Neuroticismo, emoções e comportamentos de risco em usuários de um ambulatório de saúde mental

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between negative emotive state, a personality trace called neuroticism and intention to be engaged in risk behaviors in a sample from patients in psychiatric and/or psychological treatment in a Mental Health Public Service in Uberlândia-MG. Twenty people participated to the search and they showed several risk behaviors: suicide attempts, alcohol and drugs abuse, aggressively and so one. Participants showed the following personality diagnostics: personality disorders , humor disorders, alcohol and drugs dependence, obsessive compulsive disorders and anxiety problems. The participants answered three instruments: two scales (Neuroticism/Emotional Adjustment Factorial Scale and Risk Behavior Scale) as well descriptive reports on risk behavior (scripts). The instruments set was applied in the Basic Health Unit, after voluntary accepting and signing the Term of Free and Informed Consent. After the data collection, descriptive and correlation analysis were performed. Results showed that most participants presented neuroticism level over the pattern, specifically in vulnerability, anxiety and depression dimensions . Women showed depression scores a little higher than men (M=34,19). Among the types of risk behavior (health, social, legal/ethic and financial ones), the intention to be engaged in social risk behaviors was the most frequent among the participants. Social, health and legal/ethic risk behaviors showed positive significant relation to psychosocial maladjustment and anxiety dimensions. Health risk behavior showed negative relation to vulnerability and depression dimensions. Social risk behavior related negatively to vulnerability and age dimensions. Angry was the only emotion that was positively and significantly related to intentions to show social and health/physical integrity risk behaviors. This study allowed to verify in preliminary how neuroticism, as one of the dimensions of human personality, is related to risk behaviors and to emotions of psychiatric and psychological treatment. These results are important to prevention and intervention programs, which must consider risk multidimensional nature and peculiarities that neuroticism imposes the risk behavior intention .