MEDICALIZAÇÃO DA ALTA PERFORMANCE: USO DE PSICOESTIMULANTES E OS IMPACTOS NA SAÚDE MENTAL
MEDICALIZAÇÃO DA ALTA PERFORMANCE: USO DE PSICOESTIMULANTES E OS IMPACTOS NA SAÚDE MENTAL
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.547122611058
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Palavras-chave: Psicoestimulantes. Saúde mental. Medicalização. Trabalho. Produtividade.
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Keywords: Psychostimulants. Mental health. Medicalization. Work. Productivity.
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Abstract: The growing appreciation of productivity, continuous performance, and high cognitive performance has significantly expanded the use of psychostimulants in academic and professional contexts. Initially prescribed for specific disorders, these medications began to be used indiscriminately as instruments for cognitive enhancement, physical resistance, and maintenance of work performance. In this context, there has been a progressive increase in the medicalization of everyday life and intensification of risks related to psychological illness, drug dependence, and emotional distress. This study aims to critically analyze the process of medicalization of high performance associated with psychostimulant use and its impacts on mental health. This is a narrative literature review based on scientific articles published between 2022 and 2026, indexed in SciELO, PubMed, Virtual Health Library, and Google Scholar databases. The analyzed studies demonstrated a significant increase in psychostimulant consumption among university students and workers subjected to high productivity pressure. An association was found between indiscriminate use of these substances and increased rates of anxiety, insomnia, psychological dependence, emotional exhaustion, and psychological distress. It was also observed that the contemporary productivist logic contributes to the normalization of self-medication and strengthening of the culture of extreme performance. It is concluded that the inappropriate use of psychostimulants represents an important contemporary public health problem, requiring institutional strategies aimed at promoting mental health, health education, and preventing excessive medicalization of everyday life.
- Rafaelle Serejo Machado
- Kelly Serejo Machado
- Liara Bianca Rocha Oliveira
- Giselly de Sousa Silva
- Francisca Samara Barbosa da Silva Lustosa