Qualified Listening to Relatives of Users at a Psychosocial Care Center

Abstract

Introduction. The Psychiatric Reform introduced a new people-centered care model to replace psychiatric hospitals: the Psychosocial Care Center. Qualified listening can be used to achieve the integrality and humanization of the health care provided. It allows for the appreciation of content, the respect of its uniqueness, empathy, and the promotion of a space in which freedom of expression is provided. Objective. To identify the understanding of qualified listening from the perspective of the relative of a person with a mental disorder at a Psychosocial Care Center. Method. Qualitative, descriptive, exploratory study. Ten relatives over the age of 18 participated, contributing to the production of information. Data was obtained through the triangulation method, through semi-structured individual and collective interviews, observation, and field diary records. Results. For relatives, qualified listening translates into clarifying the illness, understanding the family’s painful situation and providing help and support during the psychosocial rehabilitation process. Discussion and conclusion. Listening constitutes a means of consolidating care networks, through the strengthening of bonds and co-responsibility, in a centered and expanded family-user logic model.