Estudos de utilização de medicamentos psicotrópicos no Brasil: uma revisão.

Abstract

The use of psychoactive drugs is part of human nature, to change behavior, mood and emotions. Psychotropic drugs are modifiers of the Central Nervous System (CNS), acting in psychiatric disorders with the purpose of providing stabilization or cure of these clinical pictures. However, the indiscriminate use could pose a serious public health problem. Socioeconomic, cultural and epidemiological differences of a country influence aspects of the use of medication, access and even self-medication. These factors define different profiles psychotropic consumption in the world, moreover, the different prevalence of mental disorders in different years can explain the different patterns of consumption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the profile of the use of these drugs in Brazil through a review of the scientific literature on Drug Use Studies (DUS) psychotropics. To do this, held an inventory of studies published in Brazil, with qualitative approach and date of publication understood from 2004 to 2014. The research was conducted from the database SciELO and PubMed, inserted in the Virtual Health Library (Bireme). The results showed that the most widely used class of psychotropic drugs were benzodiazepines, diazepam being the most used drug. Sleep disorders and anxiety were the major causes of indication for use of these drugs. In use of association, benzodiazepines with antidepressant was more prevalent. Women, retired, unaccompanied, with incomplete primary education and low income are the most likely to use psychotropic medications, and that consumption increases with age. Understanding the relationship of the use of medicines with socioeconomic, cultural and epidemiological differences, it is necessary so that we can guarantee the population a rational and safe treatment.