Thiago de Oliveira Pires

Notificações de violência doméstica, sexual e outras violências contra crianças no Brasil

O artigo tem como objetivo apresentar o quadro de violencia domestica, sexual e outras violencias perpetradas contra criancas (0-9 anos) no Brasil no ano de 2010, baseando-se nas notificacoes de violencia domestica, sexual e outras violencias registradas no SINAN - Sistema de Informacao de Agravos de Notificacao (VIVA Continuo). Sao apresentados os numeros absolutos e relativos derivados das notificacoes sobre violencias, discriminando-se entre criancas menores de 1 ano e aquelas entre 1-9 anos, devido as especificidades existentes nessas faixas etarias. Em todo o pais, o numero de notificacoes entre menores de 10 anos e baixo (16,9%). Foram constatadas diferencas quanto a distribuicao das notificacoes por unidade da federacao. Observou-se que poucos municipios notificaram violencias ao SINAN-Net no ano de 2010 no pais. Algumas diferencas foram encontradas entre notificacoes em menores de 1 ano de idade e notificacoes de criancas entre 1-9 anos de idade, como por exemplo em relacao ao perfil da violencia, da vitima e do agressor, e o encaminhamento do caso. A qualidade da informacao das notificacoes e discutida mostrando nivel elevado de ausencia de registros em alguns campos da ficha. Falhas na informacao podem prejudicar o conhecimento mais detalhado do fenomeno, interferindo nas acoes de planejamento, organizacao e operacionalizacao dos servicos de saude no pais.

When living with violence brings a child close to depressive behavior

The present study investigates the relation between withdrawn/depressive behavior of schoolchildren and presence/absence of violence experienced at home, at school and in the community. This descriptive cross-sectional study is based on data from a sample of 479 schoolchildren between 6-13 years of age, attending the first grade in the public elementary schools of a city of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2005. The multi-stage cluster sampling strategy involved three selection stages with 50% proportion, 98% confidence level and relative error of 5%. Socio-demographic variables of the child and the family, the withdrawal/depression sub-scale (CBCL), Conflict Tactics Scale and school and community violence scale are investigated. Multivariate Correspondence Analysis indicates that the different violence victimizations tend to be closer to clinical and borderline withdrawn/depressive behavior. Programs and public policies must address the life circumstances of the child, with focus on interventions in mental health problems, violence and victimization in order to interrupt the cycle of re-victimization through violence and its consequences.

Association between family environment and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children – mothers’ and teachers’ views

BackgroundTo ascertain whether factors of the family environment and gestational period are associated with the appearance of ADHD in children, as reported by various different informants (mothers and teachers).MethodsThis paper presents results from the dataset of a longitudinal study to evaluate behavioral problems among schoolchildren in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro State, in 2005 and 2006. The cross-section considered for this paper comprises records of exposure factors and ADHD. In all, 370 schoolchildren of the public school system were assessed by 3-stage cluster sampling. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Teacher Report Form (TRF) were used to measure outcomes. The exposure factors examined were: profile of child and mother, variables relating to the family environment, and perinatal considerations. The questions were answered by mothers and teachers. A hierarchical logistic regression model was used.ResultsPrecariously functioning families, lack of social support for mothers, adverse life events and discord during pregnancy were the factors associated with mother-reported ADHD. When ADHD was reported by teachers, the variables selected were: Intelligence quotient (IQ) and sex, with children with low IQ scores and boys more likely to display the disorder.ConclusionsAssessment of ADHD by teachers or mothers reveals specific characteristics that reflect how each of these informants understands the children. This highlights the importance of using informants from different environments in diagnosing the disorder.

Mortalidade por suicídio em pessoas com 60 anos ou mais nos municípios brasileiros no período de 1996 a 2007

The scope of this article was to assess the nationwide scale of suicides among the elderly. An overview of suicides in Brazilian municipalities was conducted to identify municipalities with the highest incidence of suicide. Data from the Mortality Information System (SIM/MS) were used for the period from 1996 to 2007, using the events with codes X60 through X84 and Y87.0 of the 10th review of the International Classification of Diseases (CID-10). The rates were standardized according to the criteria of the WHO. It was discovered that 3,039 Brazilian municipalities have records of suicide cases of people aged 60 and more in at least one of the triennia analyzed (54.6% of all the municipalities). A total of 29.3% of those municipalities were in the Southern Region, 29.6% in the Southeast and 27.5% in the Northeast. The State of Rio Grande do Sul has the highest percentage of municipalities with suicide cases in the four triennia (27.3%), followed by the States of Sao Paulo (17.4%) and Santa Catarina (9.1%). Between the first and the final triennium, it was observed that there was a reduction in 32 of the 51 municipalities with higher rates. The mean ratio of male/female deaths was 2.8 male deaths for every female death. The main method used is hanging, strangulation and suffocation among both men (58.2%) and women (49.8%).

