title: [Epidemiology of psychological distress: a population-based cross-sectional study].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and distribution of psychological distress in an urban adult population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3,942 individuals over 20 years old in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, were studied. Psychological distress was defined using an indicator of well-being, the Faces Scale, and self-perception of nervousness. Chi-square test was performed to assess the association with sociodemographics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of psychological distress was 14% when using the Faces Scale and 31.8% through self-perception of nervousness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older, poor, and lower education women groups were the ones that showed a higher prevalence of distress.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina, Universidade Regional de Blumenau, Blumenau, SC, Brasil.
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sparrenberger
authors.forename: Iná
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Rosângela da Costa
authors.initials: Rda C
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires