This report presents the experience developed by the Course of Psychology of the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) in a partnership with the Union of Bank Workers of São Paulo, Osasco and Region since 2008, in the field of mental health related to work: support groups for those who suffer from mental strain while working in a bank. The initiative has been beneficial for the workers, as well as for their union. The support group main purposes are: to develop activities aiming at supporting mentally strained bank workers who seek help at the union; to understand the process of illness within participant's work and life course, considering the productive reengineering banks are currently going through; and to contribute to the development of individual and collective actions to confront strain. These results evidenced the potentiality of such group activities for understanding the process of illness, as well as to identify mental strain factors among bank workers. Furthermore, our objectives were achieved, increasing the discussion about mental health and work within the workers' union routine.
mental health and work; groups of workers; mental strain; workers' union