RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Brazil is the country with the largest community of Japanese descendants in the world, from a migration movement that started in 1908. However, more recently (1988), a movement in the opposite direction began. Many of these descendants went to Japan for work purposes and suffered mental distress. Some of them sought treatment in Japan, while others returned to Brazil to seek treatment. The aim of the present study was to compare the sociodemographic profile and diagnoses of Japanese Brazilian psychiatric outpatients in Japan (remaining group) and in Brazil (returning group). METHOD: All consecutive Japanese Brazilian outpatients who received care from the psychiatric units in Japan and Brazil from April 1997 to April 2000 were compared. The diagnoses were based on ICD-10 and were made by psychiatrists. Sociodemographic data and diagnoses in Brazil and Japan were compared by means of the Chi-Squared Test. RESULTS: The individuals who returned to Brazil were mostly male and unmarried, had lived alone in Japan, had stayed there for short periods and were classified in the schizophrenia group. The individuals who remained in Japan were mostly female and married, were living with family or friends, had stayed there for long periods and were classified in the anxiety group. Logistic regression showed that the most significant factors associated with the returning group were that they had lived alone and stayed for short periods (OR = 0.93 and 40.21, respectively). CONCLUSION: We conclude that living with a family and having a network of friends is very important for mental health in the context evaluated.
OBJETIVO: O Brasil é o país com a maior comunidade de descendentes japoneses do mundo (migração iniciada em 1908). No entanto, mais recentemente (1988) um movimento migratório em direção oposta se iniciou. Muitos desses descendentes têm migrado para o Japão a trabalho e sofrem distúrbios mentais. Alguns deles procuram tratamento no Japão, enquanto outros retornam ao Brasil para se tratarem. O objetivo do presente estudo é comparar o perfil sociodemográfico e diagnósticos dos pacientes ambulatoriais brasileiros descendentes de japoneses que permaneceram no Japão com os que retornaram ao Brasil. MÉTODO: Todos os pacientes ambulatoriais atendidos de forma consecutiva nas unidades psiquiátricas no Japão e no Brasil de abril de 1997 a abril de 2000 foram comparados. Os diagnósticos foram realizados por psiquiatras de acordo com a CID-10. Os dados sociodemográficos e os diagnósticos no Brasil e no Japão foram comparados por meio do Teste Qui-Quadrado. RESULTADOS: O grupo que retornou ao Brasil era principalmente de homens, não casados, que viviam sós no Japão, tiveram uma breve estada neste país e foram classificados no grupo de esquizofrenia. O grupo no Japão era principalmente constituído de mulheres, casadas, morando com familiares ou amigos, estada longa no Japão e foram classificadas no grupo de ansiedade. A regressão logística mostrou que os fatores mais significativamente associados com o grupo que retornou foram o fato de morar sós e ficarem pouco tempo no Japão (OR = 0,93 e 40,21, respectivamente). CONCLUSÃO: Concluímos que morar em família e ter uma rede de amigos é muito importante para a saúde mental no contexto avaliado.
RESUMO
The aim of the present study was to assess the mental health status of Japanese-Brazilians living in Kiyoharadai, Japan and compare the findings with the Japanese-Brazilians living in Bauru, Brazil. A comparative community-based mental health survey was conducted from November 1997 to April 1999 on a randomly selected sample of Brazilians of Japanese descent living in Bauru, Brazil (n=213) and on the entire Brazilian community of Kiyoharadai, Utsunomiya, Japan (n=158), using the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). Analysis was done by chi2, Fisher and multiple logistic regression. Scores indicating probable cases of minor psychiatric disorders, were found in 3.2% of the community in Bauru city and 17.8% (OR=7.01) of the community in Kiyoharadai. The sociodemographic data indicated that those with high SRQ-20 scores were most likely to be female (OR=2.98), smokers (OR=2.76), and those whose former occupation was student when living in Brazil (OR=9.57). The mental health status of the Japanese-Brazilians living in Kiyoharadai, Japan is significantly worse than that of the community living in Bauru, Brazil, particularly among women, smokers and those who were students when living in Brazil. Further research concerning the mental health of this community is necessary and assistance provided.