Infantile-juvenile mental health in the ABS (Basic Attention to Health): from conception to perspectives for care

Abstract

Introduction: The literature points to a recent movement to advance in the understanding of other dimensions that permeate infantile-juvenile mental health care, such as, for example, lack of experience, affinity with the field and professional training and the conception of mental health taken by health professionals. Objective: To identify the conceptions of managers and/or members of the Basic Attention to Health team on children and adolescents’ mental health, as well as their affinities, experiences and training in this field. Method: Exploratory and descriptive research, with a quantitative-qualitative approach. 53 managers and/or team members from Health Units from seven cities in the State of São Paulo participated. For data collection, a Participant Identification and Characterization Form, and a General Questionnaire were used. For the analysis, descriptive statistics were used for quantitative information and qualitative data were analyzed using the categorical analysis technique. Results: An expanded conception of children's mental health was observed, so that, in addition to the characteristic aspects of the medical-psychiatric model, the participants recognized the social determinants and contextual variables in the concepts presented. The hypothesis raised is that professional training, affinity with the field and previous experiences can influence the adopted concept of children and adolescents’ mental health as well as the care developed in health facilities. Conclusion: It is considered essential to better understand infantile-juvenile mental health within the scope of services in order to reflect on strategies that favor the approximation of health professionals with this field, contributing and qualifying care.