Reginaldo Teixeira Mendonça

Medicalização de mulheres idosas e interação com consumo de calmantes

Abstract In this study we researched into the interaction be-tween gender, aging and particularized consumptionof tranquilizers (benzodiazepines), aiming to unders-tand how, within the process of medicalization of so-ciety, this interaction interferes in the way of usingand in conceptions about tranquilizers, and how theyare (re)signified by their cons umers. In the study, semi-structured interviews with 18 elderly females wereperformed and a qualitative approach was used in theanalysis of the collected data. These women belongedto low-income classes in the city of Ribeirao Preto(state of Sao Paulo). They were psychiatric patientsassisted in the public outpatient clinic of the MentalHealth Nucleus of the Health Teaching Centre at theRibeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Pau-lo (FMRP-USP). We observed that the consumption oftranquilizers is intensified among elderly females,as they begin to deal with conflicts and daily mattersby using medications. As the elderly females havebeen attending the health services for several years,the psychiatric ones among them, they manage to in-corporate knowledge and experiences about the useof tranquilizers, promoting their diffusion in the so-cial circle.Keywords: Gender; Old Age; Elderly individuals; Tran-quilizers; Benzodiazepines; Medicalization.

O papel de mulheres idosas consumidoras de calmantes alopáticos na popularização do uso destes medicamentos

O consumo de calmantes alopaticos (benzodiazepinicos) possui dimensao social e cultural, e nao esta restrito a uma relacao entre medico e paciente. Objetivamos mostrar, portanto, que o consumo de calmantes e particularizado de acordo com os contextos social e cultural em que seus consumidores estao envolvidos. Buscamos entao, utilizando abordagem qualitativa com entrevistas semi-estruturadas, as concepcoes sobre calmantes alopaticos de 18 mulheres idosas, pacientes psiquiatricas do Nucleo de Saude Mental do Centro Saude Escola da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMRP-USP), da cidade de Ribeirao Preto-SP, Brasil, consumidoras de benzodiazepinicos ha mais de um ano. Concluimos que o consumo de calmantes esta envolvido em uma rede de relacoes sociais, enredando vizinhos, parentes e amigos. As mulheres entrevistadas mostraram ter autonomia e conhecimento sobre o uso dos calmantes, sentindo-se capazes de utilizar, indicar, oferecer, emprestar, ou nao, esses medicamentos, de acordo com suas concepcoes.The consumption of allopathic tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) has social and cultural dimensions, not being restricted to a relation between physician and patient. Therefore, we aimed to show that the consumption of tranquilizers is particularized according to the social and cultural contexts their consumers are involved in. Using a qualitative approach with semistructured interviews, we search for conceptions about allopathic tranquilizers in 18 elderly women, psychiatric patients attended to in the Mental Health Centre of the Health Teaching Centre at the, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School, (FMRP-USP), in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil, who were consumers of benzodiazepines for more than one year. We concluded that the consumption of tranquilizers is entangled in a network of social relations, including neighbors, relatives and friends. The interviewed women showed to have autonomy, feeling able to use, indicate, offer and lend, or not, these medicines, according to their conceptions.

The role of elderly female consumers of allopathic tranquilizers in the popularization of the use of these medicines

O consumo de calmantes alopaticos (benzodiazepinicos) possui dimensao social e cultural, e nao esta restrito a uma relacao entre medico e paciente. Objetivamos mostrar, portanto, que o consumo de calmantes e particularizado de acordo com os contextos social e cultural em que seus consumidores estao envolvidos. Buscamos entao, utilizando abordagem qualitativa com entrevistas semi-estruturadas, as concepcoes sobre calmantes alopaticos de 18 mulheres idosas, pacientes psiquiatricas do Nucleo de Saude Mental do Centro Saude Escola da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMRP-USP), da cidade de Ribeirao Preto-SP, Brasil, consumidoras de benzodiazepinicos ha mais de um ano. Concluimos que o consumo de calmantes esta envolvido em uma rede de relacoes sociais, enredando vizinhos, parentes e amigos. As mulheres entrevistadas mostraram ter autonomia e conhecimento sobre o uso dos calmantes, sentindo-se capazes de utilizar, indicar, oferecer, emprestar, ou nao, esses medicamentos, de acordo com suas concepcoes.The consumption of allopathic tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) has social and cultural dimensions, not being restricted to a relation between physician and patient. Therefore, we aimed to show that the consumption of tranquilizers is particularized according to the social and cultural contexts their consumers are involved in. Using a qualitative approach with semistructured interviews, we search for conceptions about allopathic tranquilizers in 18 elderly women, psychiatric patients attended to in the Mental Health Centre of the Health Teaching Centre at the, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School, (FMRP-USP), in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil, who were consumers of benzodiazepines for more than one year. We concluded that the consumption of tranquilizers is entangled in a network of social relations, including neighbors, relatives and friends. The interviewed women showed to have autonomy, feeling able to use, indicate, offer and lend, or not, these medicines, according to their conceptions.

El papel de mujeres adultas mayores consumidoras de calmantes alopáticos en la popularización del uso de estes medicamentos

O consumo de calmantes alopaticos (benzodiazepinicos) possui dimensao social e cultural, e nao esta restrito a uma relacao entre medico e paciente. Objetivamos mostrar, portanto, que o consumo de calmantes e particularizado de acordo com os contextos social e cultural em que seus consumidores estao envolvidos. Buscamos entao, utilizando abordagem qualitativa com entrevistas semi-estruturadas, as concepcoes sobre calmantes alopaticos de 18 mulheres idosas, pacientes psiquiatricas do Nucleo de Saude Mental do Centro Saude Escola da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirao Preto da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMRP-USP), da cidade de Ribeirao Preto-SP, Brasil, consumidoras de benzodiazepinicos ha mais de um ano. Concluimos que o consumo de calmantes esta envolvido em uma rede de relacoes sociais, enredando vizinhos, parentes e amigos. As mulheres entrevistadas mostraram ter autonomia e conhecimento sobre o uso dos calmantes, sentindo-se capazes de utilizar, indicar, oferecer, emprestar, ou nao, esses medicamentos, de acordo com suas concepcoes.The consumption of allopathic tranquilizers (benzodiazepines) has social and cultural dimensions, not being restricted to a relation between physician and patient. Therefore, we aimed to show that the consumption of tranquilizers is particularized according to the social and cultural contexts their consumers are involved in. Using a qualitative approach with semistructured interviews, we search for conceptions about allopathic tranquilizers in 18 elderly women, psychiatric patients attended to in the Mental Health Centre of the Health Teaching Centre at the, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto Medical School, (FMRP-USP), in the city of Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil, who were consumers of benzodiazepines for more than one year. We concluded that the consumption of tranquilizers is entangled in a network of social relations, including neighbors, relatives and friends. The interviewed women showed to have autonomy, feeling able to use, indicate, offer and lend, or not, these medicines, according to their conceptions.