MEDICALIZATION OF DAILY LIFE: THE INCREASED USE OF PSYCHOSTIMULANTS IN ACADEMIC LIFE

Abstract

The medicalization of everyday life refers to the transformation of emotional, behavioral, and social issues into medical problems treated with medication. In the university context, especially among health science students, there has been an increasing use of psychostimulants as a strategy to improve academic performance, enhance concentration, and reduce fatigue in response to high productivity demands. The objective of this study was to analyze the use of psychostimulants among university students, their associated factors, motivations, and impacts on mental health and quality of life. This is an integrative literature review guided by the research question: “What factors influence the inappropriate use of psychostimulants among university students and what are its impacts on mental health in the Brazilian academic context?”. The databases SCIELO, PUBMED, LILACS, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS were used. The search terms were “Psychostimulants”, “Medicalization”, and “Student”, combined using the Boolean operator “AND”. The search was conducted from October to November 2025. Inclusion criteria consisted of free full-text articles published between 2019 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, while duplicate studies, literature reviews, and studies unrelated to the research question were excluded. Initially, 70 articles were identified, resulting in a final sample of 13 studies after screening titles, abstracts, and methodologies. The findings show a high prevalence of psychostimulant use among university students, particularly in Medicine and Nursing courses, with methylphenidate, amphetamines, and caffeine being the most commonly used substances. The main motivations include improved focus, increased productivity, prolonged study time, and anxiety control, while factors such as academic competitiveness, heavy workload, and performance pressure contribute to this practice. Reported adverse effects include insomnia, anxiety, dependence, cardiovascular changes, and cognitive impairment. In conclusion, the inappropriate use of psychostimulants represents a significant public health issue linked to the medicalization of academic life, highlighting the need for preventive strategies, psychological support, and regulation of access to these substances.