Profile of hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use in Maranhão

The use of alcohol and other drugs is linked to health problems and causes financial and family losses. Between 2010 and 2020, there were 423,290 hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use in Brazil. The objective of the study is to evaluate and discuss the profile of hospitalizations for alcohol use disorders in Maranhão. This is an epidemiological study of hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use between 2013 and 2023 in Maranhão. The data were taken from the SUS Hospital Information System and stratified into: age group, sex, race/color and type of care. 7,689 people were hospitalized for alcohol-related disorders. In the age group, 30-39 years old (29.9%), 40-49 years old (25.6%) and 20-29 years old (20.4%) stood out, and 2023 with both highest percentages per year: 40-49 years old (27.9%) and 30-39 years old (26.8%) - follow the national parameter of emphasis for age groups. In terms of sex, there was an increasing trend for both sexes in most of the annual analysis, with a predominance of males (82.06%) in relation to females (17.9%) in the general analysis, a predominance that follows the literature. In terms of color/race, there was a predominance of white women (58.3%) in relation to brown women (23.9%) and black women (0.56%), with emphasis on the percentage without information (14.1%). Regarding the nature of care, emergency services (80.6%) stood out in relation to elective services (19.4%). Therefore, people between 30-39 years old, male, white and in emergency care represent the predominance of hospitalizations for mental and behavioral disorders caused by alcohol in Maranhão. The predominance of men and young people and the year 2023 stand out as factors that reflect the contemporary importance of increasing specific policies to improve public health and safety and, therefore, reduce the number of hospitalizations for alcohol use.