A relação entre professores com sofrimento psíquico e crianças escolares com problemas de comportamento

The present article aims to analyze the relation between teachers suffering from psychological distress and school children with behavioral problems. A total of 372 children were evaluated by teachers through utilizing the Teachers Report Form (TRF). The teachers also answered a questionnaire in order to evaluate some personal characteristics and the presence of psychological distress (Self Reported Questionnaire, SRQ-20). The prevalence of psychological distress found was of 21.8%. The results show that the teachers presenting psychological distress identified higher percentages of internalizing problems in the children.

Use of the Nominal Group Technique and the Delphi Method to draw up evaluation indicators for strategies to deal with violence against children and adolescents in Brazil

OBJECTIVES: the aim of this study is to present a method for the production and selection of indicators to evaluate and/or monitor strategies to: a) prevent violence and promote protective family and community relations; b) provide care for victims of such violence and their family members; c) upgrade the recording and reporting of such violence; d) guarantee the rights of child and adolescent victims; and e) ensure due prosecution of perpetrators. METHODS: consensus-generating participatory methodologies were used (Delphi Method and Nominal Group Technique). RESULTS: 113 indicators were produced, with 27 and 91 indicators selected in scenarios with different scores. CONCLUSIONS: the consensus methodologies were adequate for the selection and validation of evaluation indicators, but criteria need to be established for selection among the indicators adopted.

Resiliência, gênero e família na adolescência

This article seeks to investigate the family factors that influence the resilience potential of male and female adolescent students. It is a cross-sectional study with data derived from an epidemiological survey with the participation of 889 randomly selected adolescents in the 9th year of public and private schools in a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Social and demographic variables indicate that family violence factors such as a difficult relationship with the mother or stepmother and a lack of family supervision, the presence of depression and low use of active and supportive coping strategies for distraction are associated with a low resilience potential. Tests of association between variables and resilience were made, considering a significance level of 5%. Variables like living in a confined space and having a difficult relationship with siblings only appear harmful to the resilience potential of girls. Public policies and programs need to work with families to understand the needs of adolescents, as a way of preventing mental health problems and promoting health in this population from a gender standpoint.

CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION. Exploring the association between family violence and other psychosocial factors in low-income Brazilian schoolchildren

BackgroundChildhood depression affects the morbidity, mortality and life functions of children. Individual, family and environmental factors have been documented as psychosocial risk factors for childhood depression, especially family violence, which results in inadequate support, low family cohesion and poor communication. This study investigates the association between psychosocial depression factors in low-income schoolchildren and reveals the potential trouble spots, highlighting several forms of violence that take place within the family context.MethodsThe study was based on a cross-sectional analysis of 464 schoolchildren aged between 6 and 10, selected by random sampling from a city in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Socio-economic, family and individual variables were investigated on the strength of the caregivers’ information and organized in blocks for analysis. A binary logistic regression model was applied, according to hierarchical blocks.ResultsThe final hierarchical regression analysis showed that the following variables are potential psychosocial factors associated with depression in childhood: average/poor relationship with the father (OR 3.24, 95% CI 1.32-7.94), high frequency of victimization by psychological violence (humiliation) (OR 6.13, 95% CI 2.06-18.31), parental divorce (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.14-7.32) and externalizing behavior problems (OR 3.53 IC 1.51-8.23).ConclusionsThe results point to multiple determinants of depressive behavior in children, as well as the potential contribution of psychological family violence. The study also reveals potential key targets for early intervention, especially for children from highly vulnerable families.

Fatores associados com a mortalidade por suicídio de idosos nos municípios brasileiros no período de 2005-2007

This scope of this paper was to conduct an ecological analysis of suicide mortality of people aged 60 years or more in Brazilian municipalities between 2005 and 2007, by investigating factors associated with the event. Data on suicide deaths were extracted from the Mortality Information System, codes X60 to X86 and Y87.0 (ICD-10). Poisson, negative binomial and zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression models were adjusted. The latter exhibited the best results when comparing models. The proportion of non-whites (negative association), the rate of hospitalization for mood disorders (positive association) and sex ratio (negative association) were identified as factors associated with suicide.

Fatores associados ao sofrimento psíquico de policiais militares da cidade do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

This study investigates factors associated with psychological distress among military police (n = 1,120) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The article describes their social, economic, and demographic characteristics, quality of life, mental health, and work conditions. Measurement of psychological distress used the Self-Reported Questionnaire. Analysis of associations used logistic regression, considering factors associated with psychological distress. The results indicate an association between psychological distress and factors such as ability to react to difficult situations, dissatisfaction with life, health problems (especially digestive, nervous, and musculoskeletal symptoms), and adverse work conditions such as excessive workload, constant stress, and victimization. The article concludes by highlighting the need for health promotion interventions for the military police, focusing especially on their mental health.