SMAD Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas (Edição em Português)
SMAD, Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas is an electronic journal, open-access, peer-reviewed, which receives research manuscripts that address all aspects of mental health, alcohol, tobacco, and other psychotropic drugs under different approaches (psychosocial and neuroscience). Being an open-access journal means that all content is freely available without charge to the user or his/her institution. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access. Contributions are accepted by researchers from various fields of knowledge whose research subjects are related to our content. Submission Languages Portuguese, English, or Spanish Mission To share experiences and knowledge produced by employees and researchers in the area of mental health, alcohol, and drugs.
Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo
“QualityRights” toolkit in the evaluation of mental health services: scoping view
Objective: to map how research using the “QualityRights” toolkit to evaluate mental health services is conducted. Methodology: scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. With searches carried out in 22 databases, 27 results were selected and organized, based on the structure of the studies to present how to use the toolkit for evaluating health services proposed by the World Health Organization. Results: the search results express the multicentric perspective of the instrument, production is found in 45 countries, in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe. These are mostly local studies, which use the five themes and three proposed tools, predominantly carried out in asylum institutions. The recommendations are systematized in dialogue with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Conclusion: in order to have robust analyses, it is necessary to characterize the sociodemographic profile of the reference population and to analyze in an intersectional manner the inequalities, discrimination, violence and multiple and interdependent violations experienced by the population with mental health problems and resulting from drug use.
Copyright (c) 2025 SMAD Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas (Edição em Português) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Academic life factors and suicidal behavior in university students at a federal institution
Objective: to understand the factors within academic life that cause psychological suffering and influence suicidal behavior among university students on the humanities campus of a federal institution. Methodology: qualitative research carried out with 67 university students enrolled in six humanities programs; data were collected using an online form, and data analysis was based on the Content Analysis framework. Results: issues related to adaptation, overwhelming demands, intense competition, interpersonal relationships with peers and professors, lack of representativeness, insufficient student retention policies and, difficulty accessing psychological support proved to be detrimental to mental health and contributed to the development of suicidal behavior. Reports included self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempts associated with the adversities within the academic environment. Conclusion: a connection was observed between factors and events in the academic environment and the presence of psychological suffering and suicidal behavior in the participants. However, as suicide is a multifactorial phenomenon, it is not possible to attribute responsibility to a single component, in this case, the academic environment.
Nurses’ perception and nursing care regarding the risk of depression during pregnancy amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective: to analyze nurses’ perception and nursing care concerning the risk of depression during pregnancy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: descriptive study with qualitative approach conducted with 21 nurses involved in prenatal care at Primary Health Care units and a routine-risk Prenatal Outpatient Clinic. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, both in-person and online. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, applying the theoretical framework related to care comprehensiveness. Results: two themes were identified following careful data analysis: (i) nurses’ knowledge about the risk of depression during pregnancy as a trigger for care; (ii) nursing care for pregnant women at risk of depression during pregnancy. Conclusion: nursing care regarding the risk of depression during pregnancy amid the COVID-19 pandemic was linked to nurses’ perception of the risk of disorder development, their knowledge about risk factors, and facilitators and barriers related to its onset.
Race/Skin color and psychological distress in Nursing teams during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective: to verify the relationship between mental distress and race/skin color of Nursing professionals working in the COVID-19 context. Methodology: a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational and quantitative study with a non-probability sampling approach, using the snowball technique with 1,737 Nursing professionals. Virtual collection with a personal/work characterization questionnaire and the Mental Symptoms Assessment Scale-40-R. The G*power software version 3.0 was used. Significance level of p<0.05. The post hoc power analysis was 100% with effect power of 0.50. Results: predominance of white-skinned nurses (51.2%) and black/brown-skinned nursing technicians (46.3%). Higher mean value in the Psychoticism domain among black/brown-skinned professionals (p=0.048), who earn lower salaries than their white-skinned peers (48.8%, p=0.001). The latter were dissatisfied with the spaces provided to relax between work and shift changes (55.3%, p=0.033), receive less psychological/emotional support from the institution where they work/study (graduate level) (19.5%, p=0.004), had more of deaths of family members, friends, neighbors and work/study peers due to COVID-19 (30.7%) than the white-skinned participants. White- and black-/brown-skinned professionals were satisfied with alcohol gel availability (p=0.001) and the conditions for washing their hands (p=0.001). Conclusion: these findings raise concerns about working conditions, neglect by health institutions and social inequality that affect the mental health of female black/brown-skinned professionals.
