title: Discrimination and common mental disorders of undergraduate students of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The pathogenic and consistent effect of discrimination on mental health has been largely documented in the literature. However, there are few studies measuring multiple types of discrimination, evaluating the existence of a dose-response relationship or investigating possible effect modifiers of such an association.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between experiences of discrimination attributed to multiple reasons and common mental disorders, including the adjustment for potential confounders, assessment of dose-response relations, and examination of effect modifiers in undergraduate students from southern Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the first semester of 2012, 1,023 students from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina answered a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, undergraduate course, experiences of discrimination and common mental disorders. Associations were analyzed through logistic regression models, estimation of Odds Ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study results showed that students reporting discrimination at high frequency and intensity were 4.4 (95%CI 1.6 - 12.4) times more likely to present common mental disorders. However, the relationship between discrimination and common mental disorders was protective among Electrical Engineering students, when compared to Accounting Sciences students who did not report discrimination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the dose-response relationship between experiences of discrimination and common mental disorders reinforces the hypothetical causal nature of this association. Nevertheless, the modification of effect caused by the undergraduate course should be considered in future studies for a better understanding and measurement of both phenomena.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Vitória Cordeiro
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lemkuhl
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bastos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult