EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE CENTERS (CAPS) ON COVERAGE AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF MENTAL HEALTH IN BRAZIL BETWEEN 2015 AND 2025

Abstract

The Brazilian Psychiatric Reform promoted the transition from a hospital-centered model to a community-based mental health care network, with Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) as its main organizational strategy. This study aimed to evaluate, through an integrated evidence-based approach, the expansion and distribution of CAPS in Brazil between 2015 and 2025, analyzing their impact on psychiatric hospitalizations within the Unified Health System (SUS), outpatient mental health services, temporal trends, and regional inequalities. This ecological, longitudinal, and analytical study employed a quantitative approach combined with a systematic literature review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Secondary data were obtained from DATASUS (CNES, SIH-SUS, and SIA-SUS), including hospitalizations classified under ICD-10 codes F20–F99. Descriptive statistics, simple linear regression for temporal trend analysis, rate ratios for regional disparities, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient (p < 0.05) were applied. The findings indicate an association between greater CAPS coverage and reduced psychiatric hospitalizations, along with improvements in continuity of care and user satisfaction. However, regional disparities and weaknesses in integration with Primary Health Care persist. The study concludes that CAPS are effective in strengthening the community-based mental health model, although their sustainability depends on systemic integration, adequate funding, and consolidation of the Psychosocial Care Network.