The role of elderly female consumers of allopathic tranquilizers in the popularization of the use of these medicines

Authors

  • Reginaldo Teixeira Mendonça Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto
  • Antonio Carlos Duarte de Carvalho Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692005000800016

Keywords:

tranquilizers, benzodiazepines, elderly women, social networks

Abstract

The consumption of allopathic tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) has social and cultural dimensions, not being restricted to a relation between physician and patient. Therefore, we aimed to show that the consumption of tranquilizers is particularized according to the social and cultural contexts their consumers are involved in. Using a qualitative approach with semistructured interviews, we search for conceptions about allopathic tranquilizers in 18 elderly women, psychiatric patients attended to in the Mental Health Centre of the Health Teaching Centre at the, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School, (FMRP-USP), in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil, who were consumers of benzodiazepines for more than one year. We concluded that the consumption of tranquilizers is entangled in a network of social relations, including neighbors, relatives and friends. The interviewed women showed to have autonomy, feeling able to use, indicate, offer and lend, or not, these medicines, according to their conceptions.

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Published

2005-12-01

Issue

Vol. 13 (2005): Número Especial 2

Section

Original Articles

License

RLAE’s authorship concept is based on the substantial contribution by each of the individuals listed as authors, mainly in terms of conceiving and planning the research project, collecting or analyzing and interpreting data, writing and critical review. Indication of authors’ names under the article title is limited to six. If more, authors are listed on the online submission form under Acknowledgements. The possibility of including more than six authors will only be examined on multicenter studies, considering the explanations presented by the authors.
Including names of authors whose contribution does not fit into the above criteria cannot be justified. Those names can be included in the Acknowledgements section.
 Authors are fully responsible for the concepts disseminated in their manuscripts, which do not necessarily reflect the editors’ and editorial board’s opinion.

 

How to Cite

Mendonça, R. T., & Carvalho, A. C. D. de. (2005). The role of elderly female consumers of allopathic tranquilizers in the popularization of the use of these medicines. Revista Latino-Americana De Enfermagem, 13(spe2), 1207-1212. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-11692005000800016