The “patient-centered” or “freestyle” method: the approach to common mental suffering in family and community medicine residency programs

Abstract

This work presents a qualitative study of the approach to common mental suffering (CMS) in family and community medicine residency programs in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 participants from three residency programs between March and May 2022. The data were interpreted drawing on the principles of Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis method. According to the participants, CMS is a frequent demand in primary care and should be approached using mainly psychosocial interventions. However, the participants recognize that they have not applied these interventions in the manner recommended by the literature. The interviewees reported that despite being aware of a diverse range of intervention techniques, they only know how to apply some, with emphasis on the components of the “patient-centered clinical method”. This fact has contributed to the awakening of negative emotions, such as anguish and frustration, and increased the number of unnecessary referrals to other professionals.