Abstract:

Currently, the incidence of anxiety and depression has been shown to be high in the general population. Depression is the fifth leading cause of disability in the world. The symptoms identified include fatigue, sadness, irritability, difficulties with appetite, insomnia, cognitive changes lasting at least two weeks. Studies report an association in the entry of academic life and work overload, causing the student to develop depressive or anxiety symptoms. Thus, this study sought to identify symptoms related to anxiety, depression and eating disorders in a sample of university students in the city of Caxias do Sul. 201 undergraduate students participated in the research, belonging to the areas of exact sciences, business and health. The students answered a questionnaire which contained sociodemographic and occupational questions, about anxiety symptoms, depression (HAD scale) and about eating behavior (questionnaire TFEQ-R21). The presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was related to anthropometric and social parameters. It is noted that the health area has a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression compared to other areas and the female gender prevails with these present symptoms compared to men. Regarding eating behavior, it was noticed that females are more likely to have compulsions, dietary restrictions or emotional nutrition.

Keywords: