Access to Psychology in Primary Health Care of the SUS in a municipality in Minas Gerais: trajectories followed
Primary Health Care; Health Psychology; Mental Health; Access to Primary Care
Primary Health Care (PHC) makes up one of the four levels of health care in the Unified Health
System (SUS). As the gateway to the SUS, its initiatives include intersectoral health promotion and
prevention actions, as well as treatment, diagnosis and harm reduction. Within PHC, Psychology has
enabled transformative experiences in the field of mental health, however this action has presented
adversities. The focus of the present study is PHC in a municipality in Minas Gerais, specifically on the
provision of psychology services at this level of health care. Three psychologists are responsible for
serving the entire population of almost ninety thousand inhabitants. The general objective of the study was
to identify the paths and difficulties in accessing the PHC psychology service in this municipality. It was
decided to develop an exploratory qualitative research, through Therapeutic Itineraries using the Timeline,
semi-structured interviews and sociodemographic questionnaire as instruments. Eight users of this service
participated in the research, four of them users who are undergoing psychological counseling and four
who are waiting on the waiting list. The research provided the opportunity to analyze possible strategies
for better provision and promotion of mental health within Basic Health Units and identification of
possible barriers, such as insufficient professionals for an alarming demand, limited resources and
difficulty in defining work. It is concluded that the current model used in PHC in that municipality is
primarily biomedical and offers little access to the population. It is essential that there is a reorientation in
the organization of psychological services, seeking ways of acting based on community and
territorialization models, using integrative practices, promoting the strengthening of bonds with the community. It is recommended to carry out ongoing education processes with teams and management regarding the possible actions of PHC psychology and networking. Better coordination with the municipality's Psychosocial Care Network is also suggested, as well as the hiring of more psychology professionals.