Terapias complementares como estratégias de promoção da saúde mental para agentes comunitários de saúde

Abstract

Introduction: Community Health Agents (CHA) are essential professionals in primary care, mediating care between the community and health services, performing functions such as health guidance, integration of promotion and prevention actions, home visits and monitoring of social programs, integrating into the family health team, in addition to other more technical and bureaucratic duties. However, they face various physical, cognitive and psychological burdens, such as exposure to adverse conditions, risks of violence, stress and lack of support, compromising their quality of life and mental health. The lack of structure and adequate training aggravates these problems, affecting their professional performance. Therefore, attention must be paid to the scope of quality of life at work, mainly directed to the field of mental health, with the purpose of reducing negative repercussions on the work process. Objective: Evaluate the effects of integrative therapies in promoting the mental health of CHWs in basic health care. Methodology: Firstly, a descriptive and cross-sectional study was developed with a quantitative approach and then a quasi-experimental research with a non-randomized clinical trial using a mixed approach. The research was developed in the Family Health Units (USFs) located in the Health District II and IV in the city of João Pessoa-PB. The non-probabilistic sample was for convenience and included nine teams from the selected USFs, totaling 35 ACS, however, in the quasi-experimental phase, 24 ACS participated due to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Three instruments were used for data collection, namely the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), the form created using the Google Forms platform and the structured interview. The quantitative data were analyzed with the aid of the statistical software Jamovi 2.6 and the qualitative data were analyzed using IRAMUTEQ using the Descending Hierarchical Classification, finally the content analysis suggested by Bardin was carried out. Results: The sample was mostly female, 77.1%, with an average age of 51.7 years. The majority identified themselves as mixed race 62.9% and more than 60% completed high school. Regarding marital status, 57.1% were married or living in a stable union, and 77.1% had children. In economic terms, 77.1% received around two minimum wages. All participants had at least 10 years of experience, with 45.7% having worked for 21 to 25 years. In self-perceived health, 51.5% considered their condition to be regular, even reporting frequent symptoms such as worry 88.6%, physical pain 85.7% and stress 82.9%. Initially, 74.2% of CHWs presented mental suffering, but after integrative therapies, the majority of participants showed a significant reduction in this suffering, with only one CHW maintaining elevated symptoms. Conclusion: It is noted that integrative therapies are strategies that can be effective for promoting mental health in CHWs, with positive results indicated by the reduction of mental suffering and symptoms initially presented in the participant sample after the intervention.