(Mis)paths of mental health care: perceptions of workers at psychosocial care centers

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7213/psicolargum.44.124.AO02

Abstract

The complexity of psychological suffering and mental health care is a daily reality within the services that make up the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS). In this context, this descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach aimed to understand the perceptions of workers at Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) in a municipality of the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba (PR) regarding care paradigms. Fifteen professionals with higher education degrees from three CAPS were interviewed, and the data were subjected to Content Analysis. The reports indicate the coexistence of psychosocial and asylum modes within the services, pointing out that the CAPS “brand” does not, by itself, ensure adherence to the ethics of Psychosocial Care. Ambivalences are intensified by concrete obstacles, such as work overload and resource scarcity, pressuring teams into an urgency-driven logic to the detriment of territorial-based care. The research highlights creative initiatives and resistance strategies as existing potentials within the services. It is observed that the absence of minimum resources undermines the orientation towards Psychosocial Care, reinforcing the need for increased investment in the RAPS and the elimination of incentives for policies contrary to the psychosocial logic. The advancement of mental health policies depends on the coordination between different levels of management and social actors, integrating users, family members, and the community in planning to guarantee practices aligned with the territory's needs and to overcome resistance to change. This requires, in addition to investments, a cultural shift built through permanent education, interdisciplinary team training, and the strengthening of social and community support networks.

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Author Biographies

Aldiney Ramos de Melo, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Mestrado em Saúde Mental e Atenção Psicossocial (Saúde Coletiva)

Rafaela Carine Jaquetti, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO PARANÁ (UFPR), PREFEITURA MUNICIPAL DE SÃO JOSÉ DOS PINHAIS (PR)

Mestre em Psicologia

Published

2026-03-30

How to Cite

Ramos de Melo, A., & Carine Jaquetti, R. (2026). (Mis)paths of mental health care: perceptions of workers at psychosocial care centers. Psicologia Argumento, 44(124), 1368–1386. https://doi.org/10.7213/psicolargum.44.124.AO02