Depression: Understanding the hospitalization profile in the State of Paraná

Abstract

This study addresses depression as a public health problem, highlighting its high prevalence and impact on society. Its objective is to identify the hospitalization rate for depression in the state of Paraná over a five-year period (2020–2024). The research uses epidemiological data from the UMANE Health Observatory to investigate hospitalization rates for depression, aiming to identify patterns, trends, and specific demands. A descriptive, quantitative ecological approach was used. The analyses were organized and processed in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. The results show that hospitalizations for depression in the state of Paraná, between 2020 and 2024, remained at high levels, with rates ranging from 17.4 to 23 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants in a population of approximately 11 million people, peaking in 2023, which may be associated with the direct and indirect impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.