Maria do Perpétuo Socorro de Sousa Nóbrega
Teaching the Nursing Process in mental health fromthe perspective of the unconscious subject
Objective: to develop a methodological proposal for teaching nursing care in mental health based on the Nursing Process and through the therapeutic relationship, based on the perspective of the unconscious subject. Methodology: theoretical study that uses as a reference psychoanalytic concepts that operate in the field of language in which the function of speech under transfer puts into effect the reality of the unconscious expressed by the subject. Results: the study was divided into two topics: methodological proposal for teaching the Nursing Process through the transference relationship; and aligning important concepts for teaching the Nursing Process through the transference relationship. Conclusion: the teacher, acting in line with the biopsychosocial care model, mimics the pedagogical relationship for therapy, by occupying the place of semi-telling and positioning himself in relation to the student in order to supervise him through the work of the clinical case. The student assumes the position of therapeutic and innovative agent with unique know-how and care that respects the subject’s desire for the development of the Nursing Process.
Suicide ideation or attempt among children and adolescents: integrative review of nursing practice
Objective: to analyze the practice of nurses in the face of suicidal ideation and attempts by children and adolescents according to information available in the literature. Methodology: integrative review carried out in the Virtual Health Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science with a time frame from 2013 to 2023. Peer review and double-blind selection resulted in 11 publications. The analysis was thematic. Results: the studies point to nurses’ difficulties in taking an individualized and humanized approach, recording information in medical records and planning mental health care. Nurses’ lack of knowledge and training can lead to inadequate care. Five tools were found for identifying suicide risk that can be used with children and adolescents aged between 7 and 21 years. Conclusion: nurses’ lack of knowledge makes it difficult to identify suicide ideation and attempts in children and adolescents in a variety of contexts. There is a need for nurses to assess and identify suicidal ideation and risk behaviors during care. In this sense, it is necessary for existing instruments to be translated and validated in Brazil in order to optimize the early identification of suicidal ideation and attempts.
Juliana Rezende Montenegro Medeiros de Moraes
Nursing care for children with mental disorders: integrative literature review
Objective: to know what evidence is found in the literature on nursing care provided to children with mental disorders. Methodology: integrative review of the literature, whose search was carried out in the National Library of Medicine, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, SciVerse Scopus, Cummulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science databases, through of the descriptors “pediatric nursing”, “psychiatric nursing” and “mental disorders”. Data analysis consisted of two phases: reading and evaluating the abstracts; and reading the full articles after selection in the previous phase. Results: 24 articles were selected and a low level of evidence was found regarding the care investigated, which is based on health care models, with an emphasis on the biomedical and biopsychosocial models. Conclusion: nursing care for children with mental disorders can advance in line with the biopsychosocial care model and psychiatric nursing through matrix support and the use of the Nursing Process. The nurse can provide care centered on children who live in a social environment, building partnerships with parents and family members and offering care based on theoretical references that support the relationship.
Mental health of healthcare workers in the hospital and ICU context during the COVID-19 pandemic: scoping review
Objective: to map the changes in healthcare workers’ mental health reported in the literature. Methodology: a scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers Manual for Scoping Reviews. The sample included nursing, medical, and physiotherapy teams providing direct care to COVID-19 patients in hospital and intensive care unit settings. Information sources such as CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, BVS, Scopus, and the WHO’s gray literature were searched. Results: seventy-two studies were selected, focusing on anxiety, burnout, depression, and traumatic stress, with a predominance of Asian studies. The main findings indicate that being a female nurse between 30 and 50 years old is associated with mental health problems, while physiotherapists with children have a higher risk of depression and burnout. Physicians in teaching hospitals exhibit high levels of anxiety. Conclusion: the study concludes that being a woman in any professional group is strongly associated with mental health issues. This study highlights the importance of prevention strategies, public policies for worker health protection, crisis therapies, and improving working conditions to implement effective interventions.
