MENTAL HEALTH OF FARMERS OCCUPATIONALLY EXPOSED AND NOT EXPOSED TO PESTICIDES: A PILOT STUDY

Resumo

INTRODUCTION: Agrochemicals are complex mixtures that may contain active ingredients, afecting the health of farmers. Although depression and anxiety are global problems, it is known that there are neurotoxic effects of pesticides.OBJECTIVE: To study, through self-reported questionnaires, the depression profile in farmers exposed to agrochemicals and its association with secondary results. METHODOLOGY: This study was carried out with prior approval from CAAE No. 69865417.1.0000.5347 of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. The groups studied were female farmers from the interior of the state (AGR N = 17) and female farmers from the agroecology sector of the city of Viamão (AEC N = 17). To obtain secondary data, lists of pesticides purchased and made available by the Ministry of Agriculture were used. These data were associated with those extracted from lifestyle questionnaires applied to participants through an application developed by the group of Prof. Dr. Solange Cristina Garcia called Questionários de Expostos à Agentes Químicos (QEAQS). The secondary associated results were: use of agrochemicals known to be neurotoxic (carbamates, organophosphates, neonecotinoids, among others), history of depression and acute poisoning, previous signs and symptoms, in the last 90 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results show that 23.5% of the participants in the agroecology group and 29.4% of the farmers group reported suffering from depression (pgt;0.05). Despite not using pesticides, 23% of the agroecology farmers and 52.9% of those exposed to agrochemicals demonstrated 3 or more symptoms compatible with probable acute poisoning in the last 90 days (p = 0.07). 58.8% of the farmers used glyphosate, 23.5% used fipronil, imidacloprid and 2,4-D, 29.4% used chlorpyrifos and 5.9% bifenthrin. All pesticides were associated with neurological damage. When evaluating cases of depression and probable poisoning among those who used and did not use each pesticide, exposure to chlorpyrifos was significantly associated with cases of poisoning (chi-square test, p = 0.03). This study demonstrated that through research with secondary data and retrospective questionaires it is possible to draw associations between poisoning and depression and that this can contribute to research in the area of ​​occupational toxicology and support the taking of measures.