Psychiatric hospitalizations and implementation of CAPS in Rio Grande do Sul

Resumo

The CAPS (Psychosocial Care Centers) was created with the objective of offering care that prioritizes the rehabilitation and psychosocial reintegration of the mentally ill individual. However, psychiatric hospitalization remains a widely used resource. It are open and community health services made up of a multidisciplinary team that works from an interdisciplinary perspective and primarily provides care to people with severe and/or persistent mental distress or disorder. This study aims to evaluate the rates of psychiatric hospitalizations and the implementation of CAPS in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, from 2008 to 2018. The study has an ecological time series design. As a result, we found a 42% increase in psychiatric hospitalizations. The CAPS coefficient (parameter to assess CAPS coverage) was 0.64 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2008 and increased to 0.85 per 100,000 inhabitants (34% higher). The correlation between the CAPS coverage coefficient and the rate of psychiatric hospitalizations in RS exhibited a positive and statistically significant coefficient (R of 0.96, p<0.001). These data diverge from what is found in the literature, which indicates a reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations at Brazil in recent years. Thus, it is possible to conclude that there was an increase in hospitalizations and an increase in CAPS during the study period. This study can be used by managers as a warning sign and motivating better attention to the functioning of CAPS in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.