Violence and post-traumatic stress disorder in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: the protocol for an epidemiological and genetic survey.
BACKGROUND
violence is a public health major concern, and it is associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric outcomes. Brazil is one of the most violent countries in the world, and has an extreme social inequality. Research on the association between violence and mental health may support public health policy and thus reduce the burden of disease attributable to violence. The main objectives of this project were: to study the association between violence and mental disorders in the Brazilian population; to estimate the prevalence rates of exposure to violence, post-traumatic stress disorder, common metal disorder, and alcohol hazardous use and dependence: and to identify contextual and individual factors, including genetic factors, associated with the outcomes.


METHODS
one phase cross-sectional survey carried out in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A multistage probability to size sampling scheme was performed in order to select the participants (3000 and 1500 respectively). The cities were stratified according to homicide rates, and in Sao Paulo the three most violent strata were oversampled. The measurements included exposure to traumatic events, psychiatric diagnoses (CIDI 2.1), contextual (homicide rates and social indicators), and individual factors, such as demographics, social capital, resilience, help seeking behaviours. The interviews were carried between June/2007 February/2008, by a team of lay interviewers. The statistical analyses will be weight-adjusted in order to take account of the design effects. Standardization will be used in order to compare the results between the two centres. Whole genome association analysis will be performed on the 1 million SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) arrays, and additional association analysis will be performed on additional phenotypes. The Ethical Committee of the Federal University of Sao Paulo approved the study, and participants who matched diagnostic criteria have been offered a referral to outpatient clinics at the Federal University of Sao Paulo and Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Andreoli
Sérgio Baxter
SB
Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. andreoli@psiquiatria.epm.br
Ribeiro
Wagner Silva
WS
Quintana
Maria Ines
MI
Guindalini
Camila
C
Breen
Gerome
G
Blay
Sergio Luis
SL
Coutinho
Evandro S F
ES
Harpham
Trudy
T
Jorge
Miguel Roberto
MR
Lara
Diogo Rizzato
DR
Moriyama
Tais S
TS
Quarantini
Lucas C
LC
Gadelha
Ary
A
Vilete
Liliane Maria Pereira
LM
Yeh
Mary S L
MS
Prince
Martin
M
Figueira
Ivan
I
Bressan
Rodrigo A
RA
Mello
Marcelo F
MF
Dewey
Michael E
ME
Ferri
Cleusa P
CP
Mari
Jair de Jesus
Jde J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D006306:Health Surveys; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics; D015995:Prevalence; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*