Contextos e padrões do uso indevido de benzodiazepínicos entre mulheres

Deprescribing clonazepam in primary care older patients: a feasibility study

Background Inappropriate use of clonazepam by older adults is associated with cognitive impairment, delirium, and falls. Strategies to optimize its use are important to increase patient safety. Objective To evaluate the feasibility of a clonazepam deprescription protocol in the elderly. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study. Elderly people with chronic use of clonazepam and attended in primary care units in two Brazilian municipalities were selected. A deprescription protocol was used, which included five fortnightly meetings between the older adults and the research team, to reduce the dose by 25%. Patients received instructions on sleep hygiene behaviors and the advantages of clonazepam deprescription; family physicians followed a flowchart for gradual dose reduction. In the 1st and 5th meetings, there were medical appointments for anamnesis and discharge. The monitoring of patients and the application of tests were carried out by the research team. Results Of the 35 elderly people included in the study, 27 reached the end; 81.5% achieved deprescription: 22.2% stopped completely and 59.3% decreased the dose. At the last meeting, 20% of elderly patients reported an increase in blood pressure. Conclusion The high rate of deprescription and the little relevance of clonazepam withdrawal reactions, showed that the use of the protocol was effective. However, the increase in blood pressure and the worsening of sleep quality in the last meeting show the need for adjustment in the last stage of the deprescription process.

Effects of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention on the Chronic use of Hypnotics in Treatment-Seeking Women with Insomnia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Hypnotics are one of the most frequently prescribed drugs worldwide, especially for women, and their chronic use may lead to tolerance, dosage escalation, dependence, withdrawal syndrome, and cognitive impairments, representing a significant public health problem. Consistent evidence from previous studies shows benefits of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for substance use disorders (SUD) and insomnia. However, to date, there is a lack of research about effects of MBIs on reduction/cessation of chronic hypnotic use among women with insomnia.

METHOD

The present randomized trial evaluated the efficacy of the 8-week group-delivered mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) program in an intervention group (IG, n = 34) compared with weekly phone monitoring only in the control group (CG, n = 36) in reducing hypnotic use and insomnia severity over a 6-month follow-up period.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between groups at baseline regarding hypnotic use but not insomnia. Group effects on hypnotic use were found immediately after the intervention (bT1 = 2.01, p < 0.001) and at the 2-month follow-up (bT2 = 2.21, p < 0.001), favoring the IG. The IG also had a greater reduction from baseline levels than the control group in insomnia severity at the 4-month (bT3 = 0.21, p = 0.045) and 6-month (bT4 = 0.32, p = 0.002) follow-ups.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide preliminary evidence of benefits of MBRP for reducing insomnia severity and potentially chronic hypnotic use. However, IG effects on chronic hypnotic use may have resulted from IG and control group differences in chronic hypnotic use at baseline.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02127411.

Psychometric properties of the Benzodiazepine Dependence Self-Report Questionnaire - Portuguese Version (BENDEP-SRQ-PV)

Objective

To assess psychometric properties of the Benzodiazepine Dependence Self-Report Questionnaire – Portuguese Version (BENDEP-SRQ-PV) in a sample of Brazilian chronic hypnotic users.

Methods

One hundred and seventy-nine chronic hypnotic users (benzodiazepines and Z-drugs) were recruited, attended a psychiatric evaluation, and answered the BENDEP-SRQ-PV. Factor structure, reliability, and influence of covariates (dependence diagnosis and type of drug consumed) were assessed in a structural equation modelling environment. Discrimination was assessed with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plots and stability with the test-retest method.

Results

Participants, mostly women (91.6%), aged 51 to 64 years old, had been using hypnotics for an average of 34.8 months, with a mean defined daily dose of 0.72. Psychometric analysis demonstrated construct and criterion validity, reliability, and response stability. The factor structure was maintained as originally proposed: problematic use (ω = 0.73), preoccupation (ω = 0.74), lack of compliance (ω = 0.74), and withdrawal (ω = 0.93).

Conclusion

The BENDEP-SRQ-PV is an adequate measure of hypnotic dependence in the Brazilian population of chronic users. Our results support using the scale for follow-up in clinical and research applications and in correlational studies.

