Keywords
Psychotropic drugs
Mental Disorders
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Abstract
Objective: To investigate the influence of psychotropic drug use in the daily lives of elderly people assisted by the National Program of the Open University for the Elderly (UniAPI), in Anápolis-GO. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between 2024 and 2025, with 70 participants selected among elderly individuals enrolled in the program. Data collection was carried out through printed and digital questionnaires, with the application of the MARS scale and the Edmonton Frailty Scale, in addition to descriptive statistical analysis using SPSS Statistics. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Results: The findings indicated that 67% of the elderly continuously used medications, of which 31.9% used psychotropic drugs. Adverse effects were reported by 61.7% of the users, the main one being mental confusion. Although 21.4% of the elderly reported falls, only 7.1% of these events were associated with the use of psychotropic drugs. Conclusion: It is concluded that, although essential in certain contexts, psychotropic drugs are associated with a greater potential for adverse effects, especially when present in polypharmacy contexts, which directly affects their daily lives.
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