AVALIAÇÃO DOS TRANSTORNOS DE ANSIEDADE E USO DE MEDICAMENTOS ENTRE ACADÊMICOS DO CURSO DE MEDICINA DE UMA UNIVERSIDADE DO SUL DE MINAS GERAIS, BRASIL

Maria Paula Mendes Pereira, , ,Carolina Kobbaz Ferraresso,Cláudio Daniel Cerdeira,Francine Neves,Luísa Diniz Marra Vieira,Gérsika Bitencourt Santos Barros,Lara Elisa De Freitas Campos

doi:10.46311/2178-2571.36.eurj3975

Abstract

In this study were evaluated the levels of anxiety and use of medicines for treating anxiety among medical students at a university in the south of Minas Gerais, and then these data were related with sociodemographic data, prescription and medical follow-up, as well as improvement of symptoms. This is a cross-sectional study in which the sample was analyzed through a questionnaire. From the total of interviewees (n = 264), 21% (n = 56) are users of drugs to treat anxiety. Among these, most were female, almost half were 21 to 25 years old, single, living alone, and have high-income. These academics opted for the medical course mainly because personal and professional achievement, and the main drug used was fluoxetine. Among the users, 39% practice self-medication despite 64.3% take drugs to treat anxiety with medical follow-up, more than half present side effects, and 87.5% experimented improvement of symptoms after the use of these medications. The use of drugs to treat anxiety among medical students is increasing and the fact that most of them perform medical follow-up directly influences the improvement of symptoms. Moreover, there are risk factors that can lead to anxiety and/or self-medication and indiscriminate use of drugs, so that preventive health measures should consider these factors to guide more effective actions.

Highlights

In the biopsychosocial context, the most varied adversities imposed on the individual can have deleterious consequences, such as stress, anxiety and depression, which can lead to the indiscriminate use of medications (RAMOS et al, 2021; SOARES et al, 2021)
This study was approved by the local research ethics committee, under opinion no. 3.736.036, and respondents were informed about the objectives and gave their consent to participate, signing the Informed Consent Form (ICF)
The general profile of the sample (n = 264), predominantly observed, was: young, female, single, Catholic, living alone, and with a high monthly family income. 34% of respondents have already had an appointment with a mental health professional, and 49% have a family history of anxiety

Summary

Introduction

The lifestyle in society can generate great afflictions and insecurities that reflect on people's quality of life, making them increasingly concerned about following several trends and fads, with living standards that, due to the multiplicity of factors, can lead to a psychopathological multicausality, impacting mental, physical and social well-being. In the biopsychosocial context, the most varied adversities imposed on the individual can have deleterious consequences, such as stress, anxiety and depression, which can lead to the indiscriminate use of medications (RAMOS et al, 2021; SOARES et al, 2021). In this context, the incidence of psychological changes is increasing, affecting people who are unable to identify and/or adapt to current patterns of behavior, which can trigger crises, such as anxiety, with varying degrees of severity. Physical and mental stresses are important problems in the professional and academic environment, forfeiting people's health (SOARES et al, 2021). Medical school is one of the most difficult courses requiring dedication, effort, physical and emotional resistance (SANTOS et al, 2017)

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Conclusion