Use of psychotropic medications among Medical students: An integrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i12.50363Keywords:
Medical Students, Psychotropic Drugs, Mental Health.Abstract
Objective: To investigate the motivations associated with psychotropic medication use among medical students. Methods: An integrative review was conducted using PubMed and the Virtual Health Library (VHL), applying the descriptors students, medical AND psychotropic drugs. Original articles published in the last ten years and freely available in full text were included. The search yielded 122 publications—82 from PubMed and 40 from the VHL. After title and abstract screening, 45 studies were selected, and 12 met all eligibility criteria following full-text reading. Results: Motivations for psychotropic use were grouped into two main categories: medical prescription and self-medication. Medical indications included attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, with the latter two more prevalent among women and senior medical students. Regarding self-medication, stress relief, academic overload and attempts to enhance cognitive performance were the most frequently cited reasons. Medical students exhibited higher rates of self-medication compared to students in other health fields, particularly those working while studying or living away from their families. The most commonly used pharmacological classes were antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and hypnotics, with fluoxetine, zolpidem, trazodone, and sertraline being the most frequently reported medications. Most students indicated receiving regular follow-up from general practitioners or psychiatrists. Conclusion: Psychotropic medication use among medical students is primarily driven by psychiatric symptoms, stress management, and efforts to improve academic performance.
References
Ariño, D. O., & Bardagi, M. P. (2018). Relações entre fatores acadêmicos, saúde mental e uso de psicotrópicos em universitários. SciELO Brasil. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-370300322016.
Bruffaerts, R., Mortier, P., Auerbach, R. P., et al. (2018). Mental health problems in college freshmen: Prevalence and academic functioning. Journal of Affective Disorders, 225, 97–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.044.
Dell’Osso, B., et al. (2020). Risks of benzodiazepines. CNS Drugs.
Dyrbye, L. N., et al. (2020). Mental health in medical education. Academic Medicine.
Eisenberg, D., Lipson, S. K., & Posselt, J. (2016). Promoting resilience and wellbeing in medical students. Academic Medicine, 91(9), 116–123. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000001367.
Foster, A. K., et al. (2020). Psychotropic use in medical students. Medical Education.
Franke, A. G., et al. (2017). Enhancement with stimulants. European Neuropsychopharmacology.
HART, C. (2014). Um preço muito alto. (1. ed.). Editora Jorge Zahar.
Maier, L. J., et al. (2018). Pharmacological neuroenhancement. Frontiers in Psychology.
Moussa, M. T., et al. (2023). Self-medication in medical students. PLOS ONE.
OMS-Organização Mundial de Saúde. Neurociência del consumo y dependencia de substâncias psicoactivas. Ginebra: Organización Mundial de la Salud, 1981.
Pacheco, J. P., Giacomin, H. T., Tam, W., Ribeiro, T. B., Arab, C., Bezerra, I. M. P., & Pinasco, G. C. (2017). Mental health problems among medical students in Brazil: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 39(4), 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-4446-2017-2310.
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [Free ebook]. Editora da UFSM.
Puthran, R., et al. (2016). Depression among medical students worldwide. Journal of Affective Disorders.
Quek, T. T. C., et al. (2019). Anxiety and depression in medical students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health..
Ribeiro, Í. J. S., Pereira, R., Freire, I. V., Oliveira, B. G., Casotti, C. A., & Boery, E. N. (2018). Stress and quality of life among university students: A systematic literature review. Health Professions Education, 4(2), 70–77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpe.2017.03.002
Rotenstein, L. S., et al. (2016). Prevalence of depression among medical students. JAMA.
Santos, L. M., & Alves, T. M. (2022). Prevalência e fatores associados ao uso de psicotrópicos entre estudantes de medicina. BMC Psychiatry, 22, 630. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-022-04472-0.
SCHATZBERG, Alan F.; DEBATTISTA, Charles. Manual de psicofarmacologia clínica. (8. ed.). Editora ArtMed, 2017.
Silva, A. F., et al. (2021). Psychotropic drug patterns. Journal of Affective Disorders.
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, Elsevier. 104(C), 333-9. Doi: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039.
Vizoso-Gómez, V. (2023). Anxiety, depression and psychotropic drug use in medical students: A multicenter study. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1218793. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1218793.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Thiago Vaz de Andrade, Hanna Vitória da Cruz Correia, Luane Mascarenhas Magalhães, Luma Teles de Resende, Maria Fernanda Targino Hora, Mylenna Menezes Leite Nascimento, Luana Teles de Resende
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
