ArticlePloS one2015
Psychotropic Drug Use in São Paulo, Brazil--An Epidemiological Survey.
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of antidepressant use in Brazil: a systematic review with meta-analysis.Revista brasileira de psiquiatria (Sao Paulo, Brazil : 1999) · 2024Pooled it
- Psychotropic Use Among Classroom Teachers in Espírito Santo: A Cross-Sectional Study.Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety · 2026Article
- The Intergenerational Impact of Maternal Childhood Adversity on Child Behavior and Neurodevelopment: The Healthy MiNDS Protocol.International journal of methods in psychiatric research · 2025Article
- Factors associated with the use of psychotropic drugs by students at a brazilian public university.Revista peruana de medicina experimental y salud publica · 2025Article
- Use of Psychotropic Drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Minas Gerais, Brazil.Revista brasileira de epidemiologia = Brazilian journal of epidemiology · 2023Article
- Opioid use, regulation, and harms in Brazil: a comprehensive narrative overview of available data and indicators.Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy · 2021Review
- Benzodiazepine use in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2020Article
- Pattern evolution of antidepressants and benzodiazepines use in a cohort.Revista de saude publica · 2020Article
- Long-term benzodiazepine use in patients taking antidepressants in a public health setting in Brazil: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2018Article
- Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo estimate the prevalence of one month psychotropic drug use in São Paulo, Brazil, and to assess the gap treatment between the presence of mental disorders and psychotropic drug users.
methodA probabilistic sample of non-institutionalized individuals from the general population of São Paulo (n = 2336; turnout: 84.5%) who were 15 years or older were interviewed by a trained research staff, applying the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1 (CIDI WHO) (depression, anxiety-phobia, OCD\PTSD, alcoholism sections), and an inventory investigating psychotropic drug use during the 12-month and one-month periods immediately preceding the interview. Logistic models were fitted to investigate associations between psychotropic drug use as well as socio-demographic and clinical variables.
resultsThe one month prevalence of psychotropic drug use in São Paulo was 5.89%, the most commonly used drugs were antidepressants (3.15%) and tranquilizers (2.67%). A higher consumption of psychotropic drugs (overall, antidepressants and tranquilizers) was observed among women (OR:2.42), older individuals (OR:1.04), individuals with higher levels of formal education (1.06), and individuals with a family (OR:2.29) or personal history of mental illness (OR:3.27). The main psychotropic drug prescribers were psychiatrists (41%), followed by general practitioners (30%); 60% of psychotropic drugs were obtained through a government-run dispensing program. Most individuals who obtained a positive diagnosis on the CIDI 2.1 during the previous month were not using psychotropic medication (85%). Among individuals with a diagnosis of moderate to severe depression, 67.5% were not on any pharmacological treatment.
conclusionThere is a change in the type of psychotropic more often used in São Paulo, from benzodiazepines to antidepressants, this event is observed in different cultures. The prevalence of use is similar to other developing countries. Most of the patients presenting a psychiatric illness in the month prior to testing were not receiving any sort of psychiatric medication. This may be explained by a failure to identify cases in primary care, which could be improved (and access to treatment could be facilitated) if professionals received more specialized training in managing cases with mental health problems.
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