Implicações psicossociais da seca na saúde mental de moradores de uma comunidade rural cearense

Abstract

The Northeast region is subject to the drought natural phenomenon in which the population suffers from its environmental, social, economic, and political impacts, as a result, the reductionist understanding of the drought problem associated with lack of water facilitates the naturalization of the drought social effects. Although there is a perspective of the drought periodic cycle permanence considering that it is the characteristic of semiarid climate, the big challenge that raises is the denaturalization of the phenomenon. From understanding the drought as a social and historical phenomenon, we recognize that the implications fall on the social vulnerability experienced by people in the economic activities carried out and established in contact with the environment, the experience of healthy processes and ailment, and in the population way of life. The general objective of this research is to analyze the psychosocial implications of the drought in the mental health of a rural community of Ceará municipal district. Based on the quantitative and qualitative approaches, this research was developed in the rural community of Canafístula, a district of Apuiarés, located 134,6 kilometers from the capital of Ceará. The construction process of the quantitative stage occurred in the questionnaire data containing the Scale instruments of Drought Influences, Multidimensional Poverty Instrument (IPM) and Mental Health Scale (SRQ -20) responded by 175 inquired. In the qualitative stage 6 inquired were interviewed. It is understood that the psychosocial implications of the drought in the mental health are associated to the anxiety related problems, discouragement feelings, and sadness. The daily insecurity affects psychic mechanisms of protection for the population welfare, which results in the fatalism and despair. In the reality changing aspect made and associated with myths related to the drought scenery, data demonstrate a reduction in the migration from the countryside to city and school evasion from some family members, both related to the existence of assistance programs and Social welfare. In spite of these changes, it was evident to notice the common mental disruption prevalence in 36%, in other words, 63 of the inquired, are estimated to be slightly larger than the studies carried out in Brazil. The proportion according to the sex, the prevalence was larger in women. In the field of psychology, considering the increasing internalization in the profession, we concluded that it is necessary to think about the psychosocial implications of the drought in Northeastern rural context.