Jennifer Mendoza
Research expert covering health, pharma and medtech
Mental health in Brazil - Statistics & Facts
Every 10th of October, World Mental Health Day is celebrated in an effort to inform, spread awareness, and bring attention to topics related to mental health. This day was first celebrated in the beginning of the 1990’s. It was also around this time that Brazil undertook a transformation of its mental health care system. Among the changes included in the country's reform were a reorganization of its financial model, a shift to a community-based care system, and an overall focus on transforming the way in which mental health conditions are seen and treated. Despite these efforts and the improvements achieved, Brazil is one of the countries most affected by mental health disorders in Latin America, with anxiety and depression disorders the mental health conditions with the highest disability-adjusted life years per 100,000 population in the country. In recent years, anxiety and anguish feelings have increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A trend occurring in every region of the country.
