Datasus brings maximum alert for mental health in Brazil

In the last ten years in Brazil, the number of deaths resulting from self-harm doubled from around 7 thousand to 14 thousand, not counting underreporting. The data is equivalent to one suicide incident every hour in the country. This year, the increase in cases exceeds the number of deaths due to HIV or motorcycle accidents and reflects the increase in mental health vulnerability in Brazil.

The Brazilian city with the highest historical increases in the suicide rate is Venâncio Aires, in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that is also ahead of the others in the comparison. The data was collected by DataSus.

Although the increase does not follow the global average, the Latin America has been showing the same Brazilian trendThe. The income level of each territory is directly related to the availability of care for people in psychological distress and/or with a mental disorder.

Today, only 2% of national health budgets and less than 1% of all international aid are dedicated to health mental. Furthermore, only 12% of people suffering from psychosis in low-income countries receive mental health care, according to report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Investing in this area of ​​health, however, leads to economic growth, according to the entity.

Pandemic overlap

Second to theMS, the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. In June this year, the Organization also caught the attention of countries to pay more attention to the issue, mainly through investments.

Factors such as fear of infection, grief, suffering and worries financial issues were cited as stressors that lead to the development or worsening of illnesses. In between young, the impact was even greater and led to a “disproportionate risk of suicidal behavior and self-harm”. Women were more intensely impacted.

Job alerts

Research carried out by Isma-BR (International Stress Management Association in Brazil) concluded that only 30% of Brazilian workers have the emotional, physical or mental conditions to continue working without reaching exhaustion. In 2019, Brazil had been classified as the country with the largest share of active citizens who suffered from chronic work-related stress, symptoms of “Burnout Syndrome”. Countries such as the United States, India and Singapore were also on the list.

Featured photo: Freepik

Curto Curatorship

• Police suicide increases 55% in one year in Brazil (Folha de S.Paulo)

• Anxiety, insomnia, stress, depression: study shows how mental health evolved during the pandemic (USP Newspaper)
• Mental health knocks on the school door (Exam)
• What are the efforts of social networks in favor of mental health? (Medium and Message)