Caracterização do acompanhamento profissional de utilizadores de ansiolíticos e antidepressivos

Abstract

With the growing prevalence of depression and anxiety in the world, which
proportionally accompanies the constant increase in the consumption of antidepressants and
anxiolytics, it is becoming increasingly necessary to address these two mental disorders as a
public health problem, since these illnesses negatively affect the individuals who suffer from
them. Portugal has considerable figures in relation to the burden of mental illness and its impact
on society, compared to Europe.
For this reason, it is therefore necessary to understand what factors are associated with
the mental health management of patients suffering from these two types of psychiatric
disorders, and what gaps can be filled regarding access to specialized mental health care.
In order to gain a better understanding of the role of the community pharmacist in mental
health management, in the monitoring and pharmacotherapeutic counseling of users of
anxiolytic and antidepressant medication and the possible involvement of other health
professionals in the mental health management of these users, we carried out an observational
study over three months in a community pharmacy located in Agualva-Cacém, so that we could
answer the research questions. Specific inclusion criteria were established and a number was
set for the size of the study sample. The data was processed using the following platforms:
Google Forms, Jamovi software version 2.3.28 and MS Excel.
Regarding the results obtained, 80 surveys were carried out. 77.5% of the sample was
female and most of the participants were over 65. Around 40% of the participants did not have
a family doctor and 56.3% did not have specialized follow-up by a psychiatrist/psychologist. A
large proportion of the participants highlighted the lack of help from the pharmacist and also
referred to the fact that the pharmacist was only concerned with dispensing the medication in
question. Regarding the use of alternative medicines, although around 90% of the participants
do not have professionals qualified in alternative medicines involved in the management of
their mental health, of those who do, acupuncture and reiki are the alternative medicines most
practiced by the participants.
In short, with this type of observational study in the community, it is possible to
highlight specifically which problems need to be overcome, so that more projects can be carried
out, with greater frequency and a higher success rate, both for users and for pharmacists, as well
as adding immense value to the role of the pharmacist in the community.
Key words Anxiolytics; antidepressants; community pharmacy; specialized care; mental health management

Date of Award	2024
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	João Pedro Bernardo Gregório (Supervisor)