Psychiatric urgency and emergency: nursing care and profile of patients treated at the Emergency Care Uni
Objective: to describe the perception and understanding of nursing professionals regarding emergency and psychiatric emergency care; and know the profile of patients treated in the Emergency Care Unit. Methodology: multi-method research, complementing qualitative and quantitative approaches. A search for data was carried out in the medical records of patients diagnosed with mental health problems and interviews were conducted with 16 nursing professionals. Quantitative data were analyzed by gross and relative frequency; qualitative data by Thematic Analysis. Results: the majority of patients with mental health problems were men between 25-29 years old (25.6%) and women between 14-19 years old (25%), without risk stratification (59.2%; 54.2%), remained in the unit between 1h-5h59m (43.3%;37.5%) in need of continued care. Regarding the reasons for seeking care, depressive crises and anxiety stood out among women; and substance abuse and psychomotor agitation among men. Three thematic categories emerged: Recognizing psychiatric urgency and emergency; (Lack of) care for patients with psychiatric disorders in emergency services; (Dis)continuity of care for individuals with psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: nursing professionals understand concepts of urgency and psychiatric emergencies; however, they feel insecure and require an adequate structure for care. Coordination with the psychosocial network could guarantee more effective care for this population.
Suffering and harm from work in Alcohol and Drugs Psychosocial Care Centers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective: to assess the suffering and damage related to the work of CAPS AD in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach. Data collection took place from October 2020 to May 2022, with 79 workers from seven CAPS AD in Porto Alegre-RS. The collection instrument consisted of sociodemographic data, work, lifestyle habits and the Protocol for the Evaluation of Psychosocial Risks at Work (PROAT). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used using the SPSS program. Results: psychosocial risk was assessed as low by the Pathogenic Suffering Scale and the Work-Related Injury Scale. With regard to suffering, the indignity factor obtained the highest average (2.135) and My work is stressful (2.81), My work is tiring (2.75) and My work overloads me (2.50) presented medium risk. As for damage to health, the highest score was for the physical factor (2.246) and the items back pain (2.67) and headaches (2.53) were at medium risk. Conclusion: the psychosocial risks were assessed as low, but it should be noted that the suffering and damage caused by work, such as fatigue and overload, have been aggravated by the pandemic.
Therapeutic use of Cannabis sativa in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: an integrative review
Objective: to investigate, in light of the scientific literature, the efficacy of the therapeutic use of Cannabis sativa in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Methodology: this is an integrative literature review that gathered articles based on a systematized methodology. The search for studies was conducted through the following databases: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (Literatura Latino Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde), SciVerse Scopus, and Web of Science, using Health Sciences Descriptors. Results: the sample included 16 scientific articles, all indicating a growing trend in exploring Cannabis sativa compounds for symptomatic treatment of the disease. Experimental laboratory studies stand out among the findings, as well as the analysis of the optimal non-toxic dose for treatment efficacy. Treatment efficacy is demonstrated by the delay and/or reduction of behavioral symptoms of the disease, resulting in improved quality of life for the involved family context. Conclusion: the use of Cannabis sativa compounds demonstrated efficacy in the symptomatic treatment of individuals with Alzheimer’s, revealing medical advancements and a paradigm shift regarding the plant. The presented evidence sheds light on specific nuances that may impact not only the life of the person with the disease but also the entire family dynamic.
Ciências da saúde; saúde mental; saúde coletiva.
Evaluation of factors related to patients’ medicationadherence at a Psychosocial Care Center
Objective: to evaluate factors related to medication adherence in patients with mental disorders at a Psychosocial Care Center. Methodology: descriptive cross-sectional cohort study, through analysis of medical records and semi-structured interviews. Results: of the 50 patients, the majority were female, single, black or brown, incomplete primary education, unemployed, aged 50 to 59 years. 58% of patients showed good adherence to medication; 50% forget to take their medication, 84% have clearer thoughts when medicated, and 90% said that their health depended on these medications, preventing the disease from worsening. Haloperidol was the most prescribed medication, at 58% of patients, and the main cause of adverse reactions and drug interactions, in 54% of prescriptions. Furthermore, 40% of patients had difficulty reading the medication packaging. Conclusion: the majority of participants regularly use medications and recognize their importance. They understand that interrupting treatment may worsen the clinical condition. A significant portion of patients did not have good adherence to pharmacotherapy, justified by adverse reactions and side effects, probably aggravated by drug interactions. Low education becomes an important factor in medication adherence.
