Psychosocial stress and minor psychiatric disorders among agentes socioeducadores.

OBJECTIVE to ascertain the association between psychosocial stress and the occurrence of Minor Psychiatric Disorders in agentes socioeducadores. METHOD a cross-sectional study with 381 agentes socioeducadores from the Centros de Atendimento Socioeducativo in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, in 2011. Brazilian versions of the social demand-control-support at work scale were used, and of the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20. RESULTS the prevalence of minor psychiatric disorders was 50.1%. The chances of being classified with such a disorder were higher in the high strain work quadrant (OR=2.05; CI95%=1.03-4.09) and active work quadrant (OR=1.99; CI95%=1.09-3.63) when compared to that of low strain, after adjustment for potentially confusing factors. CONCLUSION there is a positive association between psychosocial stress (high strain and active work) and minor psychiatric disorders among agentes socioeducadores. In order to prevent mental illness among these workers, the planning of health promotion actions is necessary.