THE USE OF PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN A CHILD PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE CENTER

Abstract

In the last decades, there has been a significant increase in children and adolescents undergoing psychopharmacological treatment. There is a growing number of medico-pedagogical intervention measures, based on the proliferation of diagnoses and drug prescriptions for this portion of the population. The objective was to verify the use of psychotropic drugs by children and adolescents from a Child Psychosocial Care Center (CAPSi). The study was conducted through a retrospective, and cross-sectional survey, with data from 319 records of a CAPSi from the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from January 2016 to December 2017. It was observed that 66.7% of the children and adolescents who attended CAPSi used psychotropic drugs, among them the most prescribed were the antipsychotic risperidone with 36.3% and the stimulant methylphenidate 15.8%. Most drug users were 44.5% male, with a higher prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 17.9% and depressive symptoms 8.5%, referred by the Municipal Specialized Care Center 27.3% and Guardianship Council 16.6%. This study revealed a high use of psychotropic drugs and, consequently, drugs used with diagnostic hypotheses or without a diagnosis, treating symptoms arising from school and family demand.