Serviço Social e saúde mental : reflexões sobre o exercício profissional dos/as assistentes sociais

Abstract

The present Undergraduate Thesis discusses the professional practice of the social worker in the field of mental health. The study aimed to analyze the professional practice of the social worker in mental health based on recent works published by the professional category at the Brazilian Congress of Social Workers – CBAS (2016–2022). The specific objectives were: to examine the historical aspects of the inclusion of social work in mental health, especially considering the context marked by the Brazilian Psychiatric Reform and the Anti-Asylum Movement; to understand the extent to which the selected studies address the relationship between social issues and mental health; to identify the main professional activities and the means used to carry them out in the field of mental health; and to identify the working conditions and main challenges faced by social workers in mental health today. To this end, a bibliographic study was conducted, using as its sample articles published by the professional category in the last three editions of the Brazilian Congress of Social Workers (2016, 2019 and 2022), selected according to previously established criteria. Data analysis was based on the reference literature adopted, considering the research objectives. The study shows that the inclusion of social work in this field dates back to the 1940s, when professional intervention was primarily linked to the biomedical and hospital-centered model. With the advancement of the Health Reform, the Psychiatric Reform and the Anti-Asylum Movement, as well as transformations within social work itself and the consolidation of its ethical-political project, the practice of social workers in mental health also changed, incorporating the defense of rights, psychosocial rehabilitation and the principles of the anti-asylum struggle. The analysis of the selected scientific production reveals that social workers acknowledge the relationship between social issues and psychological suffering. It was also found that they develop activities aimed at strengthening the relationship among users, their families and public service networks, as well as technical and operational strategies such as reports, interviews, home visits and group workshops to put professional intervention into practice in this socio-occupational field. The study also identified challenges related to the hegemony of medical knowledge, the precariousness of services and working conditions, in addition to recent setbacks in public mental health policies in the country.