Professional-Family Communication in a Children’s Psychosocial Care Center: Practicalities and Difficulties

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the perceptions of the family members of users of a children’s psychosocial care center, regarding the facilitating factors and the difficulties in the communication with the health professionals. Method: a qualitative and descriptive study conducted with 25 family members of users of a children’s psychosocial care center in a city of Minas Gerais (Brazil). Data collection took place between April and July 2017 using focus groups and a semi-structured script for the implementation of group sessions. Data was analyzed according to content analysis, thematic category. Results: two categories emerged from the analysis: Professional-Family relationship and Suggestions to enhance communication, which included practicalities and difficulties in communication. The data showed that the professional-family relationship refers to the professionals’ positive actions, which facilitate communication, and to their negative actions, which means offering a distant and dehumanized care and failing to provide guidance. The suggestions to enhance communication were directed to the interventions focused on the family and on the dynamics and management of the service. Conclusion: there is a need for collaboration among management, staff and family members, which can contribute to a better health care and to building more solidary and dialogical relationships.

Assessment of the Psychosocial Care Center multidisciplinary team from users’ and family members’ perspective

“…A study in a CAPS AD showed that users and families positively assess the guidelines offered by the team, highlighting the quality of information and the direction they receive (15) . In a child-juvenile CAPS, guidance to the family is understood as a facilitator of communication between the family and the team, when carried out with clarity and coherence with the demands (26) . By offering enough knowledge to the family, they are able to make decisions about users' treatment without putting them at risk, since their capacity for analysis and intervention is expanded.…”

The family myth in nursing care for children in psychological distress

“…By working in partnership with parents/family members, the activities are in line with the principles of the biopsychosocial healthcare model, which advocates family-centered care developed with respect for human dignity, which can have a positive impact on psychosocial rehabilitation and enable autonomy, as well as training and empowering individuals ( 15 ) .…”

“…The way of care presented here can be considered by nurses in a variety of contexts, such as primary care, which is considered the gateway for cases of childhood mental disorders, and also in specialized care points of the RAPS, such as the CAPSij ( 12 ) . There, nurses must work in partnership with the family, taking into account the guidelines of the biopsychosocial care model, the principles of the SUS on comprehensive health care and the policies aimed at assisting children ( 11 , 15 ) .…”

Avaliação da equipe multiprofissional do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial na perspectiva de usuários e familiares

“…Estudo em um CAPS AD demonstrou que usuários e famílias avaliam positivamente as orientações ofertadas pela equipe, destacando a qualidade da informação e o direcionamento que recebem (15) . Em um CAPS infanto-juvenil, a orientação a família é entendida como facilitadora da comunicação entre ela e a equipe, quando realizada com clareza e coerência com as demandas (26) . Ao se ofertar conhecimento suficiente a família, essa é capaz de tomar decisões sobre o tratamento do usuário sem trazer riscos a ele, já que sua capacidade de análise e intervenção é expandida.…”