Objective To describe the use of psychotropic drugs among civil servants with registered absenteeism due to mental disorders, and to investigate associations with duration of leave of absence. Methods A cross-sectional study with civil servants on leave of absence due to mental disorders, between January and December 2017. Demographic, occupational and clinical variables were extracted from secondary data. Non-parametric tests were used to investigate correlations between use of psychotropic drugs and leave duration. Cluster analysis was used to investigate associations between occupational characteristics and illness profile. Results Antidepressants were the most commonly used drugs (82.9%). Central tendency values for days on leave differed according to the number of psychotropic drugs used. In cluster analysis, a particular cluster (servants of intermediate age group and work experience – mean of 46 years and 15 years, respectively) stood out regarding use of antidepressants, severity of depression and frequency and duration of leave of absence. Conclusion Leave of absence due to mental disorders was associated with higher rates of psychotropic drug use. The group of servants identified in this study may be a primary target for health promotion, prevention and recovery actions at the organization.