The Concept of Mental Health for Health Professionals: A Cross-Sectional and Qualitative Study

Lorraine Vivian Gaino et al

The Study:This study aimed to investigate and compare the concept of mental health among professionals working in different services of the public health network in a city in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. Conducted in 2017, this qualitative research collected data through semi-structured interviews with 20 health professionals. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Keywords: Mental Health, Health Personnel, Health Services, Qualitative Research

Main Findings:Two primary categories were identified: Integral Perspective and Psychiatric Symptoms and Disease. Most participants associated mental health with well-being, the integrality of the human being, and the social determinants of the health-disease process. However, some professionals from specialized services and the Urgency and Emergency Unit described mental health as the absence of disease and psychiatric symptoms.

Practical Implications:These findings reflect the health approach adopted by the World Health Organization and the Brazilian Unified Health System. Promoting discussions and network-based strategies among professionals from different health services could broaden and consolidate a more comprehensive view of health.

Reference:Gaino, L. V., Souza, J., Cirineu, C. T., & Tulimosky, T. D. (2018). The mental health concept for health professionals: A cross-sectional and qualitative study. SMAD, Revista Eletrônica Saúde Mental Álcool e Drogas, 14(2), 108-116. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1806-6976.smad.2018.149449116.

Gaino et al., 2018.pdf

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