Impacto da COVID-19 na dispensação de antidepressivos e ansiolíticos: um estudo comparativo em Maringá, Brasil : Impact of COVID-19 on antidepressant and anxiolytic dispensation: a comparative study in Maringá, Brazil

Veronica Calvo Buzzi Leite; Fagner Sutel de Moura; Leonardo Pestillo de Oliveira; Lucas França Garcia

doi:10.17765/2176-9206.2025v18e12894

Authors

Veronica Calvo Buzzi Leite Cesumar University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5913-077X
Fagner Sutel de Moura Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5721-4005
Leonardo Pestillo de Oliveira Cesumar University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5278-0676
Lucas França Garcia Cesumar University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5815-6150

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17765/2176-9206.2025v18e12894

Keywords:

COVID-19, Antidepressants, Anxiolytics, Mental Health, Drug Dispensation

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted global mental health, increasing anxiety and depression. This study examined its influence on antidepressant and anxiolytic dispensation in Maringá. Objective: To analyze variations in dispensation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An ecological, exploratory study using data from the Maringá Municipal Health Department compared dispensation patterns between prepandemic (2018-2019) and pandemic (2020-2021) periods. Statistical analyses included normality tests, Student's t tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test. Results: Dispensation of antidepressants and anxiolytics increased significantly during the pandemic. Women and adults had higher usage rates, with notable increases among young people. The frequency of dispensations decreased, but the quantity of dispensed units increased, indicating adaptation to reduce physical contact. Significant gender differences in medication types were observed. Conclusions: The pandemic led to significant changes in medication dispensation in Maringá, underscoring the need for adaptive mental health policies and continuous monitoring.

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Author Biographies

Veronica Calvo Buzzi Leite, Cesumar University

Master and PhD student in Health Promotion from Unicesumar. Distance learning pharmacy trainer at Unicesumar. Pharmacist, with a degree in Industry from UEM, with professional experience in several areas of the pharmaceutical profession (dispensing, manipulation of chemotherapy, manipulation/homeopathy, clinical pharmacy).

Fagner Sutel de Moura, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Academic background in social sciences and later training in systems development. MBA in Data Science, ongoing master's degree in Production Engineering with emphasis on road safety and ongoing degree in civil engineering. Focus on gathering customer requirements, mapping processes and developing solutions for workflow, persistence and data management aiming at obtaining information as value for decision making.

Leonardo Pestillo de Oliveira, Cesumar University

Graduated in Psychology from the State University of Maringá, Master's degree in Physical Education from the State University of Maringá. PhD in Social Psychology from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, with a sandwich period at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières-Canada. Post-doctorate in Global Health from Duke University-USA. Has experience in the area of Psychology, with emphasis on Sports Psychology and Health Promotion. He is currently a professor of the stricto sensu Postgraduate Program in Health Promotion and of the undergraduate course in Psychology at Cesumar University (UniCesumar). Leader of the Research Group/CNPQ Psychology, Sports and Health - PES. Coordinator of CAPEC (Research Advisory Committee) at UniCesumar. Coordinator of the scientific area of ABEPEEx (Brazilian Association for Studies in Sports and Exercise Psychology). Research Fellow - Research Productivity Modality for Doctorate - PPD - from the Cesumar Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation (ICETI). Member of the Global Emergency Medicine Innovation & Implementation (GEMINI) Research Lab, under the leadership of Dr. Catherine Staton - Duke University. Member of the Area Advisory Committee (CAA-Health Sciences) of the Araucária Foundation for the Support of Scientific and Technological Development of the State of Paraná - 2020/2024

Lucas França Garcia, Cesumar University

Social Scientist and Bioethicist, Master (2013) and PhD (2017) in Medical Sciences and Bioethics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). From 2015 to 2016, he worked as a Visiting Researcher in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), through the Sandwich Doctorate Program Abroad (PDSE/CAPES). He currently holds the position of Permanent Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Health Promotion and Human and Social Sciences at Cesumar University of Maringá (UniCesumar) in the undergraduate courses in Multimedia Communication and Advertising. Since 2024, he has been Coordinator of the Research Ethics Committee of the same institution. He leads the CNPQ Research Group on "Bioethics and Global Health Promotion in Aging" and is an Associate Researcher at the Laboratory of Research in Bioethics and Ethics in Science of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (LAPEBEC/HCPA), as well as a Senior Volunteer Collaborating Researcher in the Postgraduate Program in Bioethics at the University of Brasília (UnB). He is a Research Fellow in the Research Productivity for Doctorate (PPD) modality of the Cesumar Institute of Science, Technology and Innovation (ICETI). He participates in international collaboration projects in Bioethics: LatinXBioethics/USA, Horizon Scan and Latin American Network Research.

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