Practice and perception of primary healthcare professionals about mental health

Abstract

It is essential to understand the existing hindrances in Primary Healthcare regarding Mental Health in order to improve services. The objective of this study was to get to know the practice and perception of professionals about Mental Health in Primary Healthcare to help understand the perceived difficulties. It was a qualitative transversal study conducted with Family Health Strategy professionals in the Brazilian city of Itumbiara, state of Goiás, through a semistructured survey, which was analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis. The following barriers were identified: inability to deal with Mental Health demands, hesitance to contact users, lack of specific work processes, and non-understanding of how to conduct follow-up and interlocution among health services in order to guarantee a comprehensive care. The main hindrance is in how to do it, requiring effective Permanent Education interventions.