The training of Primary Health Care nurses who care for psychoactive substances users
Objective: to characterize the training profile of Primary Health Care nurses who care for people who use psychoactive substances. Methodology: cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, carried out with 15 Family Health Strategy nurses, using a semi-structured instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: nurses took at least one undergraduate (80%) and postgraduate (23%) course that addressed the use of psychoactive substances, and received training/qualification (47%). In relation to the perception of knowing how to manage the situation when caring for these people, those who had contact with the subject, during their undergraduate studies knew how to manage the situation (45%), in postgraduate studies, they were indifferent (67%) and during training courses they didn't know how to handle it (42%). Those who had no contact with the topic during graduation (67%) and in training/qualification (63%), know how to manage the situation; in postgraduate studies, they don’t know (50%). Both those who have and those who have not had contact with the issue feel they need training to work with this demand. Conclusion: content on psychoactive substances was present at some point in nurses' professional training, but they recognize the need for continued training to care for people who use psychoactive substances.
Psychosocial factors associated with problematic alcohol use
Objective: to identify the psychosocial factors associated with different patterns of alcohol consumption in the Brazilian southeastern population. Methodology: a study was carried out in which data was collected using a digital form containing sociodemographic questions, psychometric tests and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis method was used to analyze the associations between the variables and 4 models were developed: control versus risky use, control versus harmful use, control versus possible dependence and control versus problematic use. Results: a sample of 774 people was obtained, of which 296 (38%) had problematic alcohol use. Additionally, a number of factors were found to be associated with different types of alcohol consumption, which included color/race, age, income, education, form of sewage disposal, experience with a romantic breakup, violence victimization and personality traits. Conclusion: several psychosocial factors associated with different types of alcohol consumption were identified, these being relevant social determinants of health. However, based on other research, it is necessary to observe how these factors interact with consumption and with each other, to obtain a better characterization of the population segments most susceptible to problematic patterns of alcohol use.
Factors related to psychological stress in postgraduate students: integrative review
Objective: to analyze scientific evidence on factors related to psychological stress among postgraduate students. Methodology: integrative review carried out in the databases Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Nursing Database, bibliographic index Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences and Bibliographic Index Español en Ciencias de la Salud. The controlled descriptors Estudantes/Students, Estresse Psicológico/Stress, Psychological and Educação de Pós-Graduação/Education, Graduate were used. Results: the final sample consisted of 17 studies which showed that postgraduate students have high stress levels and that the related symptoms negatively affected the student’s relationship with the course. Difficulties in time management and the high demands of the programs were identified as main predictors of stress. Conclusion: the synthesis revealed that difficulties in reconciling time with leisure activities and the program’s demands, inattention to to personal life, curricular requirements, insecurity in relation to the professional future, financial problems linked to the costs of self-financing their research, imbalances in relationship with advisors and reduced time for family and friends are all factors related to psychological stress among postgraduate students.
Nicole Maria Brandim de Mesquita Alencar
Copyright (c) 2024 SMAD Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas (Edição em Português) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
State of humor of postgraduate students from Mato Grosso during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objective: to investigate the mood of postgraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: this is a cross-sectional and quantitative study. The population consisted of students from postgraduate courses in the field of health. Data were collected using two instruments, a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Brunel Mood Scale in digital form. Multivariate analysis of variance was used. Univariate differences between means were tested using Tukey's test with a significance level of 0.05. Results: female gender, age between 19 and 29 years, monthly income higher than four minimum wages and employment parallel to postgraduate studies predominated. Multivariate statistical significance was found for all variables (p<0.05). In the univariate analysis of the comparison of the means of the dependent variables by gender, there was only statistical significance between the means for the variable vigor (p=0.001). Conclusion: sociodemographic determinants may be risk factors for the development of mood disorders throughout life. Therefore, interventions to promote mental health among postgraduate health students are essential to maintain the quality of life and emotional well-being of this population, through psychosocial support to regulate mood and maintain a better quality of mental health.
Profile of licit and illicit drug use among health studentsat a public university: a cross-sectional study
Objective: to characterize the use of psychoactive substances among health students at a public university. Methodology: it was carried out using the online instrument The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test - ASSIST plus sociodemographic questions and habits after entering university, with a sample of 217 students from courses considered health area. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Poisson regression, with significance at p<0.05. Results: a significant difference in frequency was found between cocaine use and female sex (APR: 0.24; p<0.05; 95%CI: 1.21-13.15) and age 22-36 years (APR: 8.46; p<0.05; 95%CI: 1.90-37.67), between hypnotics and age 22-36 years (APR: 2. 88; p<0.05; 95%CI: 1.23-6, 61), opioids and female sex (APR: 0.067; p<0.05; 95%CI: 0.008-0.56), and substance use and socializing with friends who use them (APR: 1.23, p<0.05; 95%CI: 1.01-1.49). Conclusions: it opens up possibilities for research and preventive measures against the use of psychoactive substances among academics.
