Prevalência de sintomas de ansiedade em estudantes de Fonoaudiologia

Abstract

Objective: to identify the prevalence of anxiety symptoms among speech-language students in a public higher education institution. Method: a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research conducted with 140 speech-language students from the 1st to the 8th period. Data were obtained between August and September 2019 by applying a questionnaire (sociodemographic aspects and health history), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) - state scale - and the BECK Anxiety Inventory (BAI), being stored and analyzed in the EPIINFO program (7.2.3.1). Result: the prevalence of dysfunctional anxiety (medium and high levels, according to STAI) found in this population was high (79%). It was also detected the occurrence of anxiety symptom, albeit mild, in 31% of the students, highlighting the nervousness and the inability to relax. Variations in the prevalence of anxiety symptoms were also observed between the 3rd and 7th period, with moderate (38%) and minimum anxiety (26%), respectively, although more than half of the positive self-rated health was reported students. Conclusion: the occurrence of anxiety at unacceptable levels, identified in this study, will enable better management of this problem by members of the academic community (students and teachers), with the creation of intervention strategies that involve, among others, prevention and/or control of associated symptoms, which is an important step in minimizing the negative effects that anxiety can have on mental health and, consequently, on academic performance, regarding the teaching-learning process of future speech-language professionals.