Ações em saúde mental por agentes comunitário de saúde.

Abstract

The Family Health Strategy (FHS) is shown to be a powerful instrument in the process of transforming mental health care, since it allows for a closer relationship between users, family, professionals and the community. An actor who deserves prominence in the ESF and the Community Health Agent (CHA) due to his insertion in the territory and the possibility of promoting changes that are really lasting. This study sought to know the mental health actions developed by the CHA and to verify the main difficulties for the development of these health actions in this field of knowledge. This is an exploratory study, with a qualitative approach. The study subjects were 16 CHA who work in three Basic Family Health Units in the municipality of Pombal - PB. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire containing objective questions about the profile of the CHA and a script with guiding questions for conducting the interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using graphs. Qualitative data were analyzed using the Content Analysis method, in its Thematic Analysis modality. The researcher faithfully followed the ethical observances of Resolution 196/96 of the National Health Council. It was found that the study subjects are exclusively female, the average age among the CHA was 42.4 years, and 75% of these professionals are married. Regarding the level of education, 62.5% completed high school. All CHWs live in the neighborhood where they work, with an average length of service of 14.1 years. In the second stage of the research, it was possible to know the mental health actions developed by the CHA in relation to people in mental distress, which was identified as referral, monitoring, home visits and medication supervision, as well as their work difficulties in the context of ESF. It is imperative that municipal public policies are implemented that provide tools, technologies and knowledge about the health-disease process; the principles of Psychiatric Reform, the complexity of mental suffering, as a way to improve knowledge, as well as the FHS and managers of the Municipal Health Secretariat to systematize mental health training for CHWs. .