Nada sobre nós, sem nós : empoderamento e recovery em um estudo de um grupo de ajuda e suporte mútuos em saúde mental no município do Rio de Janeiro-RJ.

Abstract

The objective of this research concerns the description and the analysis of the experiences of users of a mutual help and support group, from the Transversões Project of the School of Social Work, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro-UFRJ. The experiences are associated to the recovery and empowerment process. The concepts are strongly diffused in Anglo-Saxon countries, their mental health policies, bibliography and are systematized in this work. Considering the reality of our practices on mental health and psychiatric reform, their limits and actual challenges, this research contributes to their advancement, prioritizing a study that stimulates the Brasilian mental health services users protagonism and experiences, such as the mutual help and support groups, relative autonomous devices and important strategies of recovery and empowerment of the mental health services users and their family members. As a method, it was chosen the participant research with the group users and meetings. To analyse the recovery and empowerment process within the devices in focus, our reality of psychiatric reform and the engagement of the users were contextualized to situate these process within the country reality. To analyse the empirical data, the practice of the mutual help and support groups was correlated to the recovery and empowerment participants process. Within the development of the analytical categories, the challenges and effects of the group s protagonism process were discussed, concerning the contributions to their coping strategies and the relationship with psychossocial services and their actors. The internal dynamics of the group, the themes and issues of daily life treated in the group, labour challenges, the mutual support iniciatives, the relationship with the mental health services and with the National Health System (SUS) and the possible evidences and indicators of effectiveness of the group practices were also addressed. As final considerations, the experience within the mutual help and support groups and the work with the concepts of recovery and empowerment were taken into account to point out some recommendations and suggestions to the mental health policies and to the SUS.

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