HOSPITAL INTERNATIONALIZATION AND MORTALITY FROM MENTAL DISORDERS IN BRAZIL: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS FROM THE LAST DECADE

Abstract

Mental disorders have become a major national public health problem and affect more and more people in the globalized world. They have a great impact on patients' quality of life, but there are still few studies on their social, cultural and economic aspects. Therefore, in order to carry out an epidemiological analysis of hospitalizations and mortality from these mental disorders in the last decade, from January 2010 to December 2009, in Brazil, a data collection was made by the Hospital Information System/Unified Health System (SIH/SUS) – DATASUS, evaluating hospitalizations and deaths by national region, mortality rate, age group and sex. Observing the data obtained, 2,384,389 hospitalizations for mental disorders were recorded in this 10-year period, with greater emphasis on the southeastern and southern regions. In addition, the adult population was the most hospitalized and the one that most deaths occurred. That said, it is possible to raise important questions that explain why this happens and what can be done to improve the assistance of Brazilian health services to psychiatric patients, offering the best possible treatment and adopting effective preventions so that it is possible to change this situation.