Daily life and emotional states of stress and anxiety in healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020
Objective: to discuss the changes in the daily lives and emotional states of health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Methodology: focus groups were held weekly and synchronously for six weeks, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. The recordings were transcribed, analyzed, and categorized using the interpretative narrative phenomenological method. Results: the categories found were: changes in routine and daily life; precarious working conditions; changes in emotional states; and individual strategies aimed at mental health care. Conclusion: the pandemic has aggravated situations of psychological distress motivated by fear of contamination, overload, and precarious working conditions, as well as tensions arising from the Brazilian political scenario. The main strategies that professionals found to deal with this situation were to carry out meaningful activities and to search virtually for a loved one to talk to or carry out some activity adapted to the distance.
Psychosocial Care Centers for alcohol and other drugs: overview of implementation
Objective: to analyze the implementation of Psychosocial Care Centers for alcohol and other drugs in a region of the national territory. Methodology: this is a thematic section of a cross-sectional study on the implementation of the Psychosocial Care Network in the region, based on the organization and analysis of information collected from government databases and consultation with the National Mental Health Coordination. The 853 municipalities in the region were considered and, after organizing the data in a single database, indicators of implementation of the Psychosocial Care Network and the services that comprise it were produced. The indicator values were analyzed considering the coverage established by the Ministry of Health and the classification of the state’s health regions based on socioeconomic development, supply and complexity of services. Results: the region has good implementation of Psychosocial Care Centers, with 369 units and an implementation index of 1.41. Of these, those focused on alcohol and other drugs represent 58 units, and the implementation rate for this service is 0.30. Conclusion: the implementation of alcohol and drug services is at an initial stage in the region researched, characterized by regional heterogeneity, which should guide strategies for expanding and strengthening these services.
Suicidal ideation, psychoactive substance use and mental distress among the homeless population of a Brazilian municipality
Objective: to characterize the presence of suicidal ideation, use of psychoactive substances and mental distress among homeless people. Methodology: a cross sectional study carried out with 127 participants. Data were collected through the application of a questionnaire containing sociodemographic data, economic information related to living and health conditions and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire; the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test; and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Data analysis was carried out descriptively. Results: 37% of the sample reported suicidal ideation, with predominance of the female gender (52.6%), adults (from 30 to 39 years old) (36.3%), non-white skin color (35.2%), low schooling level (39.7%), without a partner (36.4%) and earning no income (36.7%). Problematic consumption of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and cocaine was observed among the participants with suicidal ideation. More than half of the sample that presented suicidal ideation was experiencing mental distress. Conclusion: suicidal ideation was identified in a significant portion of the sample. Problematic use of psychoactive substances and mental distress were also prevalent in those with suicidal ideation.
Correlations between the legal-political and theoretical-conceptual dimensions related to the notion of abstinence
Objective: to analyze the concept of abstinence (theoretical-conceptual dimension) presented in documents from the Ministry of Health (legal-political dimension), namely, the Comprehensive Care Policy for Users of Alcohol and other Drugs launched by the Ministry of Health and Ordinance No. 3088, from 2011, which establishes the Psychosocial Care Network, thus distinguishing the different meanings that this concept has acquired. Methodology: qualitative research in which the analysis of the concept is permeated by Document Analysis, a qualitative research method. Results: three meanings related to the concept of abstinence were found based on the analysis carried out in the chosen documents: (1) purpose of the treatment;(2) possibility of treatment; (3) clinical condition. Conclusion: the concept of abstinence, present in documents guided by the harm reduction policy, has meanings that not only are not opposed to such policy, but reaffirm it. However, it is possible that this concept gets twisted and ends up being used to validate therapeutic plans based on the prohibitionist approach, promoting the ambiguity that crosses the field of health care for users of alcohol and other drugs.
