FREQUENCY OF ANHEDONIA IN PATIENTS WITH DEPRESSION ASSISTED IN A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL AMBULATORY AT SALVADOR (BAHIA)

Abstract

Background: Depressive disorder is a disease that affects the health of millions of people all around the world, being highly incapacitating and interfering decisively and sorely in people’s lives. Given its clinical importance, anhedonia is one of the core symptoms that define the diagnosis of depression, but its impact is still underestimated. Objectives: Estimate To estimate the frequency of anhedonia among patients with depressed assisted at the Juliano Moreira Hospital (JMH); determine the sample socio-demographic profile and establish epidemiological associations between anhedonia and socio-demographic variables found in the population being studied. Methods: It is a cross-sectional exploratory study of patients assisted at the Depressive and Anxious Ambulatory at the JMH with major depression diagnosis, which were classified according to the results obtained by the Beck Depression Inventory. The minimum sample size was defined at 38, based on the previously known rate of 6% of Major Depression in the population. Results: 42 patients diagnosed with Major Depression were interviewed: 34 (81%) were females and 8 (19%) were male, the ages varied between 21 and 84 years old, with a mean of 51.7 years. The intensity of anhedonia was divided into degrees (mild, moderate, severe, or absent) and analyzed separately in each gender. As for level of education, 11.9% had up to eight years of study, while 88.1% had studied for more than eight years. Regarding to marital status, 38.1% of these patients were married, while 61.9% did not live with a partner. Discussion: The largest number of women with more intense degrees of depression and anhedonia than men is in line with other authors results. Individuals between the ages of 51 and 70 years, those without a partner, with higher level of education had the highest frequency of anhedonia in this study. Conclusion: The frequency of anhedonia among patients with depression assisted at the Depressive and Anxious Ambulatory at the Juliano Moreira Hospital was approximately 81%.