Melissa Tieko Muramoto

A sustentabilidade da vida cotidiana: um estudo das redes sociais de usuários de serviço de saúde mental no município de Santo André (SP, Brasil)

Studies into social networks show that relationships have a significant impact on peoples lives. When associated with the population suffering from mental disorders, they serve as an important protection factor and a manager of resources and social support. However, studies show that people with mental disorders have impoverished social networks and few significant relationships. In this perspective, this research sought to characterize the social networks of users of NAPS II in Santo André (SP, Brazil). Conducted in 2006, the qualitative research adopted an ethnographic approach and used interviews by topics, participant observation and field notes. The results revealed that the group studied had an impoverished social network; the life histories of the subjects is related to this impoverishment, since the disruptions caused by situations of crisis or institutionalization removed them from the network of relationships, placing them in a situation of social vulnerability. An attempt was made to address the importance of intervention in the relationships and the role of the services in this process.

Impact of conflict and violence on workers in a hospital emergency room

BACKGROUND Emergency room (ER) work includes dealing with situations of conflict and aggression. The diversity and unpredictability of these situations and the lack of pre-established procedures to guide workers in dealing with these phenomena affect and weaken their physical and mental health. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the article is to learn about conflict and aggression at work and its impact on the workers in a hospital emergency room. METHOD The method is a transversal, exploratory, descriptive and observational study, carried out from September to November 2008, using direct observation procedures and interviews. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and eighty emergency room workers participated in the observations and eleven interviews were carried out with workers from several professional categories. RESULTS The work process is marked by overload, individualization of responsibilities, time pressures and deadlines for making decision, little space for exchange and sharing, lack of support or guidance. The strong pressure to provide care quickly causes conflict and aggression among users and the different professional teams. These situations arise from problems in work organization and users in excess of the ER service capacity. CONCLUSION The article recommends changes in the work process that can simultaneously improve both the quality of care for patients and provide protective measures for workers.