The use of psychotropic medications and non-pharmacological approaches in everyday life: a qualitative study of the lived experience

Increased consumption of psychotropic drugs has been noted in Brazil and other Western countries in the last few decades for different reasons. The objective of this study was to understand the lived experience of individuals who used psychotropic drugs to cope with the problems faced in daily life. A qualitative study guided by hermeneutic phenomenology was carried out. In-depth interviews were conducted. The experience was grouped into two themes: experience of using psychotropic and the search for non-pharmacological approaches. Psychotropics were considered necessary for regaining a point of equilibrium when the problems faced were recognized as having a high degree of difficulty. In some cases, the drugs were perceived as insufficient for solving the problem, leading or not to the search for alternatives to deal with the difficulty.

Percepciones y experiencias de usuarios de benzodiazepinas en la atención primaria de salud en Cuba

Resumen A pesar de que son ampliamente conocidos los perfiles de utilización de las benzodiazepinas (BZD) y los riesgos asociados, este conocimiento no ha conducido a visibles transformaciones que mejoren la seguridad de los tratamientos y la salud de los pacientes. Por tanto, es necesaria una mejor compresión del contexto de su utilización, con el fin de implementar acciones educativas eficaces, tomar decisiones clínicas pertinentes y perfeccionar su regulación en los servicios de salud. Este artículo se propone caracterizar el perfil de utilización de benzodiazepinas en un área de salud de Santiago de Cuba y analizar el contexto de consumo a partir de los sentidos construidos por usuarios crónicos. Se realiza un estudio de caso, que describe el perfil de consumo a partir de las recetas dispensadas en la Farmacia Principal Municipal, y se realizan entrevistas a profundidad a los usuarios crónicos. El contenido de las entrevistas fue realizado temáticamente. Los resultados revelan los siguientes temas: poca concientización sobre el beneficio-riesgo del tratamiento, sufrimiento con la dependencia y tolerancia, autonomía en el tratamiento y limitada credibilidad en las terapias alternativas. La proporción de adultos mayores que reciben las BZD es mayor que la identificada en otros estudios. Se concluye que los usuarios perciben aspectos negativos del uso, pero están presos en la dependencia. Se evidencia la importancia de estudiar estrategias para el tratamiento del insomnio y la ansiedad en la atención primaria de salud, así como valorizar las políticas de implementación de terapias naturales y otros abordajes para contribuir al uso racional de las BZD.

Medicalization and Indigenous Health: An analysis of the consumption of psychotropics by the Xukuru de Cimbres indigenous people

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the process of medicalization among the Xukuru indigenous people of Pesqueira (PE), Brazil following the 2003 conflict.

METHOD

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study developed with the indigenous attended at the Xukuru de Cimbres basic center. The final sample consisted of 75 individuals who used psychotropic drugs. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 18.0, using the chi-square test.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

We observed that 8% of the studied population use psychotropic drugs, and the most used is BZD (78.67%). Regarding age, 68% are young adults and 26.67% are elderly. The income of 81.33% of households is more than one minimum wage. As for marital status, 50.85% and 66.67%, respectively of the indigenous group using BZD and other psychotropic drugs are married.

CONCLUSION

The study outlined the profile of the Xukuru de Cimbres indigenous people who used psychotropics and showed a fragmented mental health care focused on the disease and the use of medication. Results reveal a socioeconomically vulnerable adult population, a pattern of chronic use of psychotropic drugs and distancing from traditional indigenous healing, typical of the health medicalization process.

Os benzodiazepínicos na ordem dos discursos: de objeto da ciência a objeto gadget do capitalismo

Resumo Este estudo objetiva analisar o fenômeno do abuso de benzodiazepínicos, considerando o modo como essa substância comparece nos discursos constituídos na abordagem do mal-estar na contemporaneidade. Trata-se de uma pesquisa descritiva, de natureza qualitativa; foram ouvidos 18 médicos e enfermeiros atuantes na rede de saúde de Fortaleza, além de nove mulheres usuárias dos serviços. A população entre usuários limitou-se ao sexo feminino, devido ao fato de a literatura apontar prevalência do abuso de benzodiazepínicos nesse público. No exame dos dados, usou-se a análise do discurso de corrente francesa, a qual permitiu entrever como o medicamento comparece no laço social, apresentando diferentes significações, a depender do lugar ocupado nos discursos. Nos resultados encontrados destaca-se que o benzodiazepínico entra em uma espécie de curto-circuito no qual o tráfico de drogas comparece tanto na porta de entrada (como argumento para o consumo da substância em decorrência da violência cotidiana experimentada por essas mulheres) como na outra ponta (como substância desviada dos serviços de saúde e comercializada nos pontos de venda de drogas). Essa medicação constitui-se, assim, num gadget - objeto de consumo revestido pelo brilho de supostamente recobrir a falta. Diante desse cenário, urge pensar políticas públicas que possam ir além do modelo medicalizante.

