Expenditure on psychiatric hospitalizations in the State of São Paulo, Brazil: a descriptive ecological study, 2014 and 2019

Abstract

Objective: To analyze expenditure on psychiatric hospitalizations in the State of São Paulo in 2014 and 2019. Methods: This was a descriptive ecological study, with analysis of data on psychiatric hospital admissions in the State of São Paulo, retrieved from the Hospital Information System. Results: 115,652 hospitalizations that occurred in 2014 and 79,355 that occurred in 2019 were analyzed (reduction of 31.38%). There were reductions in the amounts spent on psychiatric hospitalizations (-42.94%), in particular expenditure on urgency hospitalizations, on female patients (-46.46%), on people aged 15-49 years (-36.85%) and on those aged over 50 years (-51.54%). Conclusion: The reduction in expenditure on psychiatric hospitalizations and the reduction in their frequency provide elements for the assessment and allocation of resources for mental health care, within the scope of hospital admissions and use of community-based services.