OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at evaluating the characteristics of mental disturbances in a low socio-economic level sample of persons attended by a community family health program called Programa de Saúde da Família (PSF), in order to identify their need for care. METHOD: Trained research assistants interviewed 400 residents, indicated by the PSF team. Subjects were of a low economic level catchment area of a town in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, in Brazil. Interviewers applied the Questionnaire of General Health (QSG), which evaluates the characteristics of mental health non-psychotic problems. RESULTS: A high percentage of persons (37.8%) had symptomatic global scores in the scale, which indicates the presence of problems in mental health, especially in Sub-scales Regarding Sleep Disturbances (41%) and Desire of Death (38.25%), and less in the Sub-scales of Distrust in Performance (27.75%), Psychosomatic Disturbances (25.5%) and Psychological Stress (22%). A significantly higher percentage of men had symptomatic global scores (45.1%) compared to women (32.6%), but a greater percentage of women (44.1%) had symptomatic scores in the sub-scale regarding desire of death compared to men (29.9%). CONCLUSION: The results obtained described important problems in mental health, differentiated by sex, and pointed to the need for mental health care of those persons.
Mental health problems; family health service (FHS)
