RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COVID-19 AND THE INCREASE IN CASES OF ANXIETY DISORDER AND DEPRESSION IN THE BRAZILIAN POPULATION

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic represented one of the greatest health challenges of the 21st century, triggering a global crisis due to its high transmissibility rate. To contain the spread of the virus and minimize damage to public health, strict measures were adopted, including social distancing which - although essential for controlling the pandemic - resulted in significant impacts on the mental health of the population, contributing to the increase in the prevalence of anxiety disorders and depression. Objectives: Observe the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and cases of anxiety disorders and depression in the Brazilian population. Materials and methods: A search for evidence was carried out in scientific articles made available in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Virtual Health Library (VHL) and Google Scholar. In addition, data covering the entire Brazilian territory between 2019 and 2023 were obtained from the DATASUS website in the SUS Hospital Morbidity tab (SIH/SUS). Results: Between 2019 and 2023, there was a sharp drop in 2020, a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be explained by the underreporting of cases. The number of hospitalizations went from 59,140 in 2019 to 49,808 in 2020. From 2021 onwards, a progressive recovery was observed, with a peak of 64,752 hospitalizations in 2023. The age group from 30 to 49 years old concentrated the highest number of cases throughout the period, with an average of 24,069.4 hospitalizations, while the population aged 70 to 80 or over had the lowest rates (average of 1,468.4). The impact of the pandemic is evidenced by the annual percentage distribution: a drop to 18% in 2020 and 2021, and an increase to 23% in 2023. Conclusion: Therefore, this study analyzed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of the population, showing that social isolation and abrupt changes in lifestyle increased negative emotions, anxiety disorders, and depression. In addition to the psychological effects, physiological changes were observed, such as sedentary lifestyle and changes in eating habits, aggravated by social distancing. Thus, the study highlights the importance of psychology and other therapeutic interventions, as well as the need for joint actions between health professionals and public policies to mitigate damage and prevent new psychological disorders in the future.