Abstract
Work has a fundamental role in keeping the human being socially productive and recognized. In this context, mental health has been gaining distinguishable attention over the past decades. With the precarization, the underestimation of the worker, the technological innovations and the imminence of unemployment, the health of the worker is impacted negatively; consequently, this generates higher rates of absences due to mental illnesses. The present research had the goal of understanding how the care to the mental health of the worker in the Brazilian Unified Health System works in a municipality of the state of Ceará (Brazil), and if there is the establishment of a causal nexus among health, illness and work. In order to do so, we developed a qualitative research comprised of 12 participants ‒ users and professionals who answered a semistructured interview form. The information provided by the professionals was analyzed using the Iramuteq software, and that of the users was submitted to Bardin’s content analysis. The results indicate faults in the actions proposed by the Worker Health Reference Center, a lack of connection with the services in the network, difficulty in investigating the causal nexus, and a consequent underreporting of the cases. We concluded that it is necessary to develop connections among the health services in order to get a health care that is more comprehensive.
occupational health; mental health; health policies; Unified Health System