Psychoactive substances and work related mental disorders in nursing professionals in Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17267/2317-3378rec.2025.e6428Keywords:
Nurses Practitioners, Mental Disorders, Psychotropic Drugs, Working ConditionsAbstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify work-related mental disorders and psychoactive substance use among nursing professionals in Brazil from 2013 to 2023. METHOD: A retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study based on secondary data extracted from the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação - SINAN (Notifiable Diseases Information System). The sample included all reported cases of work-related mental disorders in nursing professionals, according to the Classificação Brasileira de Ocupações – CBO (Brazilian Classification of Occupations). The variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics and included region, race, gender, diagnosis, and use of PAS (alcohol, tobacco, psychoactive drugs, and psychotropic drugs). RESULTS: There were 1,439 notifications of work-related mental disorders in nursing professionals, predominantly Stress-Related and Somatoform Neurotic Disorders (60.0%), followed by Affective Mood Disorders (22.7%). The use of alcohol (52.1%), tobacco (37.5%), psychoactive drugs (51.5%), and psychotropic drugs (54.7%) was more frequent in professionals with Stress-Related and Somatoform Neurotic Disorders. CONCLUSION: The data revealed a high prevalence of Stress-Related and Somatoform Neurotic Disorders and relevant patterns of PAS consumption among nursing professionals affected by mental disorders, with emphasis on the use of sedatives and alcohol.
Downloads
References
1. Santos AF, Martins W. Saúde Mental dos profissionais de enfermagem diante da sobrecarga de trabalho: uma revisão integrativa de literatura. EACAD. 2022;3(2):e5132188. https://doi.org/10.52076/eacad-v3i2.188
2. Silva PFN. Principais transtornos mentais que acometem os profissionais de enfermagem [Internet]. Distrito Federal: Centro Universitário do Planalto Central Apparecido dos Santos; 2019. Available from: https://dspace2.uniceplac.edu.br/items/333c93c3-8587-4da4-91b9-0be59cfda56a
3. Conselho Regional de Enfermagem de São Paulo (Coren-SP). Saúde mental: 62,1% dos profissionais de enfermagem afirmaram ter desenvolvido sofrimento mental durante a pandemia [Internet]. São Paulo: Conselho Regional de Enfermagem de São Paulo; 2021. Available from: https://portal.coren-sp.gov.br/noticias/sondagem-do-coren-sp-62-dos-profissionas-de-enfermagem-afirmaram-ter-desenvolvido-sofrimento-mental-durante-a-pandemia/
4. Costa MS. O enfermeiro e as drogas: percepções a partir de um sujeito coletivo [dissertation] [Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; 2006. Available from: http://www.dominiopublico.gov.br/pesquisa/DetalheObraForm.do?select_action=&co_obra=182757
5. Observatório de Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho (Brazil). SmartLab [Internet]. Brasília: SmartLab; 2024. Available from: https://smartlabbr.org/sst/localidade/0?dimensao=frequenciaSinan
6. Souza WF. Mental and behavioral disorders related work: what psychology has to say and contribute to health of people who work? Fractal Rev Psicol. 2013;25(1):99–108. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1984-02922013000100007
7. Pereira AA, Silva ER, Gilberd L, Costa AN. Stigma towards the mentally ill: a proposal for the medical formation of the 21st century. Rev Latinoam Psicopatol Fundam. 2022;25(2):383–406. https://doi.org/10.1590/1415-4714.2022v25n2p383.7
8. Özel Erçel N, Altundal Duru H, Temel G, Yılmaz M, Çolak C. Stigma, Depression, and Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help Among Nurses: The Role of Personal Stigma as an Inconsistent Mediator. J Eval Clin Pract. 2025;31(1):e14272
9. Ribeiro IAP, Fernandes MA, Rocha DM, Silva JS, Ribeiro HKP, Soares NSA. Consumption of psychoactive substances by nursing workers: an integrative review. Texto Contexto Enferm. 2020;29:e20180488. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-265X-TCE-2018-0488
10. Scholze AR, Silva AD, Martins JT, Dálcol C, Cremer E, Melo EC. Use of psychoactive substances among primary carenursing professionals and hospital institution. Rev Enferm Cent O Min. 2020;10:e3737. https://doi.org/10.19175/recom.v10i0.3737
11. Andrade GSP, Pinto KS, Barreto CA. Uso de substâncias psicoativas por profissionais da saúde – enfermeiros. Rev Saúde em Foco [Internet]. 2019;11(1):588–98. Available from: https://portal.unisepe.com.br/unifia/wp-content/uploads/sites/10001/2019/05/053_USO-DE-SUBSTÂNCIAS-PSICOATIVAS-POR-PROFISSIONAIS-DA-SAÚDE-ENFERMEIROS.pdf
12. Junqueira MAB, Santos MA, Araújo BL, Ferreira MCM, Giuliani CD, Pillon SC. Depressive symptoms and drug use among nursing staff professionals. Esc Anna Nery. 2018;22(4):e20180129. https://doi.org/10.1590/2177-9465-EAN-2018-0129
13. Silva AN, Cruz CA, Bezerra ALD, Souza MNA. Automedicação: o descuidado de si entre os profissionais do serviço móvel de urgência e emergência. Rev Elet Fainor [Internet]. 2015;8(2):125–40. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318457237_AUTOMEDICACAO_o_descuidado_de_si_entre_dos_profissionais_do_servico_movel_de_urgencia_e_emergencia
14. Moura JV. Saúde incorpora câncer e transtornos mentais relacionados ao trabalho à lista de notificação compulsória [Internet]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2024. Available from: https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2024/agosto/saude-incorpora-cancer-e-transtornos-mentais-relacionados-ao-trabalho-a-lista-de-notificacao-compulsoria
