The present study aims to investigate the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) and the possible factors related with the emergence of such disorders among women from a rural settlement in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This survey has a quantitative and qualitative character with an ethnographic approach. As methodological strategies, we used a socio-demographic and environmental questionnaire, the mental health screening test Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), and semi-structured interview with the participants. The results point to the high prevalence of CMD (43.6%) between the settled women and suggest the relationship between poverty, gender violence, overworking and the occurrence of CMD.
common mental disorders; woman; rural settlement; social determinants of health