Abstract

PEREIRA, Élen Lúcio; CORTEZ, Lumena Cristina de Assunção; FONTES, Flávio Fernandes  and  SILVA, Mercês de Fátima dos Santos. Medicalization of life among psychotropic users in primary care. Rev. Polis Psique [online]. 2021, vol.11, n.2, pp. 51-71. ISSN 2238-152X.

In the National Mental Health Policy, Primary Care has a strategic role in assisting people in psychological distress. However, the treatment of this suffering in the Basic Health Unit is often restricted to the prescription of medication. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the experiences of users of primary care who make daily use of psychotropics, investigating the imbricated suffering related to the inappropriate use of medication. In order to do so, semi-structured interviews were conducted along the lines of life history with patients of the Family Health Strategy, in a remote area of Northeast, Brazil. The thematic analysis of the collected narratives revealed three categories that discuss the path of users from complaints, through consultations, to the fear of cessation of the use of medication. The narratives pointed out the proliferation of the "psychiatric" diagnosis for daily behavior and suffering, evidencing the process of pharmaceuticalisation of behaviors considered undesirable.

Keywords : Mental disorders; Mental Health; Psychiatry; Primary Health Care.

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