Banca de DEFESA: FABIANA MARIA DE SOUZA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : FABIANA MARIA DE SOUZA
DATE: 14/12/2023
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Online
TITLE:

ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH AND RETURN TO IN-PERSON SCHOOL: Reflecting on "adolescence" in pandemic

KEY WORDS:

Adolescent; School mental health services; Return to school; COVID-19.

PAGES: 90
BIG AREA: Ciências Humanas
AREA: Psicologia
SUBÁREA: Tratamento e Prevenção Psicológica
SPECIALTY: Programas de Atendimento Comunitário
SUMMARY:

The present work, inserted in 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 strategies to promote mental health in the school environment, from the perspective of expanded clinical practices. Adolescence is a period of intense biopsychosocial transformations, influenced by sociocultural aspects that impact the construction of subjectivities. The impacts of social distancing on the mental health of adolescents have been described, including an increase in the prevalence of mental disorders, learning disabilities, increased inequalities, and school dropout. This research aimed to analyze the challenges faced by adolescents in returning to in-person schooling after the easing of pandemic-related restrictions, as well as the current consequences and the strategies developed by both the adolescents and the school institution to address the difficulties encountered. An exploratory and descriptive study was conducted with a qualitative approach, using the methodology of focus groups, suitable for encouraging dialogue and the expression of feelings and opinions, leading to the search for solutions and proposals for common problems. The study took place in a state high school in Irecê, BA, Brazil, with the participation of a group of 10 adolescents, aged between 15 and 18 years. The content analysis, of a thematic-categorical type, resulted in four categories: 1. Pandemic challenges: encountering 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 significantly impacted the participants' perception of the process of adolescence, their mental health conditions, teaching-learning processes, and socialization, with repercussions still ongoing, requiring mental health interventions and specific learning support. Participants reported that the return to the school environment was unplanned and there is no mental health support, contrasting with the reality of students who returned anxious, confused, with difficulties in socialization and concentration, and with learning gaps. Therefore, we considered the importance of preparing the school community to deal with emotional demands in the post-pandemic period. Also, we highlight the relevance of implementing universalized and institutionalized school mental health policies, as well as the presence of a school psychologist to promote mental health in this context. A Conclusive Technical Report was prepared as the final product of the research, and provided to the participating institution for feedback and recommendations for promoting mental health in the school context.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - ***.229.558-** - GABRIELA ANDRADE DA SILVA - UFSB
Externo à Instituição - JANDERSON CARNEIRO DE OLIVEIRA
Interna - ***.973.025-** - MONALISA NASCIMENTO DOS SANTOS BARROS - UESB