Banca de DEFESA: JOAO DIEGO OLIVEIRA DE MENEZES

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOAO DIEGO OLIVEIRA DE MENEZES
DATE: 10/07/2026
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: sala virtual
TITLE:

The Role of Diagnosis in Shaping Care for Autistic Children: The Experience of Family Health Strategy Professionals with Risk Assessment in the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro

KEY WORDS:

autism; mental health; primary care; psychiatric diagnosis

PAGES: 153
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUMMARY:

Since the propositions of Leo Kanner and Hans Asperger—which helped establish autism as a nosographic category within the field of psychopathology—understanding of the subject has undergone significant changes. With the revisions introduced in the fourth and fifth editions of the DSM, the diagnosis of autism has become alarmingly more common. Concurrently, the last two decades have seen a marked increase in its incidence. This trend has sparked reflection and debate regarding whether we are experiencing an epidemic of autism diagnoses—driven by shifts in psychiatry and by cultural, material, and economic factors—with repercussions across public and private sectors in various countries. Domestically, within the Unified Health System (SUS), numerous public services dedicated exclusively to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have emerged, although these services often diverge from established guidelines for Child and Adolescent Mental Health policy. This study aimed to investigate, analyze, and understand the uses and meanings of the diagnosis within the care process for children with suspected or confirmed ASD in primary care units in Rio de Janeiro. It also sought to analyze the perceptions held by physicians and nurses working in Family Health teams—linked to the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Secretariat’s basic health units—regarding the work process organized by Technical Note SMS-OFI-2023/32745 (dated September 12, 2023). To this end, we employed a qualitative, cross-sectional methodology using a dialectical-hermeneutic approach, utilizing document analysis and semi-structured interviews with Family Health physicians and nurses in Rio de Janeiro’s basic health units. Data analysis was conducted using Content Analysis, specifically the Thematic Analysis method. The research findings highlighted the progression of medicalization processes rooted in the use of psychiatric terminology to explain life's impasses and challenges. The results also suggest the development of diagnostic services aimed at autistic individuals, which can be understood as components of the Autism Industrial Complex and its political economy. Finally, we also identified significant impasses, challenges, and contradictions regarding autism risk assessment in children within Rio de Janeiro's primary healthcare system

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2079602 - LUNA RODRIGUES FREITAS SILVA
Interna - 1195374 - DEBORAH UHR
Externo à Instituição - ROSSANO CABRAL LIMA - UERJ