Violência na produção de sofrimento, oficina na promoção de saúde: estudo da história de vida de mulheres em um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial II

Abstract

This dissertation aimed to investigate the meanings produced by female users of a Psychosocial Care Center regarding their participation in workshops and the presence of suffering related to the experience of violence, in light of their life stories. The methodology adopted was qualitative, using "thematic life story" interviews conducted with six women between the ages of 35 and 55, as well as observations in workshops and a review of medical records. The study was conducted at a CAPS II in a municipality in Minas Gerais with approximately 100,000 inhabitants. Thematic analysis of the data led to the development of two articles that address different dimensions of psychosocial care for women experiencing psychological distress. The first article, “Workshops at the CAPS and Women's Mental Health: The Meanings Produced by Users”, investigated the meanings produced by women regarding their participation in workshops, revealing that these spaces operate as places of welcome, socialization, and the building of bonds, strengthening self-esteem, and fostering autonomy. However, the study also highlighted challenges: workshops alone do not guarantee a therapeutic function and cannot be reduced to a mere time-filling activity. It is necessary to rethink their integration into the Singular Therapeutic Projects (STPs) and their articulation with the territory. The second article, “Violence and Women's Life Stories: Trajectories of CAPS Users”, focused on the presence of gender-based violence in the participants' trajectories. The accounts revealed experiences marked by different forms of violence, often beginning in childhood or adolescence and recurring in adulthood, with profound impacts on mental health. The analysis also highlighted the formal and informal support networks involved in addressing these situations and the role of the CAPS as a space for listening and protection. It also emphasizes the urgent need for public policies that address gender-based violence in a structural way, integrated into the mental health network.