Cuidado em alimentação e nutrição de mulheres no âmbito de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial

Abstract

This study aimed to understand how women assisted by a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS) relate to food, eating, and corporeality. This descriptive-exploratory research, with a qualitative approach, was conducted with eight women users of a CAPS in the city of Salvador (Bahia, Brazil), who participated in the therapeutic group "Para Elas." The main data production technique used was the episodic interview, complemented by participant observation and medical record analysis. Data analysis was guided by thematic analysis, based on the frameworks of Flick (2009), Jovchelovitch, and Bauer (2003). The narratives revealed complex interactions between food, eating, and corporeality within the context of psychological distress, showing that food and nutritional care are embedded in everyday practices shaped by social and health determinants. Food and commensality emerge as significant mediators of care, activating support networks, institutional bonds, strategies for coping with food insecurity, and forms of belonging. These women’s food experiences go beyond the biological dimension of nutrition, integrating bodily, affective, and social experiences that challenge traditional models of mental health care. By recognizing these connections, the study's findings call for broader perspectives on food and nutritional care within the field of psychosocial care.