Perceptions of hospitalized people in psychological distress about their families
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18554/refacs.v13i00.8710Keywords:
Mental health, Psychological distress, Hospitalization, FamilyAbstract
Objective: to understand the perceptions of hospitalized people in psychological distress about their families. Methods: a qualitative study based on Alfred Schutz's phenomenology as a theoretical and methodological framework. Data were collected through interviews from November 2024 to March 2025 in a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of a university hospital in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data analysis was conducted with the theoretical framework of social phenomenology. Results: the participants were 12 hospitalized people experiencing psychological distress. The reported experiences were organized into two categories: one highlighting the "reasons why," titled "Perception of the hospitalized person in psychological distress about their family and family relationships," and another addressing the "reasons for," titled "Intentionalities of the hospitalized person in psychological distress toward their family." Conclusion: the idea that the family is a source of support and assistance, especially during hospitalization, demonstrates how family functioning is essential for psychological development and treatment support. On the other hand, understanding the family from a non-idealized perspective allows us to understand that conflicts are inevitable for the emergence of uniqueness; however, when these conflicts are intense and persistent, they can contribute to the emergence and worsening of psychological distress.
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