Mental and behavioral disorders due to the use of psychoactive substances: Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Mental disorders (MD) are directly associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to their potential to cause somatic illnesses. They encompass both emotional suffering and pathophysiological factors, being little identified and treated: which generates a strong impact on society. The present study aims to calculate data quantifying the morbidity and mortality of Mental and Behavioral Disorders (CMD) due to the use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances in the Brazilian regions in the period before and during the COVID- 19 pandemic. This is an ecological study of a quantitative nature, which is necessary since, according to the databases: the Hospital Information System (SIH/SUS) and the Mortality Information System (SIM), in this interval of pandemic, the population was more exposed to factors that trigger mental disorders: social, genetic, psychological and environmental factors. The selection on these platforms will be directed to the hospital morbidity of CMD due to the use of alcohol and other psychoactive substances, focusing on the early diagnosis and prevention of such pathologies according to each Brazilian region. It is hoped that this study can contribute with health guidance actions that help in the promotion and prevention of health risks in the country. With the results presented in this research, it can be seen regarding the overall prevalence of hospitalizations due to CMD due to alcohol use that the North region had the lowest, 0.20/100,000hab, and the South had the highest prevalence, 4.77/ 100,000 inhabitants. As for the overall prevalence of deaths from these disorders, the North region also had the lowest, 0.26/100,000 inhab, and the South region had the highest prevalence, 1.56/100,000 inhab. Furthermore, the North region had the lowest general prevalence of hospitalizations for CMD due to the use of multiple drugs and psychoactive substances, 0.47/100,000 inhab, and the South region had the highest prevalence, 5.79/100,000 inhab. The Southeast region had the lowest overall prevalence of deaths from these disorders, 0.00/100,000 inhab, and the South region had the highest prevalence, 0.67/100,000 inhab. Regarding age groups, our study revealed that the highest rates occurred in the population whose age was related to the period of greater productivity at work and in the elderly population. Another variable analyzed was gender, whose result showed that males had a higher prevalence than females in hospitalizations and deaths. In this way, this public should receive greater focus from public policies through awareness campaigns and early intervention related to the use of psychoactive substances.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevenIVmulti2023-037