Atitudes das equipes de saúde da família frente ao paciente com comportamento suicida: estudo seccional

Abstract

Suicide is defined in the literature as a self-injurious behavior that results in the individual's death. This study aimed to analyze the attitudes of professionals from primary care family health teams towards suicidal behavior and analyze the influence of professionals' sociodemographic and occupational characteristics on attitudes. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. The present study was carried out in a municipality in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, in primary health care units. The study population consisted of 235 professionals who make up the city's family health teams. Two instruments were used to collect data, namely: sociodemographic and occupational questionnaire; and the Attitudes towards Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire (QUACS). Data collection took place in health units from February to June 2023, and were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Of these participants, the most frequent professional categories were community health agents (54%), women (92.3%), and married (45.1%). Considering the analysis of the instrument items (QUACS), it is important to highlight that there was a perception of unpreparedness regarding the approach and care for patients with suicidal behavior on the part of the participants. Professionals presented fewer negative feelings related to suicide and presented some moralistic attitudes regarding the right to suicide, however, they presented fewer of them. The results highlight the importance of professional training with the adoption of lasting training strategies, mental health matrix support and conversation circles to reduce the stigma surrounding the topic. Furthermore, it is necessary to invest in public policies that guarantee conditions for people to have access to health promotion actions, prevention of illness, and treatment, when the illness has already manifested itself.