Abstract
Background: Psychotropic drugs are used to treat disorders involving central nervous system.
However, several drugs are indiscriminately used by individuals seeking better academic or
professional performance or for esthetic or recreational purposes. Indiscriminate utilization of
psychotropic drugs is deleterious and can cause insomnia, anxiety, and emotional ability in short term,
as well as physical or psychological dependence, cardiovascular, cognitive, and motor alterations in
long term, in addition to the risk of overdose.
Aim: This study was designed to characterize the prevalence of indiscriminate use of psychotropic
drugs among students in the health disciplines in Colatina, Espírito Santo, to decipher the factors
driving this practice. The findings from this study can lend themselves for designing preventive
measures, in addition to providing a source of information about the harmful impacts of this habit.
Methods: A descriptive study on a sample of 122 college students from courses in the health
disciplines was carried out using online questionnaires. The data were tabulated in GraphPad Prism 9
software, with 95% reliability (P < 0.05), and analyzed using Fisher’s test.
Results: Half of the college students interviewed claimed to have used psychotropic drugs at some
points in their lives, and 21.3% had attempted self-medication. Utilization of psychotropic drugs
became a common habit among students after entering academic life (62.3%).
Conclusions: Self-medication is a common practice among the interviewed students and academic
life, which has an significant impact on mental health, galvanizes this practice. These findings point
to the need for better attention to the mental health of the university students and more education
regarding the practice of self-medication in the population as a whole.
Relevance for Patients: The study highlights the need for greater attention by health professionals
to this practice of self-medication, and more primary preventive measures focused on educating these
users to prevent jeopardizing the health of individuals indiscriminately used psychopharmaceuticals
and to consequently reduce health system costs.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36922/jctr.00093
Author affiliation
1. University Center of Espirito Santo, Espírito Santo, Colatina, Espírito Santo, Brazil
2. Graduate Program of Research and Extension (CEPEG),
University Center of Espirito Santo, Colatina, Espírito Santo, Brazil
*Corresponding author:
Sarah Fernandes Teixeira
University Center of Espirito Santo, Colatina,
Espírito Santo, Brazil.
Email: sfteixeira@unesc.br
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