Strategic indicators for monitoring and evaluation of the Psychosocial Care Network of the Brazilian Unified Health System: contributions from a logic model

Abstract

This study aimed to propose a set of monitoring and evaluation indicators for Brazil's Psychosocial Care Network, based on the construction of a logic model. This is a qualitative study with a descriptive-exploratory purpose, structured in two complementary methodological stages: a scoping review of the scientific literature following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the PRISMA-ScR checklist (covering the period 2013-2023), and a documentary analysis of technical standards and legislation related to the RAPS to elaborate the logic model and align the indicators. The review included 22 studies, revealing heterogeneity in the definitions and operationalization of indicators and a predominance of process indicators over those related to outcome and impact. The logic model highlighted the complexity of the RAPS, incorporating seven main components: Governance and Planning, Regulation and Financing, Monitoring and Evaluation, Training and Continuing Education, Intersectoral Integration and Social Participation, and Psychosocial Care. Based on the logic model, 54 indicators were proposed, distributed across four dimensions: structure (27 indicators), process (10 indicators), product (9 indicators), and outcome and impact (8 indicators). This study contributes to strengthening the evaluation of the Psychosocial Care Network through a detailed logic model and strategic indicators aligned with the context of the SUS. It can guide managers, policymakers, and researchers in the continuous assessment of the quality and sustainability of psychosocial care, favoring the consolidation of the community-based care model and guaranteeing the rights of people with mental disorders.