Auriculoterapia para redução da ansiedade em gestores da atenção primária: pesquisa de métodos mistos

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) is a structuring axis of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). In this context, PHC managers assume a strategic role, but perform their functions in scenarios marked by high complexity, work overload, institutional pressures, and political instability—factors that contribute to mental illness, particularly anxiety. Given this reality, Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS), especially auriculotherapy, emerge as strategies for mental health care. Auriculotherapy is a practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine with which primary care professionals can strengthen and build a stronger bond between users and the health service. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of auriculotherapy on reducing anxiety among primary care managers, as well as to describe anxiety levels before and after the intervention, understand managers' perceptions of the practice, and analyze their perspectives on the implementation of this PICS for PHC professionals and users. This is a mixed-methods, convergent design study with simultaneous quantitative and qualitative data collection. The study was conducted in the municipality of Trairi, Ceará, Brazil, from September to November 2025. Twenty primary healthcare managers participated in the study. Quantitative data was collected using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale before and after 12 weekly auriculotherapy sessions. Qualitative data was obtained through a semi-structured interview guide and field notes. The quantitative analysis used descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis techniques, with subsequent integration of the results. The results showed a significant reduction in anxiety in 19 participants; only one continued to have a severe level of anxiety. Of the four professionals, only one remained with moderate anxiety, and the number of participants with mild anxiety decreased from 11 to four. There was an increase in the number of participants classified as having no anxiety, from two to 13. Furthermore, a decrease in physical and emotional pain and functional changes were reported, making this practice recommended for implementation in the population of the municipality studied. It is concluded that auriculotherapy proved to be an effective and viable treatment for reducing anxiety in primary health care managers, contributing to the promotion of mental health in the workplace. The study reinforces the relevance of Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS) as low-tech care methods and points to the need for their expansion and institutionalization within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), especially in the context of primary health care, as a way to improve comprehensive care and strengthen the health of workers.