The Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, announced this Tuesday (3) the beginning of the mental health telecare through the SUS (Unified Health System) with a focus on betting games. The service is aimed at people aged 18 or over who have compulsive gaming, as well as family members and a support network.
Carried out in partnership with Hospital Sírio-Libanês, through the Support Program for the Institutional Development of the Unified Health System (Proadi-SUS), the free service will guarantee specialized assistance to people with a compulsion for the well-known bets. The initial expectation is 600 online services per month, but the ministry may increase this number, depending on demand. The idea is to reach 100 thousand services per month.
“We are able to take another step to welcome and help these people overcome the mental suffering that is directly associated with compulsive electronic betting which, in addition to being a mental health problem, leads to financial distress and family problems. When we look at the CAPs data [Centros de Atenção Psicossocial ]we have seen, in recent years, 2,000 to 3,000 consultations just from people who go in person to say that they have a problem with compulsive gaming,” said Padilha.
Consultations are carried out via video, last an average of 45 minutes and are part of structured care cycles, which can include up to 13 consultations per patient, in a group with their support network or individually. The service is free and confidential. The team is multidisciplinary, made up of psychologists and occupational therapists, with support from a psychiatrist when necessary, in addition to coordination with social assistance and family medicine for integration with local services.
How to access
To access the service, the interested party must register through the Meu SUS Digital application. To use the new service, you must download the application, which is available free of charge in Android, IOS stores or the web version, log in with your gov.br account and, on the home page, click on the “Miniapps” item. Then select the option “Problems with betting games?”.
The person will have access to a self-test, based on scientific evidence and validated in Brazil by experts, with questions that help identify signs of risk and guide the next step. If the result indicates moderate or high risk, referral to teleservice is automatic. In cases of lower risk, the application advises you to look for the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS), which includes everything from Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) to Basic Health Units (UBS).
Meu SUS Digital also has informative content on warning signs, prevention and the impact of the practice on mental health. Furthermore, the SUS Ombudsman is trained and prepared to provide guidance on the topic. Professionals answer by phone 136, via call center, via form, WhatsApp or chatbot on the Ministry of Health website. All information follows the rules of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD).
A recent study showed that betting causes economic and social losses to the country estimated at R$38.8 billion annually. “This action by the Ministry of Health is yet another response to the recent phenomenon of problematic behaviors related to gaming and betting, mainly online. Spontaneous demand for in-person care is still low, often due to shame, fear of judgment or difficulty in recognizing the problem. In this way, teleservice was structured precisely to expand access to care in a reserved, safe and accessible way”, says the ministry.
Training
According to Padilha, the department is training health professionals for this specific service, in partnership with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz). 20 thousand vacancies were offered to health workers.
“We have already had 13 thousand registrations for the course and 1.5 thousand have already completed this training. We have another 7 thousand vacancies and I believe we will have to open more when this number ends. This care plan aims, if possible, to resolve the compulsion with teleservices. Otherwise, to be able to direct this person to the entire Psychosocial Care Network”, he highlighted.
Teleservice is part of the Care Line for People with Problems Related to Gambling, which also contains clinical guidance found in the Care Guide for People with Gambling-Related Problems.
Self-exclusion blocking
Within the set of federal government actions To prevent and assist with online betting compulsion, there is also the Centralized Self-Exclusion Platformfor blocking betting sites, available since last December. The tool allows bettors who want to stop their addiction to request to be blocked from betting sites, in addition to making their CPF unavailable for new registrations or receiving advertising for bets. Through the platform, it is possible to choose how long the bettor wants to block betting sites for: two months, six months, or indefinitely. Registration can be done via the email address gov.br/autoexclusaoapostas, using a silver or gold level gov.br account.
“More than 300 thousand people are already treating themselves by self-excluding, reducing exposure to this risk, including blocking advertisements. And the majority of people who accessed the platform selected the block for an indefinite period”, points out Padilha.
He highlights that, when the user self-excludes, through the CPF it is possible to know what their SUS card is and whether they attend a Basic Health Unit.
“The effort is to identify serious mental health risks and refer them to care correctly and quickly,” said Padilha.
