Therapeutic itineraries of a child and adolescent CAPS user and health practices in his territory

Abstract

The investigation of care pathways in child and adolescent mental health must consider a field of possibilities in various socio-cultural contexts, as well as processes of intersubjective choice and decision, materialized by the trajectories of each family based on their experiences. The sociology and anthropology of health emphasize that knowledge about Therapeutic Itineraries (TI) can offer a dialogue between the clinic and the history of the subjects, taking into account sociocultural aspects of personal and sociocultural history and illness. The aim of this article is to investigate, through TI, the health practices sought or adopted by the family of an eleven-year-old child, a user of a Psychosocial Care Center for children and adolescents (CAPSi – acronym in Portuguese). This was a qualitative study whose main instrument was participant observation with the boy Pedro and his family. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with his mother. Pedro’s journey took different and complementary paths. In the professional sphere, there was a search for specialists such as doctors and psychologists, although his mother was critical of medicalized treatment, stating her desire to seek more natural care. By listening and seeking solutions to the problems presented by Pedro, the route taken was neither unique nor linear but multiple.