Challenges and Possibilities of Matrix Support in the Construction of Mental Health Care in Primary Care
Matrix Support; Mental Health; Primary Health Care
The Primary Health Care, through the Family Health Strategy, constitutes the privileged gateway of the Brazilian Health System. The Family Health teams work as references in the health care provided in the territories and, on doing so, they count on the specialized support of multiple professionals that build the Support Center for Family Health (NASF). In this context, the attendance and support are provided to variable cases, including mental health demands. This process of collective construction of the health assistance presents itself as a new reality for the teams and territories, counterpointing the traditional model of the vertical organization and hierarchy of health devices, whereby the cases referrals often arises by means of responsibility transfer and lack of communication. The matrix support, as a valued way of health promotion, grants a shared and integrated construction between the Family Health teams and NASF teams. The present study worked on acknowledging the process of construction of the mental health care in the primary health care in accordance with the professionals' perceptions who work as specialists on NASF in one of the territories of Rio de Janeiro. In data collection, four psychologists and four social assistance answered a semi-structured interview, conducted from a set of open questions conceived to the study finality. The investigation examined the challenges, limits, and possibilities of the technical support of NASF in mental health cases. It also searched the professionals' perceptions of the matricial practice in those cases, for instance, the characteristics of care construction and the ways of interaction between the teams. Data collected was categorized and qualitatively analyzed, in accordance with the methodological perspective of Bardin's content analysis. The result was arranged into three thematic axes: aspects that characterize the matrix support, matricial practice and, finally, process perceptions and results of the matrix support in mental health cases. Participants characterized the matrix support as an offer of technical support and a combined action construction of care actions. It was also understood as an opportunity of qualification and reinforcement of the healthcare teams and an opportunity of improving the health services. In relation to the matricial support practices, the interviewees reported and exemplified types and modes of mental health care demand that the eSF present to NASF teams. In addition, it was enlightened by the professionals the dynamic of the interactions between the teams. They also pointed out the challenges and difficulties perceived over these interactions, for example, the poor availability, centrality of care and resistance to professional capacitation proposals. Referring to the results' evaluation of matrix support in mental health care, the professionals highlighted the relevance and contributions of NASF actions, pointing their strategic role and advances. The professionals' actualization, ample workload and fewer number of teams to provide matrix support were pointed as aspects that benefit care construction. On the other hand, the mental health cases high demand, an extensive number of teams to support, high rotativity of professionals and the lack of support for continuing and concluding the attendances have been signed as limiting aspects. The study enabled a wide and detailed view of the matrix support processes in primary care. Those processes revealed to be permeated by limits and challenges but also advancement, already recognized in the mental healthcare construction.