Percepções dos trabalhadores da saúde mental a partir da pandemia da Covid-19

Abstract

The Psychosocial Care Network integrates mental health into all levels of healthcare within the scope of the Brazilian Unified Health System. Among the specialized psychosocial care services are the Psychosocial Care Centers, which act as network articulators and become reference points. Amid the daily activities of each healthcare service, in the year 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was declared. This raised a public health alert, being considered by the World Health Organization an international health emergency, characterized as a pandemic. The aim of this study is to understand the perceptions of mental health workers regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. By focusing on discussions about the pandemic's impacts on service routines, users, and mental health professionals, the goal is to provide insights for a comprehensive reflection on the effects the pandemic has had on the current landscape of mental health. This study was structured through qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research conducted with professionals from a type II CAPS. Through qualitative analysis, two triggering topics for discussion were highlighted: Routines of the Psychosocial Care Center, and the Meanings of the pandemic. The research allowed identifying both weaknesses and strengths in the perceptions of healthcare professionals, suggesting that the consequences of the pandemic can still serve as objectives for the reorganization and restructuring of RAPS, emphasizing the importance of seeking improvements in mental healthcare services through the challenges faced.