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Abstract Objective To analyze the trend of hospitalizations for alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Brazil, by region, and establish its relationship with mental health care facilities. Methods Data were collected through the Brazilian Unified Health System’s (SIH/SUS) Hospital Information System (Sistema de Informação Hospitalar) and the National Register of Health Establishments of Brazil (Cadastro Nacional de Estabelecimentos de Saúde [CNES]). We used linear regression models to estimate the effect of SUS psychiatric beds and Center for Psychosocial Care (Centro de Atenção Psicossocial [CAPS]) numbers on AUD hospitalizations. Results From 2015 to 2020, 298,735 hospitalizations for AUD were recorded. Most of the patients admitted for AUD were male (88.8%). Individuals aged 60 years and older accounted for 11.7% of our cohort. The highest concentration of hospitalizations occurred in the South region (40.1%). The rate of hospitalizations per hospital bed remained relatively constant. The number of CAPS has a negative effect on SUS psychiatric beds in Brazil (average effect -22.31 [95% confidence interval {95%CI} -26.92, -17.70]). Psychiatric beds have a positive effect on AUD hospitalizations in the country (average effect 1.82 [95%CI 0.91, 2.74]). Conclusion Prioritization guidelines for other forms of care are associated with a decrease in hospitalizations for AUD, so we highlight the importance of adequate training of health care professionals for proper referral of these patients to hospital admission when necessary.

Objective: To understand the meaning of the crisis phenomenon and the motivations and expectations of workers in the care of people in crisis in a Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Drugs (CAPSad). Method: qualitative research, based on Alfred Schutz's social phenomenology, was carried out with 14 workers in January and February 2022 in the municipality of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. The interviews were subjected to phenomenological analysis. Results: the crisis is reported as a time of suffering, with a potential for transformation, covering subjective, social, and family aspects. Effective crisis care involves verbal management, bonding, and teamwork. The expectations following the care of a person in crisis are aimed at the well-being, reduction of suffering, and protection of the user. Conclusion: It is essential to break away from the biological model in the approach to users, overcoming stigmas and strengthening comprehensive care.

The “No Fixed Address” version 2 (NFAv.2) project tested the efficacy of a potential best practice program that aimed to prevent discharge from hospital into homelessness. Forchuk and colleagues developed a system that streamlined housing and social supports using on-site access to help inpatients in a psychiatric unit who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness find safe, affordable housing. A total of 370 individuals accessed the NFAv.2 program between August 2017 and May 2020. Of these, 88 participants who accessed the intervention were enrolled in the evaluation of the project. Information on housing history and housing outcomes were collected during hospital admission and at 3-time points post-discharge. Focus groups were conducted for program participants, health care staff, and community partners to gather information regarding their experiences with the program. Of those who participated in the intervention, 80% were housed and remained housed at 12 months post-discharge. Results from focus groups also indicated that the majority of NFAv.2 clients, staff, and community partners were satisfied with the intervention. Since homelessness has a detrimental effect on recovery, client safety, and healthcare expenditures, locating safe housing has had a positive impact on treatment, rehabilitation, and the healthcare system as a whole. The findings of this project offer policy alternatives for the prevention of homelessness for at-risk individuals.

Objective. This study seeks to describe the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health services in Chile. Methods. This study is part of ongoing multicountry research known as the Mental Health Care – Adverse Sequelae of COVID-19 study (or the MASC study) that includes seven countries. Chile is the only one in Latin America. This study used a convergent mixed methods design. The quantitative component analyzed data about public mental health care collected between January 2019 and December 2021 from the open-access database at the Ministry of Health. The qualitative component analyzed data collected from focus groups of experts that included professionals in charge of mental health services, policy-makers, service users and caregivers. Finally, the data synthesis was performed by triangulation of both components. Results. By April 2020, mental health service provision had been reduced by 88% in primary care; moreover, secondary and tertiary levels had also reduced their mental health activities by, respectively, 66.3% and 71.3% of pre-COVID levels. Negative sequelae were described at the health systems level, and full recovery had not been achieved by the end of 2021. The pandemic affected the essential characteristics of community-based mental health services, with adverse impacts on the continuity and quality of care, reduced psychosocial and community support, and negative effects on health workers’ mental health. Digital solutions were widely implemented to enable remote care, but challenges included the availability of equipment, its quality and the digital divide. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant and enduring adverse effects on mental health care. Lessons learned can inform recommendations for good practices for the ongoing and future pandemics and health crises, and highlight the importance of prioritizing the strengthening of mental health services in response to emergencies.

Objective: To analyze the interface between the nurse's professional identity and her work process in mental health. Method: An exploratory, qualitative study was conducted in six Psychosocial Care Centers in Salvador - Brazil. The data was collected between June and August 2022 through interviews with ten nurses and was subjected to thematic analysis. Results: the thematic analysis resulted in one category: Identity conflicts and ambiguities, with the themes "Core know-how and the identity of the 'traditional nurse'" and "Field know-how and the vagueness of identity contours". Conclusion: The results point to the need for more in-depth research into the nurse's know-how, which includes the fulfillment of her private activities that are congruent with the production of care in the field of psychosocial care.

Resumo Objetivo Analisar as vivências e significados dos relacionamentos afetivo-amorosos vivenciados por mulheres em tratamento devido ao consumo de drogas. Método Pesquisa qualitativa, descritiva e transversal desenvolvida com a participação de 21 mulheres atendidas em um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial do interior paulista. As entrevistas foram submetidas à análise temática reflexiva e organizam-se em três eixos. Resultados As mulheres relataram vulnerabilidades sociais ao longo da vida e fragilidades nas redes de apoio que culminaram em sofrimentos, desamparo e uso precoce de drogas. Tornar-se esposa foi construído como esperança para um novo modo de vida, porém de forma idealizada e engendrada. As relações afetivas mostraram-se centrais, tanto para experiências de aumento como de diminuição do consumo de drogas. O uso aumentou por necessidade de agradar o parceiro, cumprir o papel de esposa ou diante das violências. A diminuição ocorreu em situações de apoio do companheiro, auxílio para acessar o tratamento ou quando cônjuge restringiu sua liberdade. Esses relacionamentos se somaram às vulnerabilidades vividas produzindo demandas aos equipamentos de saúde e sociais. Conclusão O tratamento deve incluir intervenções sobre os relacionamentos amorosos das mulheres, assim como problematizar os papéis de gênero e interpor-se intersetorialmente entre os demais determinantes sociais.

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the expansion of the number of Brazilian Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) considering aspects related to the general health scenario and the institutionalization of human rights. Methods: An analytical document-based study, developed between February 2020 and May 2022, whose secondary data on the 27 Brazilian capitals were collected on platforms in the public domain, based on the time series from 2015 to 2020. Indicators were listed based on health system infrastructure and quality of life. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation test and Student’s t test were used. Results: The capitals that expanded the number of CAPS in the analyzed period were the ones that presented the greatest political-legal framework for the protection of human rights. Conclusion: The results suggest that the greater the commitment of governments in favor of human rights, the greater the investment for CAPS expansion.