Analise Demografica e Socioeconomica do Uso e do Acesso a Medicamentos Antidepressivos no Brasil

Depressive disorders, in addition to causing direct negative impacts on health, are also responsible for imposing substantial costs on society. In relation to the treatment of depression, antidepressants have proven effective, and, to the World Health Organization, access to psychotropic drugs for people with mental illnesses offers a chance of improved health and an opportunity for reengagement in society. The aim of this study is to analyze the use of and access to antidepressants in Brazil, according to macro-regions and to demographic, social and economic conditions of the population, using the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM 2013/2014). The results show that there is a high prevalence of antidepressant use in individuals with depression in Brazil. The main profile of use of these drugs is: female individuals, between 20 and 59 years old, white, from the Southeast region, of the economic class D/E, with a high schooling level, in a marital situation, without health insurance coverage, without limitations derived from depression, and who self-evaluated health as regular.