Since the emergence of the Internet, the speed of information flow has increased considerably on a global scale, and both economic and interpersonal relations have been constantly undergoing reformulations and changes, no longer being seen only as a face-to-face relationship. Thus, social networks over the internet have become the largest vehicle of communication between individuals, since the beginning of the XXI century. [1] Social networks can also be seen as a means of non-formal education, as they contribute to teaching and learning. This is the context in which distance education in health operates, contributing to building a collaborative network of communication and establishing links between participants and exchanges of experience based on the reality of each individual. Concurrent with the increased use of social networking over the internet, the number of people using psychoactive drugs has also increased throughout society and in all social classes. This increase in consumption can be evidenced by the frequency with which we can observe the large number of users on the streets of Brazil. In 2010, the Census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) pointed out that 1.2% (2.3 million) of Brazil’s population uses or may have already used crack cocaine. Dependence on psychoactive substances is considered a chronic disease because it often stays with these individuals for life. Faced with these facts, this study aimed to evaluate the use of distance education as a support tool in combating the use of psychoactive drugs.
Methods
This is a descriptive literature survey, in which it was decided to search for articles in national and international journals from 2000 to 2014, available in the PubMed® database. The following MeSH terms were used: “Telehealth;” “Drug addiction;” “Social Networks.” We selected all articles published in Portuguese and English involving the drug user population, and data collection was carried out through social networks over the internet or by phone. Literature review articles were excluded.
Data analysis and results
The analysis was performed according to year of publication, type of research, data collection instrument used and expected results. Eight articles on the use of social networks as a support tool in combating the abuse of psychoactive drugs were found. Of these, six were selected which fit the criteria. Results: The results showed that the first publications on the subject occurred in the United States starting in 2006. It was observed that none of the articles used data collection based on social networks over the internet, such as through Facebook®. No research performed on the topic in Brazil was found. Regarding the type of drug, three articles (50%) talked about alcohol abuse, two (33.3%) about tobacco use, and one (16.7%) about opioid use.
In 83.3% of the articles surveyed, five articles used the phone as a data collection mechanism and only one (16.7%) was based on data collection via internet (e-mail).
In the studies analyzed, we can see that in none of the items surveyed were online social networks used as a data collection mechanism, and intervention by phone brought improved treatment for most patients with alcohol dependence. Only in one of the articles was there no specific positive effect identified from intervention via social networks. In articles related to tobacco use, the intervention was successful for a 24-week period on average. Meanwhile, the intervention with opioid users showed positive results when followed by medication.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that distance education can be a powerful mechanism to support reduction or cessation of use of psychoactive drugs, especially if used in conjunction with conventional therapy. Due to the internet becoming the biggest vehicle currently available for information dissemination, this favors social networks (via the internet) establishing themselves as a powerful means of dissemination, and being used as mechanisms of distance education in health, to contribute to reducing psychoactive drug abuse and enhancing individual well-being.