Abstract
The prevalence of emotional distress in the population attended by the teams of the Family Health Strategy is high, however the training of the Primary Care professionals in Mental Health care is inadequate. Matrix Support, provided through the Family Health Support Centers, is considered fundamental in the provision of such care. The scope of this study is to assess the training in mental health in primary care through matrix support actions in mental health. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in the secondary database of the 2012 National Program for the Enhancement of the Access to and the Quality of Primary Health Care. The associations between many matrix support activities in mental health and the development of comprehensive care strategies were analyzed. It revealed that 60% of the teams carry out Matrix Support actions in Mental Health, and qualified care strategies in mental health are performed at least twice as often when those activities are present. The most significant activities are discussion of cases, joint physician appointments, and the creation of therapeutic projects. The conclusion drawn is that this study provides quantitative evidence that the development of shared actions is decisive for the provision of mental health care in primary care.
Key words
Matrix support; Mental health; Primary care