Course in mental health in the context of COVID-19 with indigenous poeples through remote learning

Abstract

The confrontation with COVID-19 raised the need for training in Mental Health for health, education, social protection and community leaders who work with indigenous peoples. In their daily lives, these communities already live with issues that impact mental and spiritual health, but psychological distress was even more evident in the pandemic context. The ‘Well Living: Indigenous Mental Health’ course, aimed at mitigating the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on indigenous populations in the Brazilian Amazon, required innovative strategies in the face of the challenge of remote learning in this context of limited connectivity and territorial isolation. The pedagogical and operational design of the course prioritized intercultural dialogue in the development of content using various teaching tools to overcome barriers to connectivity and understanding of the Portuguese language in written format. Despite the challenge of collective and intercultural production, given the ethnic diversity, the course was a space for production and exchanges between professionals from different areas and community leaders, always seeking a broader look at care practices, psychosocial support and valuing ways of health care used by communities.

Keywords:
indigenous health; mental health; COVID-19; Amazon