[Relatives of patients with mental disorders: experiencing care at a psychosocial care center].
This study aimed at learning how relatives of patients with mental disorders have experienced dealing with a mental health care service. The exploratory and descriptive method was used with a qualitative approach. Data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews. Subjects were six family members who had been living for over three years with the process of having a mentally ill relative. Data analysis allowed us to infer that relatives who closely follow the patient had to deal with the knowledge acquired from their day-today experience and were subject to rejection by other family and community members. As regards the psychosocial care center, the relatives felt welcomed in their complaints, receiving a unique treatment; however, they did not knowthe mechanisms for social participation, which points to a deficiency in the service as it should stimulate forms of insertion into the community and the strengthening of the patients' rights as citizens.
Moreno
Vânia
V
Departamento de Enfermagem da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brasil. btmoreno@terra.com.br
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult