Therapeutic itinerary and new services of mental health

Abstract

Studies about therapeutic itineraries can bring important contributions to the planning of mental health actions, allowing better answers to the new care scenario. In this perspective, we present some results of the research "Therapeutic itinerary of users of NAPS II in Santo André city", developed in 2006, whose main objective was to know the users' therapeutic itinerary; as secondary objectives it had: to understand the way on which the disease incorporates itself on the person quotidian and on its social network; to identify the agencies of support accessed and the participation of mental health services and, finally, to recognize the aspects that contribute to the treatment process. The investigative research was compound of documentary analyses and bibliographic research; elaboration of field diary about the follow up of service's routine activities and users, and realization of interviews. The results evinced that the individuals find different ways to deal with the mental disease and that their actions are results of quotidian negotiations among the affected individual and the people of his/her social network. Thence the importance of synergy between the health services actions and those chosen by the sick individuals in the context of their social familiar networks.