[Use and abuse of benzodiazepines in primary healthcare: professional practices in Brazil and Cuba]

The use of benzodiazepines and the mental health of women in prison: a cross-sectional study

In this article we assessed the prevalence of benzodiazepine (BZD) use in women before and during imprisonment, as well as its related factors and association with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder in a quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical study of regional scope. Two female prisons in the Brazilian Prison System were included. Seventy-four women participated by completing questionnaires about their sociodemographic data, BZD use and use of other substances. These questionnaires included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). Of the 46 women who reported no BZDs use before arrest, 29 (63%) began using BZDs during imprisonment (p < 0.001). Positive scores for PTSD, anxiety, and depression, as well as associations between BZD use during imprisonment and anxiety (p = 0.028), depression (p = 0.001) and comorbid anxiety and depression (p = 0.003) were found when a bivariate Poisson regression was performed. When a multivariate Poisson regression was performed for tobacco use, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scales, BZD use was associated with depression (p = p = 0.008), with tobacco use (p = 0.012), but not with anxiety (p = 0.325). Imprisonment increases the psychological suffering of women, consequently increasing BZD use. Nonpharmacological measures need to be considered in the health care of incarcerated women.

Produção de fumo e insônia

Introdução: A fumicultura concentra-se sobretudo em áreas rurais do Sul do país. Reconhecidamente, as áreas rurais apresentam disparidades socioeconômicas, desigualdades no acesso geográfico, bem como dificuldade de retenção de profissionais na Atenção Primária à Saúde (APS). Apresentação do caso: Descrevem-se, neste artigo, as intersecções de determinantes socioeconômicos de saúde ao se abordar um paciente masculino, de 57 anos, em uso crônico de benzodiazepínicos para o tratamento de insônia. Ao se aprofundar a anamnese, os determinantes socioeconômicos que levaram ao desenvolvimento da insônia foram identificados como: dificuldades financeiras na produção de tabaco, preocupações excessivas com o trabalho e presença de depressão como comorbidade. Nesse sentido, ser produtor de tabaco e a relação com a empresa podem ser considerados determinantes socioeconômicos da saúde para o desenvolvimento de insônia. Conclusões: No contexto deste caso, a rotatividade de profissionais e a falta de criação de vínculo fez com que o paciente permanecesse cronicamente a tratar a insônia como benzodiazepínico, o que é proscrito. Assim, revelam-se a fragmentação do cuidado e a alta rotatividade de profissionais como determinantes socioeconômicos da saúde. 

[Mental health and organizational quality of primary healthcare services in Brazil]

The study aimed to assess the quality of care for persons with mental health distress in primary healthcare services in Brazil and the association with organizational structure variables. This evaluative study used data from the Brazilian National Program to Improve Acess and Quality in Primary Care (PMAQ-AB), collected in 2018. The study excluded teams that reported not performing this type of care. The sum of the 13 selected mental health indicators produced a score that was classified in three groups of quality: G1 (0 to 5 points - lower quality), G2 (6 to 9 points - medium quality), and G3 (10 to 13 points - higher quality), and the results were associated with nine organizational context variables favoring the teams' permanence in the respective quality groups. The study evaluated 36,384 teams, located in 5,026 municipalities (counties). The score ranged from 1 to 13 points (G1 = 9.7%; G2 = 25.1%; G3 = 65.2%). Having an environment favorable to dispensing medicines and privacy during patient consultations; existence of a medical specialist, psychologist, and pharmacist; inter-consultation with the Expanded Family Health Care Centers (NASF) and Centers for Psychosocial Care (CAPS); and weekly or biweekly team meetings, were more frequent in the teams with higher quality (p < 0.001). In conclusion, structural conditions related to infrastructure and availability of healthcare workers, as well as inter-consultation and spaces for reflection to discuss the (re)organization of work processes in care for patients with mental health distress are factors that influence the quality of care, requiring attention, especially given recent political setbacks.

[Profile of benzodiazepine users attending primary healthcare services in the city of Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil]

Primary Health Care is a transversal point in the Psychosocial Care Network, responsible for attending to demands related to mental suffering. Although medication represents the main treatment option, the prolonged use of benzodiazepines may lead to tolerance and consequent dependence. The objective of this study is to analyze the frequency and characteristics of benzodiazepine users attending primary healthcare services, through a cross-sectional study conducted in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, a municipality in southern Brazil. Higher proportional prescription was observed in adult and elderly women, with predominance among individuals who were women (80%), white (67.9%), and married (50.7%), with a median age of 56 years. These findings suggest a need to plan and implement changes in the procedures for prescribing and administering benzodiazepines.