Depression and anxiety in Venezuelan migrants in the Atlantic Department, 2023

Abstract

Introduction: The migration process brings with it different feelings such as anxiety and depression. Anxiety is an emotion that the individual experiences when they feel afraid or worried in everyday situations, while depression is considered a mental disorder in which sadness and loss of interest in everyday life persist, leading to affectation of the physical and mental state, expressed through thoughts and behaviors. Objective: To determine the levels of anxiety and depression in Venezuelan migrants who live in a municipality in the department of Atlántico. Methodology: The study is a cross-sectional descriptive observational study. The study population is made up of all Venezuelan migrants who are registered with the “Fundemar” foundation in a municipality in the department of Atlántico, and the sample was taken in its entirety. Two surveys were applied: Hamilton test for anxiety and the 17-item Hamilton test for depression. Results: A descriptive analysis of the data obtained from the application of the surveys was carried out, where it was found that 76% of the people surveyed had mild anxiety and only 6% had severe anxiety. 58% of the migrants who participated in the study do not present depression, 30% present mild minor depression, 8% moderate depression and 2% severe depression. Conclusion: The results revealed a significant picture, the majority of participants showed levels of anxiety classified as mild, while a minimal proportion experienced severe anxiety. This finding highlights that the majority of people studied experience mild anxiety.