Mental Health of Psychology Professionals and Students in Brazil: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

Abstract: University students and health professionals have a higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to the general population. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life in Brazilian psychology professionals and students and to verify whether there are differences in the intensity of symptoms between the two samples. A total of 2,324 individuals answered a sociodemographic questionnaire, the WHOQOL-Bref quality of life assessment instrument, and the Depression, Anxiety & Stress Scale. The results revealed a high prevalence of symptoms of depression (50%) and anxiety (45.8%) among psychology students, values more than two times higher than those observed in professionals, of whom 20% reported symptoms of depression and 12.7% of anxiety. Both groups reported a satisfactory level (above 80 points) of overall quality of life. The study concludes that targeted self-care interventions are essential for these groups that take care of the mental health of the population.