Saúde mental adolescente e retorno escolar presencial: pensando o adolescer em tempos pandêmicos

Abstract

This work, part of research line 1 - Clinical practices and mental health, investigated the effect of social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescents, resulting in recommendations for mental health promotion strategies in the school environment, from the perspective of the expanded clinic. Adolescence is a period of intense biopsychosocial transformations, crossed by sociocultural aspects, which have repercussions on the construction of subjectivities. The impact of social distancing on adolescents' mental health has been described, with an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders, learning difficulties, growing inequalities and school dropouts. The aim of this research was to analyze the challenges faced by adolescents when returning to school after the relaxation of restrictive measures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and the current consequences, as well as the strategies developed by them and the school institution to deal with the difficulties encountered. An exploratory and descriptive study was carried out, with a qualitative approach, using the focus group methodology, which is suitable for encouraging dialog and the expression of feelings and the sharing of opinions, leading to the search for solutions and proposals for action to common problems. The study was carried out in a state high school in Irecê - BA, with the participation of a group of 10 teenagers aged between 15 and 18 years old. Thematic categorical content analysis resulted in four categories: 1. pandemic challenges: the encounter with the unexpected; 2. implications for the teaching-learning process; 3. implications for adolescent mental health; 4. school mental health. It was observed that the pandemic had a major impact on the participants' perception of the process of becoming an adolescent, the mental health conditions of these young people, their teaching-learning and socialization processes, with repercussions that are still ongoing, requiring mental health interventions and specific monitoring of learning. Participants reported that they returned to school without planning or mental health support, contrasting with the reality of students who returned anxious, confused, with difficulties in socializing and concentrating, and with learning deficits. The relevance of the implementation of universalized and institutionalized school mental health policies is noted, as well as the presence of the school psychologist, guided by a critical perspective, to promote mental health in this context. As a final product of the research, a Technical Conclusive Report was prepared and made available to the participating institution for feedback and recommendations for promoting mental health in the school context.