The Critical Connection: Austerity, Vulnerability, and Mental Health in Brazil The direct relationship between the socioeconomic context and the population’s mental health is undeniable. In Brazil, the advancement of austerity measures and the consequent dismantling of social protection policies have drastically impacted citizens’ lives.
For us, health professionals, especially in Nursing, the focus must turn to the most vulnerable populations. The set of predatory measures within austerity regimes contributes to the increase of symptoms understood as Common Mental Disorders (CMD). These symptoms (such as insomnia, fatigue, irritability, and feelings of worthlessness) are frequently found in individuals of low socioeconomic status, women, and other minority groups. Poverty and inequalities not only generate CMD but create a vicious cycle that amplifies social exclusion and the lack of protection.
1. Beyond the Symptom: The Nurse as Manager of Psychosocial Care Mental health care, particularly in vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly with anxiety disorders, cannot be limited to individualistic and decontextualized diagnoses. Nursing, acting within the multidisciplinary team, is called to go beyond clinical management. It is we who collaboratively build, with subjects and communities, ethical and political strategies for managing psychological distress.
Our role focuses on:
- Holistic and Territory-based Understanding: We demand consideration of territories, violence, and subjectivities. The health model cannot be detached from community reality, as this reproduces the coloniality of knowledge and structural racism.
- Community Case Management: Innovative practices in psychic care, such as home visits, therapeutic accompaniment (TA), and family support, are essential to support the subject in the world of relationships and expand their urban space.
2. Facing Structures of Oppression The analyzed studies prove that socioeconomic and gender inequalities, and especially ethnic-racial inequalities, are intrinsically linked to mental suffering.
- Racial Vulnerability: Being Black or non-white makes the occurrence of CMD more likely. This is due to racism, discrimination, and precarious access to social rights.
- The Ethical-Political Commitment: Psychology and Latin American Nursing must free themselves from structures of oppression. This means our actions need to be an ethical-political project of social transformation.
- Action in the Territory: Experiences with Quilombola and Indigenous communities demonstrate that valuing stories of resistance, recognizing ways of life, and allying technical-scientific knowledge with popular knowledge are crucial tools for building appropriate health practices.
Conclusion: Our Contribution of Great Significance Given the scenario of austerity and vulnerabilization in Brazil, Nursing cannot be merely a clinical practice; it must be a science allied with social transformation.
At [Your Institution or Project Name], we ensure that our mental health practice:
- Recognizes the past: We care for historical memories, breaking the silence and giving a collective dimension to suffering, as is the goal of the “Testimony Clinics” project.
- Combats Structural Racism: Overcoming racism must be a transversal and structuring theme in all our ethical-political actions.
- Prioritizes Equity: We work with the perspective of Martín-Baró, ensuring that our knowledge and practices are articulated for understanding reality and fulfilling human rights.
Our commitment is to the empowerment of the virtues of the people, transforming the clinic into a space for denouncing state violence and building a fairer future for all Brazilians.
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