Analysis of Causes of Death from Mental and Behavioral Disorders in Brazil from 2011 to 2020

Abstract

Mental and behavioral disorders are an important public health problem as a preventable cause in a developing country with great social inequality. The objective of this study was to investigate the causes of death due to mental and behavioral disorders in Brazil from 2011 to 2020 and to analyze the trend of the mortality indicator. It is a cross-sectional and ecological research, with an analytical approach, with public health surveillance data in Brazil. The study analyzed 135,379 deaths from mental and behavioral disorders in Brazil from 2011 to 2020. In the mortality rate, the federation units with the highest rates were Sergipe with 135/100 thousand inhabitants, followed by Minas Gerais 110/100 thousand, Ceará 97 /100 thousand, and Paraná 74/100 thousand. There was a 38% increase in the difference between years, the adherence test was significant 0.0001. The chi- square test was significant by 0.0001, so the male gender is associated with deaths, as well as the young adult age group from 20 to 59, however between 60 and 69 males presented 79% when compared to females, similar to the male gender, is associated with the use of alcohol, multiple drugs, and other psychoactive substances, with the use of cocaine and with the use of tobacco, and with female unspecified dementia, depressive episodes, and vascular dementia. As Brazil is a developing country with great social inequalities, it was to be expected that this cause would be so important in the country. However, public policies should be directed mainly towards the reduction of preventable causes, reducing public spending, and improving the quality of life of the population.