Perceptions of people with mental disorders regarding social support from religion and health professionals.

Objective: to analyze the perception of people with mental disorders in relation to social support from religion and from health professionals.

Method: qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, carried out with seven members of a Christian religious institution, adults and medically diagnosed with mental disorders. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, between May and August 2021. Thematic content analysis was used.

Results: support from healthcare professionals was emphasized in relation to symptoms and their psychosocial consequences. Medication was the main aspect, despite the stigma and side effects. Religious social support was described from a perspective of affective support, learning, and the search for overcoming the issues as a way of relieving suffering.

Conclusion: the perception of people with mental disorders in relation to the support of health professionals was pervaded by the biomedical character of drug treatments in the remission of symptoms. However, religiosity/spirituality was highlighted as an important complementary factor to treatment. In this sense, the intersection between the two types of support stands out as an aspect for expanding mental health care.