Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A discrepância verificada entre a elevada prevalência de perturbações mentais e o reduzido
número de pessoas que recebe tratamento especializado (Wang, Berglund, Olfson, Pincus,
Wells & Kessler, 2005) levou a um crescente interesse nos modos pelos quais as pessoas
com problemas de saúde mental acedem aos cuidados que necessitam, conhecidos como
trajetórias de cuidados (Anderson, Fuhrer, Schmitz & Malla, 2012).
Apesar dos sólidos fundamentos teóricos e empíricos que reforçam a importância da
compreensão dos fatores envolvidos nestas trajetórias, em Portugal são escassos os estudos
publicados nesta área.
No contexto da atual reformulação de políticas de saúde mental, o presente trabalho,
inserindo-se no estudo “Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental”, tem como principal
objetivo contribuir para o desenvolvimento de um guião de entrevista e exploração das
possíveis variáveis envolvidas nas trajetórias de pessoas com problemas de saúde mental.
Para o efeito, foram conduzidas entrevistas em profundidade a 4 utentes de um serviço de
saúde mental comunitário situado no norte do país. O tratamento de dados, de cariz
qualitativo, foi realizado com recurso aos princípios da grounded theory. Obteve-se um
sistema, cujas categorias de 1ª ordem foram as seguintes: (1) tempo; (2) problemas de saúde
mental; (3) motivos ou desencadeadores; (4) agentes; (5) intervenções; (6) ações e vivências
subjetivas; e (7) perceções.
O estudo demonstrou o potencial do guião de entrevista desenvolvido, permitindo recolher
uma série de informação útil para uma compreensão inicial daquilo que se apresenta
enquanto facilitador ou obstáculo ao processo de procura e obtenção de ajuda para um
problema de saúde mental. Assim, os resultados deste estudo exploratório apresentam-se
como um contributo importante para o projeto “Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental”,
que, por sua vez, envolverá utentes, cuidadores informais e profissionais de saúde mental.
The discrepancy observed between the high prevalence of mental disorders and the low number of people receiving specialist treatment (Wang, Berglund, Olfson, Pincus, Wells & Kessler, 2005) led to a growing interest in the ways in which people with mental health problems access the care they need, known as pathways to care (Anderson, Fuhrer, Schmitz & Malla, 2012). Despite solid theoretical and empirical foundations that reinforce the importance of understanding the factors involved in these pathways, in Portugal there are few published studies in this area. This study is part of "Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental" project and, in the context of the current mental health policies reform, it intends to contribute to the development of an interview script and exploration of the possible variables involved in people with mental health problems pathways. Therefore, we conducted in-depth interviews to 4 users of a mental health service community located in the north of Portugal. Data analysis was conducted using a qualitative methodology, based on the principles of grounded theory. A system was obtained, whose first-order categories were: (1) time, (2) mental health problems, (3) reasons or triggers; (4) agents, (5) interventions, (6) actions and subjective experiences, and (7) perceptions. The study demonstrated the interview script potential, allowing to gather a variety of useful information for an initial understanding of what presents as facilitator or barrier to the seeking and obtaining help for a mental health problem. Thus, the results of this exploratory study are presented as an important contribution to the "Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental" project which, in turn, will involve users, informal carers and mental health professionals.
The discrepancy observed between the high prevalence of mental disorders and the low number of people receiving specialist treatment (Wang, Berglund, Olfson, Pincus, Wells & Kessler, 2005) led to a growing interest in the ways in which people with mental health problems access the care they need, known as pathways to care (Anderson, Fuhrer, Schmitz & Malla, 2012). Despite solid theoretical and empirical foundations that reinforce the importance of understanding the factors involved in these pathways, in Portugal there are few published studies in this area. This study is part of "Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental" project and, in the context of the current mental health policies reform, it intends to contribute to the development of an interview script and exploration of the possible variables involved in people with mental health problems pathways. Therefore, we conducted in-depth interviews to 4 users of a mental health service community located in the north of Portugal. Data analysis was conducted using a qualitative methodology, based on the principles of grounded theory. A system was obtained, whose first-order categories were: (1) time, (2) mental health problems, (3) reasons or triggers; (4) agents, (5) interventions, (6) actions and subjective experiences, and (7) perceptions. The study demonstrated the interview script potential, allowing to gather a variety of useful information for an initial understanding of what presents as facilitator or barrier to the seeking and obtaining help for a mental health problem. Thus, the results of this exploratory study are presented as an important contribution to the "Trajetórias pelos Cuidados de Saúde Mental" project which, in turn, will involve users, informal carers and mental health professionals.