Saúde mental de mães de crianças entre 15 e 36 meses da coorte BRISA – São Luís, Maranhão

Objective: Describing the demographic, socioeconomic, lifestyle, and mental health characteristics of mothers living in Sao Luis - Maranhao. Methods: This study used data from 3,215 mothers who participated in the BRISA cohort, assessed at the time of birth and follow-up of children between 15 and 36 months of age. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle data, in addition to three instruments for assessing maternal mental health: Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS), Perceived Stress Scale - PSS 14, and the Brazilian version of the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). A descriptive statistical analysis was performed using Stata 12.0. Results: The study's response rate was 62.2%. Mothers between 20-34 years old, brown skin color, who had a partner, attended between incomplete high school and complete higher education and who received up to three minimum wages predominated. It was found that 17.8% of the interviewees had symptoms of stress and 7.5% of depression. Psychological suffering was present in 22.7% of women assessed over the second and third years of their children's lives. Conclusion: The data reflect relevant characteristics about the mental health of mothers in Sao Luis-Maranhao, emphasizing the importance of incorporating regular actions for prevention, early detection, and treatment related to the mental health of this public by health services.