The family planning of women with mental disorders: what CAPS professionals have to say

Abstract

The objective of this study was to explore the family planning demands that occur at the Psychosocial Care Center (Centro de Atendimento Psicossocial - CAPS) and investigate the contributions of this service to women with mental disorders. This qualitative study was performed with eight workers from a CAPS located in Fortaleza-CE. Data collection was performed through interviews, and the data were submitted to content analysis. The following demands were identified: relatives' request for information on how to cope with a sexually active patient; patients susceptible to sexual violence and pregnancy; and women with depression taking lithium carbonate. Contributions identified were: the need for an integrated network (primary healthcare/CAPS) with professionals who understand the complexities regarding these women's family planning; supportive care should be provided in the primary healthcare setting, emphasizing matrix organization as a strategy to make both centers co-responsible, thus avoiding unnecessary patient referrals to the CAPS by strengthening the ability to deal with these cases in the primary healthcare setting.