Madness and work: comprehensiveness and network care in the SUS

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Occupational Health
• Mental Health

Background:

• Work activities, such as chemical inhalation in the automotive industry, can cause significant health issues, including mental disorders.
• Existing healthcare services often neglect or trivialize the organic aspects of work-related illnesses.
• Integrated care and intersectoral collaboration are crucial for effective management of occupational health problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze a management experience within the Unified Health System (SUS) that implemented networked care.
• To investigate the role of integrated actions between Primary Health Care (PHC) and Psychosocial Care Networks in addressing work as a health determinant.
• To explore the impact of work activities on worker health and the subsequent need for specialized interventions.

Main Methods:

• A case study of an automotive industry worker experiencing illness due to chemical substance inhalation.
• Utilized a user-guide biography as a theoretical framework and analysis strategy.
• Monitored the worker's health and integrated care pathway within the SUS.

Main Results:

• The user-guide biography revealed significant distress stemming from the worker's concrete life and work conditions.
• Organic aspects contributing to mental disorders were often overlooked by healthcare services.
• The study confirmed the link between work activities and the onset of mental health disorders.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for a contextualized approach to occupational health clinics.
• Integration between healthcare services, including PHC and specialized networks, is essential.
• Intersectoral interventions aligned with SUS guidelines and robust public Mental Health and Occupational Health policies are required.