THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS DUE TO ALCOHOL USE IN THE NORTHEAST REGION, FROM 2021 TO 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use (TMCA) represent a major public health issue in Brazil, with high hospital morbidity, associated deaths, and socioeconomic impacts, particularly in regions with healthcare access inequalities. Objective: To describe the epidemiological profile of TMCA in the Northeast region of Brazil from 2021 to 2025. Methodology: Observational, ecological, retrospective, quantitative, and descriptive epidemiological study based on secondary data from the SUS Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS), extracted via DATASUS TabNet (ICD-10 code F10). Hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths were analyzed, stratified by region, federative unit, type of admission, age group, sex, and race/color. Results: TMCA accounted for 12.1% of Chapter V hospitalizations in Brazil, with concentration in the South (37.9%) and Southeast (36.1%) regions. In the Northeast, 84.9% of the 25,867 hospitalizations were emergency/urgent, 77.5% occurred in adults aged 30-59 years (peak at 40-49 years), 88.3% in males, and 69.5% in mixed-race individuals. A total of 307 in-hospital deaths were recorded, concentrated in Bahia (50.2%), Pernambuco (12.7%), and Maranhão (8.8%). Conclusion: The findings highlight a high burden of severe and emergency cases in the Northeast, with male, adult, and mixed-race predominance, underscoring the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance, preventive actions in Primary Health Care, and expansion of the Psychosocial Care Network to reduce avoidable hospitalizations and promote equity in mental health care.