ORI INU: conhecimentos e práticas ancestrais afro-brasileiras na saúde mental.

Abstract

The central theme of this work is the knowledge and African ancestry practices developed at Centro de Atenção Psicossocial – Caps Iracema (Center of Psychosocial Atention – Caps) in the city of Fortaleza, Ceara State, Brazil. The research’s objective is to comprehend the significations produced by the patients of mental health who attended complementary treatment based on plants, herbs, teas and sacred procedures as well as being treated by the African-based religious tradition of the “mães de santo” (mother of saints) who are religious leaders. The research methodology utilized for this investigative study is based on individual interviews and participative observations in order to get acknowledge and listen to the stories told by stabilized patients (with no symptoms of crisis) and also those who present evident symptoms of mental crisis, totalizing a universe of 6 patients. African-based therapists, the “mother of saints”, as well as professional therapists of Caps responsible for accompanying the patient’s therapy plan were also heard. The participative observations permitted the patient’s accompaniment during the therapy sessions in a weekly gathering. The collected data shows that in the mental health field the biomedical referential still plays a hegemonic role being considered an irreplaceable treatment by patients and their family. Despite the existence of the “Política Nacional das Práticas Integrativas e Complementares no Ministério da Saúde” (Ministry of heatlh’s National Policy of integrative and complementary practices) since 2006, it was notified that Caps Iracema implemented this policy in 2011. According to the patients, after the first session of the African-based ancestry therapy using plants and herbs the resistance among the patients decreased. A posterior and trustful acceptance geared toward affinity as a way of caring was also notified within this therapy. The analysis of the collected data allowed us the following conclusions: the patients who were treated on African-based ancestry therapy revealed decreasing symptoms of anxiety, sadness, anguish, killing desires, hallucinations and deliriums as well as to re-adapt their coping with their own “ghosts and sufferings”. That itself mischaracterizes the stigma of being insane and mentally ill people. We also conclude that the application of other referential such as refuge, caring and health treatment are fundamental for the strengthening of Human Rights and citizenship of mental-health patients. It also allows the comprehension of the health-illness process going beyond the biomedical and psychotherapy dimensions.