Mortality from mental and behavioral disorders in Brazil: An analysis of the last 10 years (2013-2022)

Abstract

Introduction: Mental health problems are common in every country in the world. In 2019, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost one billion people lived with a mental disorder, this figure increased by more than 25% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brazil, according to the WHO, ranks first in the prevalence of anxiety disorders and third in depressive disorders. Mental and Behavioral Disorders (CMD) were responsible for more than one in every 100 deaths and 58% of deaths occurred before the age of 50. Knowing the mortality trend due to these conditions is essential for directing public health policies. Objective: To analyze the mortality trend due to mental and behavioral disorders, between 2013 and 2022, in Brazil. Methodology: An ecological temporal analysis study was carried out, using data from the Mortality Information System (SIM) for mental and behavioral disorders in Brazil. A database was created using Microsoft Excel 2010 software, in which the information was analyzed. The mortality rate (tM) was calculated from the following equation: tM=n deaths X 100,000/population. Result: Brazil had 146,716 deaths in the period analyzed, with an average annual tM of 7.09. Evaluating each region, the federative units with the highest average tM per CMD in relation to total deaths were Tocantins (North) with 7.52, Sergipe (Northeast) with 14.53, Minas Gerais (Southeast) with 11.85, Paraná ( South) with 8.4 and Federal District (Mid-West) with 8.91. The rate of variation in mortality was higher between 2019 and 2020 (0.17). Conclusion: There was an increasing trend in deaths due to CMD in Brazil over the years analyzed, mainly between 2019 and 2020, recording the greatest variation in tM due to CMD, demonstrating that the issue worsened during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, there is a public health problem that deserves attention and action by the health system and society in general.