Perfil do uso de substâncias psicoativas por estudantes de medicina de uma instituição da região norte do Brasil

Abstract

Psychoactive substances are drugs that increase alertness, cognition and concentration. It is known that the consumption of these substances in order to enhance academic performance is already a reality among medical students. The general objective of the present study was to describe the profile of the use of psychoactive substances by medical students at a higher education institution in the North Region. Cross-sectional, observational, descriptive and analytical study that included students regularly enrolled between the 1st and 12th period of the medical course at a higher education institution in the North Region in the year 2022, aged 18 years or over, regardless of gender, selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected through an electronic form, using the ASSIST 3.1 instrument and a questionnaire to collect data on the academic and epidemiological profile of the participants. 215 students participated in the research, with a mean age of 22.7 years ± 4.0 years, 65.4% female (p<0.0001). The participants were homogeneously distributed between the initial years (1st and 2nd years: 31.3%), intermediate (3rd and 4th years: 28.4%) and final years of the course (5th and 6th years: 40.3%) (p =0.0929). Among the substances most consumed by students, alcoholic beverages (77.7%) stood out, respectively, followed by hypnotics/sedatives (32.2%), tobacco and derivatives (22.4%) and marijuana (21.8%). Students have, to a greater or lesser extent, moderate risk (suggestive of abuse) – ranging from 0.4% (cocaine/crack) to 21.0% (hypnotics/sedatives) – or high risk (suggestive of dependence), which ranged from 0.4% (opioids; tobacco and derivatives; amphetamines/ecstasy) to 1.9% (alcoholic beverages). The main motivational factors alleged for consumption were the need to reduce anxiety (36.6%) and stress (22.7%), in addition to improved well-being (18%) and increased concentration (14. 5%), among others. As for the benefits perceived with the use of stimulants, 30.8% perceived na improvement in general well-being after consumption, however, 31.4% did not identify benefits. As for adverse effects, 43.6% of participants reported not having manifested physical/psychological changes. The results obtained reflect the problem of excessive consumption of psychoactive substances, licit or not, by medical students. It is true that the need to manage the routine stimulates the search for alternatives that can alleviate this scenario. Such search finds in stimulants an alternative of momentary resolution, however dangerous, capable of generating reflexes in the formation of these future professionals.