Stress, anxiety and depression in magistrates from Lima, Peru

Abstract

Objective. To measure the general and work related stress, depression and anxiety in Magistrates (Judges and District Attorneys) of Lima Judicial District. Material and methods. We carried out a transversal and descriptive study. A population of 1137 magistrates from the Lima Jurisdictional District of the Judicial System, was randomly sampled by a strata representing every agency of the Judicial System. The final sample included 287 magistrates: 138 District Attorneys and 149 Judges. After informed consent, a questionnaire composed by four previously validated instruments was applied to measure general and work related stress, anxiety and depression. Results. General stress was present in 18.5 % of the participants; work related stress 33.7 %; anxiety 12.5 %, and depression 15 %. All three conditions were present in 6.6 % of the participants and at least one in 25.9 %. General stress was associated to depression (OR: 4.9; IC95 % 1.6-15.1) and anxiety (OR: 8.5; IC95 % 2.5-28.6) by logistic regression. Conclusion. Lima Judicial District’s Magistrates present a triad composed by high levels of labor stress, anxiety and depression. A quarter of the participants present at least one of those conditions. In that perspective, it is recommended that intervention and preventive programs address stress, anxiety and depression simultaneously, given their strong association.