O adoecimento mental: percepções sobre a identidade da pessoa que sofre

Abstract

The perceptions that women followed up at psychosocial care centers have about themselves, other people and society, in view of their mental illness, were addressed. The influence that this service had on their identities was examined. This was a qualitative, descriptive study using topical life histories.Data were gathered through interviews, direct observation and a field diary. Thematic analysis was interpreted using Goffman's framework. The results revealed that these women's perceptions of identity differed from before to after their mental illness. They perceived that their families were distant from them, with difficulty in dealing with the illness; that professionals were welcoming; and that psychosocial centers contributed towards reconstruction and expression of identities, thereby promoting self-knowledge, guidance and emotional support. However, they saw that the service lacked refinement of actions for ensuring rights and investment in new aid strategies with the capacity to defend possible identities that are flexible and adaptable.Keywords: Personal identity. Mental health services. Mentally ill individuals. Psychological stress. COMUNICAÇÃO SAÚDE EDUCAÇÃO 2015; 19(54):479-90Introduction Study seeks to understand how women with mental illness undergoing treatment in a mental health service facility (re)construct and reveal their identity through their perception of self, of others and society.Identity is the set of features, images and feelings that a person recognises as being part of him or her self 1 . The discovery of identity depends on the person and the negotiations he or she undertakes with others occurring at any given moment and in any given context 2,3 . It is metamorphosis and is historically constituted, since the human being, full of possibilities, constantly (re)constructs him or herself throughout the course of his or her life and is both protagonist and author of his or her own history 4 .Thus, although the construction of identity in the contemporary world occurs within vast intertwining arenas of insecurity, in which life is bound to the dynamics of a globalized capitalist economy and interconnected with an institutionalised and permanent risk environment, living and surviving in this conjuncture enables it to be mutable, flexible and adaptable 5,6 .Goffman separates identity into three dimensions: social identity, personal identity, and ego identity. Social identity is defined by people who do not know the person in question. What they know about the individual is either what they have heard, what they have been socially permitted to know through the observation of the context which they frequent, or comes from their ancestors and information received from third parties. Personal identity, on the other hand, is constructed from a person's life stories. With respect to the ego identity, the individual is permitted to construct his or her own identity, which is more intimate, similar to the essence of the individual; how the person identifies him or herself 7 .This study concern...

Preconceito aos indivíduos com transtorno mental como agravo do sofrimento

“…22 It should be noted that some families are not prepared to play roles in the process of rehabilitation of individuals with mental disorders and, instead of helping, increase suffering and favor the manifestation of prejudice and stigma. 23 It is understood, however, that the family can not be blamed for the cases of manifestation of mental disorder, because one must take into account the historical, social and cultural contexts of these families so that this misconception is not committed. Therefore, families also need help to cope with this situation, which overloads this whole social structure.…”

Violence in Women With a Diagnosis of Depression

“…17 Existe elevado percentual de problemas mentais em mulheres que sofreram violência, os quais interferem diretamente na qualidade de vida das vítimas e de suas famílias, podendo resultar em situações de morbidade e perdas potenciais quanto aos aspectos pessoais, sociais, afetivos e econômicos. 9,18 A violência e a depressão geraram graves consequências na vida das participantes, destacando-se o abandono da atividade laboral, a falta de ânimo para realizar as atividades, o isolamento social, o desenvolvimento ou agravo de problemas de saúde e a ausência de expectativas com o futuro.…”

“…É bastante comum que mulheres violentadas utilizem abusivamente medicamentos e alimentem pensamentos suicidas, depressão, insônia, pesadelos, ansiedade e dificuldade para tomar decisões. 9 Muitas vezes, essa situação é responsável pelo comprometimento da produtividade, gerando altos índices de absenteísmo laboral, que resultam na perda do emprego. 18 O abuso emocional pode ser tão danoso quanto o abuso físico.…”

“…1,8 Entre esses problemas, merece destaque o comprometimento da saúde mental, sobretudo frequentes quadros depressivos. 9 Uma mulher que sofre agressão está vulnerável a desenvolver depressão, sendo esta desencadeada por diversas situações, a exemplo de privação de liberdade, diminuição da autoestima e isolamento social. 10 Esse contexto provoca alto custo econômico e social para a vida dessas pessoas e para o desenvolvimento saudável de um país, gerando gastos elevados ao Estado para reduzir os índices de criminalidade e otimizar as políticas públicas de saúde.…”

“…10 Esse contexto provoca alto custo econômico e social para a vida dessas pessoas e para o desenvolvimento saudável de um país, gerando gastos elevados ao Estado para reduzir os índices de criminalidade e otimizar as políticas públicas de saúde. 9 Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi compreender a relação entre a depressão e o histórico de violência em mulheres.…”