15. Gerhardt TE, Silveira DT. Métodos da pesquisa. 1ª ed. Rio Grande do Sul: Editora UFRGS; 2009. 120 p.
16. Portal SINAN. Notificação Individual [Internet]. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2020. Available from: http://portalsinan.saude.gov.br/notificacoes
17. Resolução nº 466, de 12 de dezembro de 2012 (Brazil). Aprova as seguintes diretrizes e normas regulamentadoras de pesquisas envolvendo seres humanos. [Internet]. Diário Oficial da União. Available from: https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/saudelegis/cns/2013/res0466_12_12_2012.html
18. Silva MVB, Silva HVS, Veras JLA, Guimarães FJ. Profile of notified cases of work-related mental disorders in nurses in Brazil. R Pesq Cuid Fundam. 2023;15:e12722. https://doi.org/10.9789/2175-5361.rpcfo.v15.12722
19. Bezerra FN, Silva TM, Ramos VP. Occupational stress of nurses in emergency care: an integrative review of the literature. Acta paul enferm. 2012;25(esp2):151–6. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-21002012000900024
20. Anthenelli R, Grandison L. Effects of stress on alcohol consumption. Alcohol Res Curr Rev. 2012;34(4):381–2. Cited: PMID: 23729049
21. Ministério da Saúde (Brazil). Departamento de Informática do SUS – DATASUS. Classificação Estatística Internacional de Doenças e Problemas Relacionados à Saúde – CID-10. Capítulo V: Transtornos mentais e comportamentais (F30–F39) [Internet]. Brasília: DATASUS; 2008. Available from: http://www2.datasus.gov.br/cid10/V2008/WebHelp/f30_f39.htm
22. Rybakowski JK. Application of antipsychotic drugs in mood disorders. Brain Sci. 2023;13(3):414. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13030414
23. Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde. Doenças relacionadas ao trabalho: manual de procedimentos para os serviços de saúde. Brasília (DF): Ministério da Saúde; 2001. 580 p. Available from: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/doencas_relacionadas_trabalho_manual_procedimentos.pdf
24. Perniciotti P, Silva CVS Júnior, Guarita RV, Morales RJ, Romano BW. Burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals: update on definitions, risk factors and preventive measures. Rev SBPH [Internet]. 2020;23(1). Available from: https://pepsic.bvsalud.org/pdf/rsbph/v23n1/05.pdf
25. Marinho GL, Oliveira BLCA, Cunha CLF, Tavares FG, Paz EPA. Nursing in Brazil: socioeconomic analysis with a focus on the racial composition. Rev Bras Enferm. 2022;75(2):e20201370. https://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2020-1370
26. Peterson AL. Experiencing stigma as a nurse with mental illness. J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2017;24(5):314–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpm.12306
27. Urbanetto JS, Magalhães MCC, Maciel VO, Sant’Anna VM, Gustavo AS, Poli-de-Figueiredo CE, et al. Work-related stress according to the demand-control model and minor psychic disorders in nursing Workers. Rev Esc Enferm USP. 2013;47(5):1187–93. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0080-623420130000500024
28. Karasek RA, Theorell T. Healthy work: stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books; 1990.
29. Dimenstein M. A medicalização do sofrimento psíquico: uma análise crítica. Psicol Cienc Prof. 2000;20(1):58–65.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Catharina Ramos Galvão Mota da Silva, Simone Cardoso Passos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
