Medicalization and Indigenous Health: An analysis of the consumption of psychotropics by the Xukuru de Cimbres indigenous people.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE\nTo investigate the process of medicalization among the Xukuru indigenous people of Pesqueira (PE), Brazil following the 2003 conflict.\n\n\nMETHOD\nThis is a descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study developed with the indigenous attended at the Xukuru de Cimbres basic center. The final sample consisted of 75 individuals who used psychotropic drugs. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 18.0, using the chi-square test.\n\n\nRESULTS AND DISCUSSION\nWe observed that 8% of the studied population use psychotropic drugs, and the most used is BZD (78.67%). Regarding age, 68% are young adults and 26.67% are elderly. The income of 81.33% of households is more than one minimum wage. As for marital status, 50.85% and 66.67%, respectively of the indigenous group using BZD and other psychotropic drugs are married.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nThe study outlined the profile of the Xukuru de Cimbres indigenous people who used psychotropics and showed a fragmented mental health care focused on the disease and the use of medication. Results reveal a socioeconomically vulnerable adult population, a pattern of chronic use of psychotropic drugs and distancing from traditional indigenous healing, typical of the health medicalization process.