Depression among Physicians that are Mothers in Mexico: A Cross Sectional Study
Abstract OBJECTIVE : Common mental disorders are prevalent in medical doctors, especially in female. In Mexico, there are many studies showing that medical students and residents present a higher frequency of depression compared to the general population, however there are no studies in medical doctors at a later stage. A questionnaire was sent in an online forum for physicians that are mothers based in Mexico with the objective of estimating the point prevalence of depression among this group. The questionnaire included the Hospital and Anxiety Scale (HAD-S) which assess symptoms of depression. A cut-off score of ≥8 or use of antidepressants was used to define depression. RESULTS : A total of 1170 physicians that are mothers were included in this study. The point prevalence of depression was 10.9%. The group that had depression smoked more and took more sleeping pills that the group that did not present symptoms of depression. The point prevalence of symptoms of depression in this group of physician in Mexico was estimated to be of 10.9%, which is similar to what is seen in the general population but lower than the estimates for medical interns and residents.