Além do diagnóstico : câncer de mama, identidade e feminilidade sob a perspectiva psicanalítica

Abstract

The present study investigated the impact of breast cancer in the identity and in the perception of femininity of women after cancer treatment, from the psychoanalytic perspective, with an emphasis in the processes of resignification and coping strategies. A qualitative and exploratory research, with interviews with three women who make use of the Support House for Users of the Health and Social Assistance of Pedra Branca, located in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil, using qualified listening as the main method of data collection. The results revealed that the breast cancer experience transcends clinical aspects, causing profound transformations in the subjectivity in the patients. The femininity was resignified in different ways, being associated with resistance, survival, spirituality and affective bonds as bases for identity reconstruction. The absence of formal psychology follow-up emerged as a significant gap, highlighting the need for a comprehensive care model that goes beyond biomedical focus. The psychoanalysis proved to be a relevant tool to understand these processes, highlighting how the patients elaborated different strategies to deal with the body and/or emotional changes. The social support, specially the support offered by the Support House, played a crucial role in coping with the disease. It is concluded that psychoanalytic interventions can contribute to the reconstruction of female identity after cancer, suggesting the importance of public policies that integrate mental health with cancer treatment.