Musculoskeletal pain associated with common mental disorders among bus terminal workers in Brazil.

Introduction: Common mental disorders affect almost one billion people worldwide and are among the main causes of work absenteeism, representing a high cost for society.

Objectives: We aimed to identify factors associated with symptoms of common mental disorders among workers in urban bus terminals in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was based on data from periodical and pre-admission medical examinations performed in 2022. We investigated mental disorder symptoms with the Depression Anxiety & Stress Scales 21, correlating associated factors through multivariate analysis.

Results: The prevalence of stress and anxiety was about 11%, while that of depression was 8.3%. Self-reported leg pain was associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. Smoking was associated with depression (adjusted odds ratio 4.96; p = 0.002) and stress (adjusted odds ratio 4.08; p = 0.003). Back pain was associated with stress (adjusted odds ratio 2.26; p = 0.018).

Conclusions: To develop initiatives to reduce symptoms of common mental disorders and absenteeism, common mental disorders in workers should be assessed jointly with associated factors, such as chronic pain, smoking, and social factors.