Participatory strategies for people requiring psychiatric hospitalization: an integrative review
Objective: to analyze the scientific evidence on strategies aimed at promoting patients’ participation in care during psychiatric hospitalization. Methodology: this is an integrative review based on searches in the following databases: Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde, PubMed, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online; Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo e Scientific Electronic Library Online. Results: a total of nine studies were analyzed. Two studies addressed recovery-oriented care, two discussed patients’ involvement in the shift handover, and one each addressed the Shared Decision Making Program, the Star Wards Program, milieu therapy, use of the Tidal Model, and the open Nursing Station. Conclusion: practice in psychiatric hospitalization has made significant strides towards patient-centered care, but this context still poses major challenges involving the impairments and manifestations of psychopathologies and the prevailing biomedical model in these settings. It is necessary to invest in strategies that align patients’ involvement, as currently recommended, with the environmental and syndromic specificities of psychiatric nursing.
Izabella de Góes Anderson Maciel Tavares
Tereza Maria Mendes Dinis de Andrade Barroso
Understanding the use of psychotropic drugs among Nursing students: a Quaternary Prevention perspective
Objective: to understand the perception of undergraduate Nursing students and the reasons that lead to the use of psychotropic drugs, from the perspective of Quaternary Prevention. Methodology: descriptive-exploratory qualitative research, carried out with 15 undergraduate Nursing students. The information was obtained through a questionnaire and focus groups, and interpreted based on Thematic Analysis. Results: of the participants, eight university students do not use medication and seven are users. Four categories emerged: 1) Factors that trigger psychological distress in university students; 2) Feelings and weaknesses of university students regarding the use of psychotropic drugs; 3) Access to psychotropic drugs; and 4) Practices that contribute to minimizing the use of psychotropic drugs. Conclusion: from the perspective of Quaternary Prevention, the sometimes exaggerated or unnecessary use of psychotropic drugs results in the risk of overmedicalization and illness. The nurse needs to be aware and become an agent promoting Quaternary Prevention.
Therapeutic relationship in nurses’ work process at Psychosocial Care Centers
Objective: to understand how nurses perceive the therapeutic relationship in their work process at Psychosocial Care Centers. Methodology: a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study, based on the historical-dialectical materialism approach. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews, based on content analysis in conjunction with thematic analysis, and discussed through the dialectic between dead work and living work in action. Results: the participants were ten nurses. The therapeutic relationship emerged from the dialectical tension between dead work, considered as previous and alienated work, and living work in action, which is where the therapeutic relationship takes place. Conclusion: dead work was evidenced by reproduction of the care model in which bureaucratic work is assumed by nurses and delegitimizes the patients’ role. Living work in action was identified by the establishment of the therapeutic relationship, developed through coexistence, in exchanges of trust, through workshops, in the role of reference and through the relationship as a defining experience of the professional career. The dialectic tension becomes a process rich in consumption of light technologies, which helps nurses recognize their role in the new mental health care model, where praxis becomes a possible path in the context of their work.
Motivations for abstinence reported by women:a phenomenological analysis based on Edith Stein
Objective: to understand how women with a history of substance abuse elaborate their motivations for abstinence, through dialogue with Edith Stein’s Phenomenology. Methodology: qualitative study with three female drug users. The participants, who were chosen through deliberate sampling, took part in individual and semi-structured interviews that were audiorecorded and completely transcribed. Based on the phenomenological method, the interviews were analyzed. Results: distinct experiences (sensory, empathetic, and volitional) appear as mobilizing in the elaboration of each participant about their abstinence process. In dialogue with Stein, the process of acceptance of these mobilizing experiences was recognized, as well as the recognition of human finitude and the activation of the will aimed at changing the state of things. Conclusion: it is concluded that it is possible to identify shared elements, just as it is important to emphasize the specificity of each story and recognize the uniqueness of each woman who experiences or has experienced substance abuse.
Health professionals’ mental health during the COVID-19pandemic: A study in virtual communities
Objective: to assess health professionals’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: a cross-sectional study conducted with 112 health professionals participating in two virtual communities aimed at health workers. The Self-Report Questionnaire instrument was used. Association and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: the mean age was 35.15 years old, with most of the respondents being female, without a partner, and living in the Brazilian Northeast region. The prevalence of mental distress was 33%. In the inferential analyses, mental distress presented associations with age, with each one-year-old increase in age related to a reduction of nearly 8% in the chances of manifesting mental distress. Conclusion: there are indicators of mental distress and an association with age, evidenced among health professionals, which shows the need for strategies that serve as protective resources and promoters of mental health for this work group.