The use of benzodiazepines by women cared for at a Family Health Unit

OBJECTIVE

Estimate the prevalence of benzodiazepine use by adult women at a Family Health Unit and identify the risk factors associated with this usage.

METHOD

Quantitative cross-sectional study that employed secondary data developed at a Family Health Unit in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We collected the data from the following sources: medical charts, registration forms, and the archive of prescriptions from the pharmacy at the referred health unit. We employed the chi-squared, Student's t, and Mann-Whitney tests, as well as logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 81 benzodiazepine users amongst 1,094 adult women (7.4%). Regarding the risk factors, the comparison between the groups of benzodiazepine users (n = 64) and non-users (n = 70) showed that having a chronic disease and using other psychotropic drugs were significantly associated with the use of benzodiazepines.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence found was lower than the described in previous studies performed in Primary Health Units. The group that must receive greater attention regarding the consumption of benzodiazepines is that of middle-aged women or older, with low education levels, and chronic illnesses.

Dispositional mindfulness, anticipation and abstinence symptoms related to hypnotic dependence among insomniac women who seek treatment: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

Dispositional mindfulness can be described as the mental ability to pay attention to the present moment, non-judgmentally. There is evidence of inverse relation between dispositional mindfulness and insomnia and substance use, but as of yet, no studies evaluating the specific association between dispositional mindfulness and the components of hypnotic use disorder.

Objective

To evaluate the association between dispositional mindfulness and the components of dependence among female chronic hypnotic users.

Design and method

Seventy-six women, chronic users of hypnotics, who resorted to Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention for the cessation of hypnotic use were included in the study. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) evaluated the levels and facets of mindfulness, and the subscales of the Benzodiazepine Dependence Questionnaire (BENDEP) assessed dependence on hypnotics. We also evaluated sociodemographic variables and symptoms of insomnia and anxiety. The associations between the FFMQ facets and the BENDEP subscales were evaluated with binomial logistic regression, adjusted for income, schooling, anxiety, and insomnia.

Results

We observed associations between facets of the FFMQ and specific aspects of hypnotic dependence. The facet “observing” was inversely associated with the “concern about lack of availability of the hypnotic” [aOR = 0.87 95% CI (0.79–0.97)], and the facet “non-reacting to inner experience” with “noncompliance with the prescription recommendations” [aOR = 0.86 95% CI (0.75–0.99)]. The total score of the FFMQ was inversely associated to those two dependence subscales [aOR = 0.94 95% CI (0.89–0.99)]. “Observing” and “non-reactivity to inner experience” were also inversely associated with the “impairments related to the withdrawal symptoms” [aOR = 0.84 95% CI (0.73–0.97)] and [aOR = 0.78 95% CI (0.63–0.96)], respectively. The FFMQ was not associated with “awareness of problematic hypnotic use”.

Conclusion

Dispositional mindfulness, specifically the facets “observing” and “non-reactivity to inner experience, were inversely associated with the components of hypnotic dependence related to the anticipation of having the substance, its expected effect, and the impairments caused by the abstinence. We discuss the implications of those results for the clinical practice and future investigations.

Prescrição de benzodiazepínicos para adultos e idosos de um ambulatório de saúde mental

