Uso de medicamentos e substâncias psicoativas por estudantes da UFAL durante a pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract

The pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is considered the greatest public health problem faced by humanity in this century. It has been responsible for causing important changes in lifestyle and interpersonal relationships, reflecting an increase in domestic violence, traffic accidents, unemployment, psychological problems, changes in the undue and indiscriminate consumption of licit and illicit drugs, and medications, reduced quality of life and well-being, as well as reduced productivity and schooling. Students make up a segment of the population with considerable vulnerability to the use of psychoactive substances. This topic is the subject of research, as the consumption of psychoactive substances can impact the student's academic and personal life. The main goal of the study is to determine the profile of students at the Federal University of Alagoas, within the scope of Psychosocial Toxicology, regarding the use and local pattern of use of psychoactive substances (licit, illicit and medicines), considering the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. This is a descriptive quantitative study. For the elaboration of the research, the screening instruments, AUDIT and ASSIST, were used, aimed at undergraduates, which allowed the remote application of a questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the EpiInfo 7 program. Univariate analysis was performed to describe quantitative variables related to social and educational profiles, and bivariate analysis to identify the association between psychoactive substances and social and educational variables, with Chi-square test and 5% significance. 256 responses were obtained. As for the AUDIT, 68.01% of the students reported consuming alcohol, with 6.64% presenting behavior suggestive of abuse. Of those surveyed, 14.69% reported not being able to stop drinking once they started. Changes in behavior, feelings of guilt, and inability to remember facts when drinking were observed, in addition to a trend towards increased alcohol use in both sexes during the pandemic. The ASSIST pointed to an increasing trend in the use of tobacco, alcohol and marijuana derivatives, in addition to reports of significant consumption of antidepressants and anxiolytics. The use of cocaine/crack, amphetamines, inhalants, sedatives and hallucinogens was also reported. A relationship was identified between exact sciences courses and increased use of tobacco derivatives [(18.87%) p=0.0391], marijuana [(20.75%) p=0.0066], anxiolytics [ (13.21%) p=0.9946]; in the humanities area, the increase in the consumption of hypnotics/sedatives [(11.58%) p=0.0202] and antidepressants [(18.95%) p=0.0489]; from the health area a trend towards an increase in the use of anxiolytics [(12.96%) p=0.9946]. Thus, the research pointed to a diversification in the use of psychoactive substances among university students and the contribution to outline a consumption profile in order to support the elaboration of internal policies aimed at undergraduates regarding the confrontation of the use of these substances in the academic environment.