Interpersonal relationships between health professionalsand psychoactive substance users: An integrative review
Objective: to analyze the interpersonal relationships between health professionals and psychoactive substance users in health care. Methodology: this is an integrative review conducted in the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online and Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde databases. The results were presented through the characterization of the studies and grouped into thematic categories according to semantic similarity of the contents. Results: 15 articles were selected, organized into three categories: Stigma; Professional unpreparedness; and Encounters and disagreements in relationships. Currently, a relationship between health professionals and psychoactive substance users that is impaired by the moral and cultural interface is still evident in health care. Conclusion: interpersonal relationships based on stigma, prejudice, hostility, violence, punishment, disrespect and embarrassment should be replaced by an empathetic, welcoming, safe, trusting and bonding relationship to reduce barriers to accessing services.
Is there difference between smokers and non-smokers admitted to a psychiatric hospital?
Objective: comparing the clinical profile, hospital indicators and psychiatric complications between smokers and non-smokers admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Methodology: this was a cross-sectional epidemiological study of the medical records of 573 patients admitted to a psychiatric hospital that complied with the smokefree law. Descriptive statistics, Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney test was used. Results: of the 573 participants, 48% were smokers. The average age was 42.7 years. Smoking was more prevalent among those diagnosed with psychotic disorders (48.4%), those who used only first-generation antipsychotics (49.4%) and higher dosages of psychotropic drugs. The highest proportions of involuntary or court-ordered admissions occurred among smokers. The average number of attempted escapes, episodes of aggression and procedures to manage them was not high (ranging from 0.2 to 1.3 among smokers and from 0.1 to 0.9 among non-smokers). Conclusion: the data showed that smokers were more resistant to being hospitalized in a smoke-free environment. Although smoking cessation in this population is a challenge, neglecting it means devaluing the lives of people with mental disorders. Nurses and other professionals should be encouraged to discuss the scientific evidence about smoking in the psychiatric population.
Epigenetic control of drugs of abuse: new contribution to mental health?
Objective: to map the production of knowledge on the role of epigenetics in response to drugs of abuse, as well as the epigenetic changes observed in addiction and mental health. Methodology: a scoping review was conducted. The search was carried out in the bibliographic databases: PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, Bentham Science, Embase, Web of Science, and Gale Academic OneFile. The data generated were analyzed thematically in three stages: a) selection and analysis of articles; b) analysis of textual data; and c) generation of bibliographic maps. Results: the search identified 21 articles related to the epigenetic effects of drugs of abuse on the mechanisms that generate chemical dependence. Conclusion: the results obtained allowed us to identify and verify that epigenetic mechanisms occur in response to the use of drugs of abuse, thus resulting in changes in genetic expression. It’s pointed out that epigenetics aims to offer an additional mechanism of control over transcription and how genes are expressed, seeking to mitigate the impact of drugs of abuse in the treatment of mental disorders and chemical dependency.
Synthetic drug use among undergraduate students in a public university: prevalence and associated factors
Objective: to present the prevalence of synthetic drug use (lysergic acid diethylamide – LSD, and ecstasy) and associated factors among university students. Methodology: a quantitative and crosssectional study, part of a research on sociodemographic profile, university life, mental health and psychosocial identity. An anonymous, face-to-face questionnaire was applied to undergraduate students at a Brazilian public university. Use of synthetics in the past year was analyzed in relation to gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, academic performance, interpersonal/sexual violence, mental health, use of psychoactive substances and quality of life. Bivariate and multivariate analysis methods were used, employing the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and R software packages. Results: 6,906 students participated in the study, of whom 8.3% used LSD, 7.9% ecstasy, and 10.8% LSD and/ or ecstasy in the past year. Synthetic drug use was associated with cocaine use (OR 4.90), frequent marijuana use (OR 6.83) and solvent use (OR 8.11). There was an association with belonging to sexual minority groups, higher socioeconomic status, poorer academic performance, sexual violence while intoxicated and higher scores on the quality of life scale. There was a weaker association with male gender and poorer mental health. Conclusion: high synthetic drug use rates were observed in this population, and the associated factors may assist in the development of targeted intervention strategies within the university context.