REGULATION OF ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE: AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

Introduction: Access Regulation is a central theme in health management, aiming to provide care pathways that adequately meet the needs of people using the health and mental health system. This is achieved based on supply and demand, with an emphasis on prioritizing access. The assessment of complexity in mental health is essential to identify the most appropriate type of service for each person, ensuring effective and timely care based on comprehensiveness. Objective: to describe the characteristics of scientific productions related to the Regulation of Access to mental health care. Method: integrative literature review with a qualitative approach. Data collection was carried out in the following databases: Virtual Health Library, including the BDENF, LILACS and IndexPsi databases, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase (Elsevier), CINAHL (EBSCO), PubMed/ MEDLINE, SciELO, Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics). The time frame was from 2008 to 2024 as a result of the National Policy for Regulation of the Unified Health System. Results: the findings were presented through a manuscript. Data analysis revealed a lack of scientific production on the topic. The characteristics of the scientific productions analyzed are based on publications from 2017 to 2021, with objectives focused on understanding the different forms of functioning and flows of the Psychosocial Care Network and its connection with Access Regulation. Three categories were identified that included the results of the study, namely: 1) facilitators for the implementation and effectiveness of the Regulation of Access to mental health care; 2) barriers to the implementation and enforcement of the Regulation of Access to mental health care; and 3) ways for organizations to access the Mental Health Network. Conclusion: Regulation of Access to mental health care is a challenging and essential field to ensure that users receive adequate care in a timely manner. The research revealed a lack of scientific studies on this subject, highlighting the need for more research to deepen the understanding of the flows and functioning of regulation in the Psychosocial Care Network. Moving forward in overcoming the identified barriers and seeking improvements along with facilitating factors are crucial steps to ensuring an increasingly equitable, continuous and effective health system.