The meanings of mental health care from the meetings and reports of CAPS users

Abstract

This study investigates changes in the field of mental health in the Brazilian scenario, analyzing the creation of community services and public policies related to care. With that, it aims to assess the conception of mental health care according to its users, contributing to the dialogue between deinstitutionalization and the field current panorama based on an ethnographic approach. This is a qualitative participant observation research conducted in a Center of Psychosocial Attention (CAPS) III in the city of Santos, Sao Paulo. Data were collected by means of focus groups and field diaries and treated by thematic analysis, resulting in three main discussion axes: care and embracement; real daily needs of users and the perception of complexity in care and meetings; and these institutions social mandate, with numerous and complex roles.