Moreira ME, Barreto de Araújo TV, Valongueiro S, Fernandes S, Pinto M, Lyra TM. The association of depression, anxiety, and stress with caring for a child with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil; Results of a cross-sectional study. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2019 Sep 30;13(9):e0007768. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007768.