Brazil Launches Nationwide Mental health Screening Tool to Accelerate Care within Public System
Brasília, DF – November 24, 2025 – Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) is rolling out a new mental health screening tool, CuidaSM, nationwide, aiming to expedite access to care adn shift focus from diagnosis to holistic well-being. The initiative,currently being implemented across several states,is expected to reach the entire country by 2026,potentially impacting millions of patients.
CuidaSM distinguishes itself by assessing dimensions of life affected by or affecting mental health, rather than focusing on traditional diagnostic questions. “We don’t ask diagnostic questions. The scale addresses dimensions of life that are affected or affect your mental health. And we are talking about mental health, not the illness process,” explained a source familiar with the tool’s development. This approach is intended to reduce stigma and encourage individuals to seek help for a broader range of mental health needs.
The scale’s implementation is especially important for primary healthcare,considered the primary entry point for mental health services within the SUS. José Eudes Barroso Vieira, director of community Health Strategies and Policies at the Ministry of Health, emphasized the tool’s value: “Primary health care (PHC) is the preferred gateway and coordinator of health care in the SUS, including direct action in mental health, with early identification of signs of psychological distress, case management and coordination with other services within the scope of the Psychosocial Care Network. The incorporation of the CuidaSM scale appears as an innovation in offering guidance for the assessment of mental health care needs with an expanded approach, which considers multiple factors beyond symptoms or diagnoses.”
Brazil boasts a substantial network of healthcare teams poised to utilize CuidaSM, including 55,140 family health teams, 36,756 oral health teams, and over 13,000 other co-financed multidisciplinary teams. The periodic submission of the scale will allow for dynamic care plan adjustments based on evolving patient needs,according to project leads.
The move addresses a critical need to streamline care and optimize resource allocation within the SUS. “Primary care has to be able to take care of the most common conditions. Nobody thinks that there has to be a cardiologist for every hypertensive person, an endocrinologist for every diabetic. If the CAPS is full of common conditions, who will treat the serious conditions that need more intensity and care?” argued a healthcare administrator involved in the rollout.
The CuidaSM project is supported by Umane, a civil association dedicated to promoting public health initiatives.