Resumo Foi objetivo deste estudo comparar as prescrições de benzodiazepínicos (bzd) em adultos e idosos quanto aos indicadores do uso apropriado. Estudo transversal de coleta de dados de pacientes atendidos no Ambulatório Municipal de Saúde Mental de Sorocaba/SP, entre março e novembro de 2013. Foram utilizados indicadores de uso apropriado: medicamento apropriado, com adequada posologia e duração de uso; como também, o uso de apenas um bzd, como ansiolítico por menos de 3 meses, no tratamento da depressão com antidepressivo, uso por menos de 2 meses se associado ao antidepressivo e o não uso de bzd de longa ação em idoso. Dos 330 participantes, a maioria era mulheres, com histórico familiar de transtorno mental e uso de bzd, não realizava acompanhamento com psicólogo e fazia uso de outros psicotrópicos e de polifarmácia (p > 0,05). A minoria das prescrições tinha indicação de uso do bzd (37,5% para idosos e 32,4% para adultos) (p > 0,05). Apenas 5,8% das prescrições para idosos e 1,9% para adultos eram racionais (p > 0,05). O uso crônico foi observado em todos os adultos e idosos com transtornos depressivos e ansiosos (p > 0,05). Uma minoria das prescrições de bzd para adultos e idosos era apropriada.

Consumo de ansiolíticos benzodiazepínicos: uma correlação entre dados do SNGPC e indicadores sociodemográficos nas capitais brasileiras

Resumo O objetivo do artigo é conhecer a distribuição e a frequência de consumo de ansiolíticos benzodiazepínicos, bem como avaliar a correlação entre consumo e características demográficas, epidemiológicas, econômicas e sociais. Estudo ecológico tendo como unidade amostral as 27 capitais brasileiras. A coleta de dados foi executada através do banco da Anvisa, para a dispensação do Alprazolam, Bromazepam, Clonazepam, Diazepam e Lorazepam, de 2010 a 2012, do Censo Demográfico 2010 (IBGE), Datasus e da pesquisa Demografia Médica. A análise estatística descritiva e a de regressão linear múltipla foram realizadas para análise dos dados. A região Norte possui as capitais com menores médias de consumo desses medicamentos e o Sudeste as mais elevadas. O consumo médio para a população de todas as capitais foi de 3,60 DHD. O Alprazolam é o mais dispensado pelas farmácias e drogarias particulares, com média de 2,00 DHD para as capitais. A análise de regressão linear múltipla demonstrou que 76% da variância do consumo foi explicada pela variação da densidade demográfica (β = 0,310 p = 0,045) e percentual de médicos (β = 0,507 p = 0,016). O consumo de ansiolíticos de meia vida curta vem crescendo ao longo dos anos, principalmente nas capitais de maior densidade demográfica e concentração de médicos.

Estratégias de cuidado e suporte em saúde mental entre mulheres assentadas

<div style="text-align: justify;">Neste estudo, pesquisou-se sobre as estratégias de cuidado e apoio psicossocial oferecidas a mulheres adultas residentes de assentamentos rurais do Brasil. Aplicou-se o Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) para identificar a prevalência de Transtornos Mentais Comuns (TMC) e entrevistas semiestruturadas com as quais foram apresentadas hipóteses positivas de TMC. Os resultados indicaram que, apesar da alta prevalência de TMC (43.6%), essas mulheres não recorrem à rede de saúde para abordar essas questões e o único recurso oferecido na atenção primária é a prescrição com ansiolíticos. A religiosidade e o trabalho se destacam como as estratégias mais importantes para o apoio à saúde mental dessas mulheres.</div>

Nonprescribed use of tranquilizers and use of other drugs among Brazilian students

OBJECTIVES

To describe patterns of nonprescribed use of tranquilizers by students aged 10 to 18 years and assess the sociodemographic characteristics of these adolescents and their use of other substances.

METHODS

A randomized and stratified sample of 47,979 students from state and private schools of the 27 Brazilian state capitals completed a self-report questionnaire. Poisson regression was used to estimate the associations between tranquilizer use and sociodemographic factors, as well as the use of other psychotropic substances.

RESULTS

The lifetime prevalence of nonprescribed use of tranquilizers was 3.9%. Use was most common among girls, wealthier adolescents, and those from private schools. An association was found between use of tranquilizers and lifetime use of alcohol (prevalence ratio [PR] = 3.15; 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] 2.58-3.85), tobacco (PR = 2.61; 95%CI 2.31-2.95), illicit drugs (PR = 3.70; 95%CI 3.19-4.29), and other prescription drugs (PR = 7.03; 95%CI 6.18-7.99). As the number of substances adolescents reported having used increased, so did the nonprescribed use of tranquilizers.

CONCLUSIONS

Nonprescribed use of tranquilizers by adolescents might indicate the use of other substances, including high-risk combinations such as tranquilizers and alcohol. The risks of this association should be addressed during the early stages of drug prevention programs.