A Psychosocial Care Center team's work from a family's perspective

Abstract

The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of family members of patients seen at a Psychosocial Care Center (PSCC) in terms of the work performed by the mental health team. The theoretical-philosophical framework used was phenomenological sociology. Data collection took place by means of an interview performed with 13 family members in October and November, 2006 at a PSCC in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The comprehensive analysis yielded three categories. This article focuses on one of those categories: work as a project, action, and act. The analysis permitted to consider that the PSCC team's work has concrete results in mental health care; the team's actions are user-centered; and that the team's work should increase family-service integration. These considerations could serve as support for mental health teams to reflect about their practice regarding involving the patient's family in their work.