The COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil is extremely severe, and Brazil has the third-highest number of cases in the world. The goal of the study is to identify the prevalence rates and several predictors of depression and anxiety in Brazil during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. We surveyed 482 adults in 23 Brazilian states online on 9–22 May 2020, and found that 70.3% of the adults (n = 339) had depressive symptoms and 67.2% (n = 320) had anxiety symptoms. The results of multi-class logistic regression models revealed that females, younger adults, and those with fewer children had a higher likelihood of depression and anxiety symptoms; adults who worked as employees were more likely to have anxiety symptoms than those who were self-employed or unemployed; adults who spent more time browsing COVID-19 information online were more likely to have depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results provide preliminary evidence and early warning for psychiatrists and healthcare organizations to better identify and focus on the more vulnerable sub-populations in Brazil during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

School achievement is under a multiple factorial context related to student, school and family (SSF). Based on 23.141 Brazilians self-reports, obtained from PISA 2015, representative SSF measures were selected, and their impacts measured on school performance scores in mathematics, reading and science. The feeling of belonging to the school (BELONG) and parents’ emotional support (EMOSUPS) were strongly correlated with the three investigated performances. EMOSUPS affected how the student feels at school and when being assessed. And the educational and cultural resources of the home affected EEC three dimensions, increasing EMOSUPS, BELONG and school performance, and decreasing anxiety during assessments. Thus, the importance of the school and family environments on students’ performance is reiterated and calls for public policies in education that considers the three dimensions.

The etiology of intelligence and learning difficulties are interpreted and perceived in different ways within society. The present study aims to explore the perceptions of a sample of n=501 Brazilian teachers regarding genetic and environmental influences on intelligence and learning difficulties. Using numerical scales, it was observed that importance was ascribed by teachers to genetic and environmental influences across both the intelligence and learning difficulties domains. A multiple choice items test revealed differences on the perceptions of teachers according to gender, age, schooling, area of knowledge, income, years of experience, knowledge of genetics, and having studied genetics. Responses favouring genetic explanations were associated with certain demographic factors while the perception that only environment affects the various domains was not associated with any specific demographics.

O mundo está a viver uma situação de pandemia por causa do vírus SARS-CoV-2. Comparamos níveis de estresse peritraumático durante a pandemia Covid-19 (EPC) entre Brasil e Portugal, países latinos com longa história conjunta. Os resultados apontaram níveis elevados de EPC para os brasileiros com 19% (nível grave), e 64% de EPC de leve a grave, contra 5.3% e 38% dos portugueses. Os brasileiros demonstraram maior gravidade em 20 (de 24) itens de EPC. O índice global (IEPC) foi mais elevado nos brasileiros. Essas diferenças são explicadas como consequência das diferentes decisões políticas de saúde seguidas nos dois países.

Knowing about teacher perceptions contributes to the understanding of teachers’ attitudes toward the behavior of their students. We evaluated the perceptions of 501 teachers about the genetic and environmental influences on behaviors considered relevant to the educational environment using an original questionnaire from the United Kingdom, adapted to the Portuguese language of Brazil. We found that the teachers attributed genetic and environmental influences evenly regarding personality and learning difficulties; greater genetic influence on intelligence and mental illness; and greater environmental influence on behavioral problems. Most teachers stated that having a student with genetically influenced learning difficulties would affect their method of instructing them.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil is extremely severe, and Brazil has the third-highest number of cases in the world. The goal of the study is to identify the prevalence rates and several predictors of depression and anxiety in Brazil during the initial outbreak of COVID-19. We surveyed 482 adults in 23 Brazilian states online on 9–22 May 2020, and found 70.3% of the adults (N=339) had depressive symptoms and 67.2% (N=320) had anxiety symptoms. The results of multi-class logistic regression models revealed that females, younger adults and those with fewer children had a higher likelihood of depression and anxiety symptoms; adults who worked as employees were more likely to have anxiety symptoms than those who were self-employed or unemployed; adults who spent more time browsing COVID-19 information online were more likely to have depression and anxiety symptoms. Our results provide preliminary evidence and early warning for psychiatrists and healthcare organizations to better identify and focus on the more vulnerable sub-populations in Brazil during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.