Uso de álcool e psicotrópicos e o sofrimento psíquico em estudantes de medicina da Universidade Estácio de Sá

The alcohol and psychotropic drugs use and the psychological distress among medical students of Universidade Estácio de Sá

Abstract

Introduction: The concern in detecting the use and abuse of alcohol and psychotropic drugs in health professionals has great interest, as addiction can cause great impact on the ability of the doctor in making decisions. There are still not sufficient studies on this topic in some specific populations. General objective: To observe the use of alcohol and psychotropic drugs among medical students and to identify the presence of psychological distress among them. Specific objective: To analyze the prevalence of the use of alcohol and psychotropic drugs among medical students of the first and last year of Universidade Estácio de Sá in 2008, to identify the presence
of emotional changes among them and to analyze the association between the use of alcohol and psychotropic drugs and emotional suffering. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study whose data were collected in the period between March and May of 2008. Two questionnaires, already approved, were distributed: the first is a test that identifies the disturbances caused by the alcohol use (The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]), established by WHO, and the second identifies the common mental disorders (General Health Questionnaire 12 [GHQ-12]). The program Epiinfo 6.0 was used to analyze the frequency of events and possible associations. This research was submitted to the Ethic Committee of Universidade Estácio Sá. Results: Pupils in the first year consume larger amounts of psychotropic drugs, sleep less, feel more able to overcome difficulties, are more confident in themselves and focus their attention more easily when compared to students of the sixth year, who consume higher amounts of alcohol. There was not significant difference between females and males when comparing the use of alcohol and drugs, and there was not
greater consumption of alcohol among those who use drugs. Discussion: We found high prevalence of the alcohol use in medical students, although they, paradoxically, are aware of their detrimental effects. Do they feel protected from harmful effects by having knowledge about its mechanism of action and toxicity? Is alcohol an “escape valve” from the tiring routine of the medicine course? Conclusion: It is crucial to understand the factors involved in responding and adapting to the stress inherent to the medicine course to draw strategies on the academic environment and medical practice to prevent and detect the use of drugs and alcohol by future doctors