INTRODUCTION:
Problematic use of psychoactive substances (PAS) has become an important subject of study in the field of public health, with repercussions in both social life and health outcomes1.

OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate patterns of psychoactive substance use and their impact on the quality of life of users receiving care at Psychosocial Care Centers.

METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 280 users from Psychosocial Care Centers for Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAPS AD) in the municipalities of Vitória, Vila Velha, and Serra, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Data collection was carried out through individual interviews using the following instruments: a sociodemographic questionnaire; the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST)2 to assess patterns of PAS use; and the WHOQOL-Bref3 to evaluate quality of life. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0. Chi-square tests and Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated. Lifetime use was identified for all evaluated substances. Being aged 40 years or older was associated with a 3.5-fold higher prevalence of dependence patterns for alcohol (p=0.04), marijuana (p=0.00), tobacco (p=0.02), and cocaine (p=0.00). Low socioeconomic status was associated with poorer perceived quality of life (p=0.00; OR: 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2–3.5), and alcohol use at abuse and dependence levels was linked to worse quality of life (p=0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:
The explicit presence of problematic psychoactive substance use places individuals in a context of vulnerability in both health and social domains. Dissatisfaction with health status and the low perceived quality of life identified in this study should be considered indicators for the development of actions aimed at addressing the needs of users of these services.