Research Article
Catarine Lima Conti, Leticia P
Abstract
The extensive use of pesticides has been followed by increasing concerns about their potential acute and chronic effects in general and mental health. Brazil is the greatest pesticides consumer in the world since 2008. Several studies describe the association between the pesticides toxicity and psychiatric disorders, especially depression, but efforts are needed to corroborate these studies. The aim was to map the region studied according to the percentage of people that apply pesticides in the tillage from each rural community included in this study and correlate this data with the percentage of workers with high Beck depression score on that community. A total of 122 male pesticide applicators from seven different cities distributed among thirteen different communities completed the Beck Depression Inventory II. According to the mapping of the region, the percentage of rural workers with high beck score in a given community is significantly correlated with the percentage of pesticide use on that place. This data corroborate many findings that suggest relationship between depressive symptoms and the use of pesticides.