Projetos de Pesquisa

Since its initial conceptualization as a fight-or-flight response, stress has been discussed, demonstrating how present it is in issues related to physical and mental health. Modernity has placed it as one of the most pressing manifestations of the health-disease process, from a biopsychosocial perspective. In this context, this project aims to develop theoretical and empirical studies focused on understanding the manifestation of stress and its consequences on the mental health of the population. It seeks to understand the phenomenon from its relationship with socially established institutions, that is, institution in its expanded concept. The project is developed through quantitative, qualitative and intervention methodologies, based on the cognitive-constructivist psychology approach, which enables the understanding of the phenomenon and its consequences in institutional contexts. As resulting products, the development of diagnostic instruments, instructional teaching materials and other technical products that enable the adequate and healthy management of stress in different institutional contexts for the promotion of the population's health is foreseen.

Responsible Professor:

Paulo Eduardo Benzoni

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Spirituality/Religiosity is a phenomenon that permeates different human experiences, among them pain, in its expanded understanding, and mental health, in different aspects and contexts. Regarding pain, which is one of the most prevalent complaints in the world, several studies point to management possibilities through resources that consider spirituality/religiosity. The complexity and subjectivity that make up the painful phenomenon can become a challenge for professionals in recognition, assessment, and care, revealing the need to narrow the dialogue between different knowledge areas for proper management, especially when considering the concept of total pain, which encompasses physical, emotional, social, spiritual aspects, among others. Concerning mental health, resources linked to spirituality/religiosity have also proven to be adequate management strategies, promoting improvement in quality of life. Thus, there is evidence in the international literature of the importance of spirituality/religiosity in the management of pain and mental health in the various institutions in which individuals are inserted, which implies the relevance of studies that address these phenomena. The objective of this project is to prepare professionals for the identification of spirituality/religiosity resources that can assist in the development of pain and mental health management strategies, considering different institutional contexts (family, education, health, work, etc.).

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Simone Saltareli

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Mental health can be considered as the ability to understand oneself in a world crossed by socio-historically constructed devices that influence people's autonomous decisions, without exempting them from fears and conflicts. Sexuality is a constituent part of human subjectivity, demanding understanding, reflection, and intervention in order to foster mental health. It is understood in a broad sense, encompassing affection, love, friendship, gender relations, sexual practices, sexual orientation, reproduction and pleasure, as well as its consequences, such as sexual abuse, autonomous experience of sexuality, gender diversity and studies on the feminine, among others. This project aims to equip health and education professionals to carry out activities in institutions such as schools, families, CSOs and communities, regarding gender literacy and the experience of autonomous sexuality, identifying risk and protective factors related to awareness of sex education throughout human development. In our society, the construction of prejudiced and erroneous ideas about sexuality can favor the development of psychopathologies; thus, the deconstruction of these ideas and the promotion of autonomous experiences prove essential for the integral and healthy development of human subjectivity. As resulting products, it is intended to develop and implement instruments and procedures that enable the healthy development of sexuality and gender relations.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Selma Aparecida Geraldo Benzoni

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Mental health and human development are complex phenomena, influenced by a dynamic interaction between individual, social and institutional factors throughout the life cycle. Starting from the understanding that contexts such as educational institutions (formal and non-formal), health and social assistance services offer conditions that can favor or hinder psychological and social adjustment, this project focuses on prevention and health promotion, with special attention to childhood and youth. It is considered that mental health indicators encompass both negative aspects (anxiety, depression and stress) and positive ones (well-being, quality of life and adaptive functioning), being modulated by risk factors, such as social vulnerability, and protective factors, such as social skills, resilience and social support. The project is structured around three axes: a) assessment and monitoring of mental health indicators and processes and human development; b) development and implementation of instruments, protocols and intervention technologies; and c) analysis of institutional practices and public policies aimed at prevention and promotion of health and human development. Using quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, the objective is to produce theoretical and practical subsidies that enhance contexts for promoting and preventing mental health and development.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Marta Regina Gonçalves Correia Zanini

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

The literature presents the impact of some life situations, context and individual characteristics, such as skills and competencies, on development and health. The ability to overcome adversity can be characterized as resilience. Social skills can act as protective factors and, consequently, be associated with coping with adversity, promoting mental health promotion and prevention. Institutional contexts, especially educational ones, are also potential promoters of development and health, being relevant for preventive investigation and action, of a universal and selective nature. This project aims to identify promotion and risk factors for mental health and development, specifically in educational contexts, such as schools and universities, as well as in contexts considered adverse, such as street situations, rehabilitation clinics, shelters and extreme poverty. It is expected that the results obtained can assist in the identification of promotion and prevention factors in mental health, both in educational contexts and in adverse conditions, enabling the implementation of preventive and interventional actions.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Marta Regina Gonçalves Correia Zanini

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Death is a possibility in the life of every human being, at any moment. As part of Western culture, many adults avoid talking about aging and the possibilities of approaching death, since they were not prepared, in their training, to deal with losses and the management of finitude. This scenario often leads professional caregivers to impotence and illness, due to the absence of a culture of welcoming and managing losses. This project aims to investigate the interventions of psychologists and other professionals involved in grief care, with patients, families and health teams, considering the challenges faced in the vital processes of aging and the absence of effective and humanized care actions for human finitude. The objective is to prepare professionals such as psychologists, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, social workers, among others, who work or wish to work on the themes of aging and grief. The project develops quantitative and qualitative studies, seeking practices based on different research methods and the needs of health scenarios, users, institutions and care, raised through cartography. Fields such as psycho-oncology, gerontology, psychiatry, neurology, continuing education in health and clinical psychology, among others, constitute areas of action for the project.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Lílian Cláudia Ulian Junqueira

