Cash Transfers and Psychiatric Hospitalization for At-Risk Populations in Brazil

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Psychiatric disorders pose a significant global public health challenge.
• Targeted policies are crucial to mitigate the impact of mental health conditions, particularly for vulnerable groups.
• The Brazilian Bolsa Familia Program (BFP) is a large-scale conditional cash transfer program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Bolsa Familia Program (BFP) and psychiatric disorder hospitalizations.
• To examine the relationship between the BFP and the availability of community mental health services.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale cohort study using linked social and health data from the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort (2008-2015).
• Analysis included over 38 million individuals registered in CadÚnico.
• Psychiatric disorder hospitalizations were identified using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), excluding substance use disorders.

Main Results:

• A total of 56,646 individuals were hospitalized for psychiatric disorders during the study period.
• Participation in the BFP was associated with a 23% lower risk of psychiatric hospitalization (HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.76-0.79).
• The protective association was stronger among Pardo and Black individuals and those residing in the poorest municipalities.

Conclusions:

• The Bolsa Familia Program (BFP) is associated with a reduced risk of psychiatric hospitalizations.
• The findings highlight the potential of cash transfer programs in addressing health inequalities and improving mental health outcomes.
• The study underscores the importance of social policies in mitigating the burden of psychiatric disorders, especially for marginalized populations.