Brazil Leads Latin America in Anxiety Disorders and Psychotropic Drug Use

Brazil ranks highest in Latin America for anxiety disorder prevalence and is among the world’s most depressed populations, according to World Health Organization data. Chronic socioeconomic stressors such as unemployment, urban violence, and deep inequality contribute to widespread mental‑health strain.

A recent analysis shows that 16.6% of Brazilians – roughly one in six – use psychiatric medication, while only about 5% receive psychotherapy. The most sold psychotropic is the benzodiazepine clonazepam, with 39 million units sold in a single year, accounting for 41.3% of all benzodiazepine consumption. Overall, the market for mental‑health drugs grew 18.6% over two years, with antidepressants comprising about 74% of sales and anxiolytics the remaining 26%. Daily sales average 123 thousand boxes of major tranquilizers such as Rivotril, Valium and Lexotan.