Depression is a health problem that affects the whole of society, having worsened in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is evidence that healthcare workers are more likely to develop depression, which can compromise productivity at work and quality of life.

To describe the prevalence of depression, depressive symptoms, and use of antidepressant medications in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

125 healthcare workers from different occupations who are part of the HEROES cohort were evaluated. Diagnosis of depression and use of antidepressant medication were obtained by self-report. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), consisting of 21 items that include symptoms and attitudes. Age, sex, and occupation were extracted from the sociodemographic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed descriptively and using the Chi-square test in the SPSS program with a significance level of 5%.

The sample consisted of women (83%) and hospital workers (49%). About 45% had symptoms of depression on the BDI; 18% use antidepressant medication and 6% reported a medical diagnosis of depression. Among the symptoms of depression, the most prevalent were fatigue (80%), insomnia (68%) and dissatisfaction (66%). The least prevalent symptoms were weight loss (4%), suicidal ideation (9%) and punishment (19%). There was an association between medical diagnosis and the use of medication for depression (P<0.01). There was no association between depression symptoms and medical diagnosis (P=0.19) and medication use (P=0.21).

Many healthcare workers reported depressive symptoms and use of antidepressant medication; however, the proportion of workers with a medical diagnosis was much lower.

The BDI was sensitive to identifying depressive symptoms and can be used for screening and designing preventive actions. Many healthcare workers use antidepressant medications without a medical diagnosis. Thus, additional investigations are necessary to understand this finding.