Brazil expands mental health services with 800 new facilities
The Brazilian Ministry of Health has authorized 798 new mental‑health service units since 2023, comprising specialized hospital beds, 42 new Centros de Atenção Psicossocial (CAPS), 45 therapeutic residential services, 12 de‑institutionalisation teams and five adult care units. The expansion also introduced a nationwide tele‑consultation service for psychologists and psychiatrists, delivered in partnership with the Hospital Sírio‑Libanês, and a centralized self‑exclusion platform for gambling, which by early 2026 had registered over 574,000 users, 41% of whom cited loss of control over gambling as a primary reason. The public mental‑health network now serves 52,000 users, a 6% rise from 2022, and its annual budget grew from R$ 1.7 million in 2022 to R$ 2.9 million in 2025, marking a 70% increase. Planned services for 2026 will receive a monthly federal investment of roughly R$ 2.3 million.