Articulación entre el trabajo clínico y la perspectiva comunitaria: un desafío actual para la salud mental en el contexto de la atención primaria de la salud

Abstract

Objective: to characterize the intervention strategies used by psychologists in primary health care centers and hospitals of the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Neuquén, Argentina, within the context of primary health care. This study shows the theoretical views influencing these strategies and describes the main facilitating factors and obstacles these professionals faced in their PHC work during 2010. Methodology: the theoretical perspective used in this study takes elements from the evaluation of community mental health programs, concepts from PHC and its links to mental health and contributions from Latin American community psychology. Data were collected by reviewing existing health records, applying surveys and performing interviews. Results: The results show that psychologists develop multiple and varied intervention strategies and that, although all of them fall under the principles of PHC, they focus specifically on care, thus setting aside other dimensions such as health promotion, disease prevention, etc. Discussion and conclusions: In this context, it is postulated that one of the main challenges for mental health professionals working in the context of primary health care is bringing together clinical work and the community perspective rather than contrasting them, which is the usual approach.