Reformulations in the national mental health policy: analysis of assistance data in the period from 2012 to 2022

This article aims to analyze data on care in the field of public mental healthcare in Brazil from 2012 to 2022, corresponding to the years before , after the implementation of the New Mental Health Policy. For this purpose, quantitative methodology, of the longitudinal ecological study type, was used. Data was extracted for the period from 2012 to 2022. The sources used were Health Information Systems. The data was compiled into time series and analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques. The results pointed to the enhancement of outpatient services and a decrease in the expansion of Psychosocial Care Centers and Primary Care facilities after 2017, indicating compliance with the New Policy guidelines to deprioritize territorial and community-based services. The number of psychiatric hospitals showed little variation for the entire period, indicating not only alignment with the strengthening of hospital institutions indicated in the New Policy, but also weaknesses in the deinstitutionalization policy of the period prior to 2017. This study concludes that the effects of the changes in national policies on the organization, management and execution of the health system can be seen, but at the same time there is continuity in various aspects.