  Depressive disorders, in addition to causing direct negative impacts on
health, are also responsible for imposing substantial costs on society. In
relation to the treatment of depression, antidepressants have proven effective,
and, to the World Health Organization, access to psychotropic drugs for people
with mental illnesses offers a chance of improved health and an opportunity for
reengagement in society. The aim of this study is to analyze the use of and
access to antidepressants in Brazil, according to macro-regions and to
demographic, social and economic conditions of the population, using the
National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines
(PNAUM 2013/2014). The results show that there is a high prevalence of
antidepressant use in individuals with depression in Brazil. The main profile
of use of these drugs is: female individuals, between 20 and 59 years old,
white, from the Southeast region, of the economic class D/E, with a high
schooling level, in a marital situation, without health insurance coverage,
without limitations derived from depression, and who self-evaluated health as
regular.