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

In the work context, in public and private organizations, the manifestation of several mental health impairments is observed. Starting from a theoretical reference of cognitive-behavioral psychology, taking stress as a manifestation of psychosocial problems and work-related mental health, the project seeks a broad and cross-cultural understanding of the psychological and social issues that interfere negatively in the quality of life, functionality and productive capacity of sick workers. Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF/WHO), the project is developed through quantitative, qualitative and intervention methodologies, with participants being workers from the public and private sectors. As products, the development of diagnostic instruments, intervention methodologies for recovery, strengthening and reintegration of these workers into productive activities is foreseen, as well as the development and implementation of educational programs aimed at health promotion and prevention of harms related to mental health and work.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Paulo Eduardo Benzoni

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

In recent years, a new paradigm in health has been consolidating in educational contexts, through which more comprehensive and contextualized practices of prevention and promotion of mental health and well-being have been gaining space. Despite this, high rates of work leave by education professionals due to problems related to mental health and well-being are still observed. Children and adolescents continue to present emotional, learning, schooling, socialization and behavior problems, in addition to situations of school violence, causing harm to development. School dropout among adolescents and young adults also remains a challenge for Brazilian society, generating individual and social losses. Based on the assumptions of Socio-Interactionist Psychology, this project has two main objectives: a) to investigate indicators producing mental health problems related to educational contexts and their effects on human development processes; and b) to develop interventional practices aimed at promoting mental health and well-being in the various educational contexts. Qualitative, quantitative and intervention methodologies will be used, enabling the construction of innovative practices, from a critical and interdisciplinary perspective.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Caroline Francisca Eltink

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

With the aging of the world population, an increase in the number of people with chronic and debilitating diseases is observed, demanding complex care needs. In this scenario, palliative and end-of-life care must constitute a priority in public health. Contemporary approaches understand grief as an active process of adaptation to loss, articulating the reconstruction of meaning in the biographical narrative, the symbolic continuity of bonds and the internal reorganization in the face of the rupture of significant relationships. From the perspective of palliative care, the way care is experienced, the quality of relationships with the health team and the experiences of farewell impact the grieving process. This project aims to understand the theoretical, ethical and psychosocial foundations of palliative care, death and grief in the contemporary context, focusing on the experience of the care unit (patient, family and team), in a systematic and integrated way, from a humanized approach. The studies use qualitative, quantitative and intervention methodologies, contributing to scientific production and to the improvement of care models. As products, the development of competencies related to risk and protective factors is sought, as well as the proposition of appropriate interventions within the scope of palliative care.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Cristiane Corsini Prizanteli

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Comprehensive care for people who use alcohol and other drugs requires understanding the historicity of this phenomenon in Brazil. The initiatives of the 20th century were marked by criminalization and repressive approaches. From the 1990s onwards, with the psychiatric reform and the centrality of human rights, this scenario began to transform, with the expansion of territorial services. In this context, the Psychosocial Care Network (RAPS) strengthens integrated and interdisciplinary care in the territory, considering family and community bonds. When use occurs among women, this care demands specific attention, as stigma can delay the search for care during pregnancy and motherhood. It becomes fundamental to articulate treatment for substance use, mental health monitoring, prenatal support, attention to child development, family support and housing and income generation actions, evidencing the need for intersectoral networks. This project seeks to understand the care needs and actions with people with problematic substance use, identifying essential services and resources from the perspective of harm reduction, subsidizing intersectoral reception flows, fostering community support groups and producing theoretical-practical subsidies to guide practices and public policies, through qualitative, quantitative and intervention research.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Emanoela Priscila Toledo Arruda

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Cognitive, emotional and moral processes constitute central dimensions of human experience and exert direct influence on mental health, the construction of beliefs, values and forms of belonging. In cognitive psychology, these processes are understood as information processing systems that organize interpretive schemes, guide the perception of reality and structure modes of evaluation and response to social situations. Research in cognitive neurosciences indicates that cognition and emotion act in an integrated manner in decision-making and moral evaluation. These processes develop in interaction with social and institutional contexts. Institutions such as family, educational system, religion, legal system, health system, State, labor market and digital environments constitute relevant spaces for socialization and symbolic mediation. The forms of these mediations can favor both the development of psychological autonomy and processes of cognitive rigidity and psychological suffering. This project aims to investigate how different institutions influence the formation of moral beliefs, emotional regulation and mental health, including effects on body image. As a consequence, it foresees the development of technical educational materials aimed at promoting cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation and critical thinking.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Lucas Duarte Manhas Ferreira Vales

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts

Group therapy has stood out as a central resource in the psychosocial model of mental health care, especially in institutional contexts, although it is still little explored in promotion and prevention actions. Structured groups can favor the development and intervention in mental functions, such as attention, memory, thought organization, cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation and social skills, positively impacting quality of life. This project aims to prepare professionals for the identification of difficulties in mental health and for the development of care strategies through group management, in different institutional contexts and levels of care. It uses quantitative, qualitative and interventional methodologies, based on cognitive-behavioral and contextual approaches. As products, it foresees the development of group tools, teaching materials, protocols and other technical resources aimed at improving quality of life, autonomy and social inclusion.

Responsible Professor:

Prof. Dr. Mariana Fortunata Donadon

Line:

1 - Mental health and the different institutional contexts of child and adolescent development

Line:

2 - Adult mental health in different institutional contexts