Mental health in the Brazilian national health care system: an analysis of two realities/ A saude mental no sistema unico de saude do Brasil: duas realidades em analise/ La salud mental en sistema nacional de cuidado de la salud del Brasil: un analisis de dos realidades

This article analyzes the procedures and the way of understanding and treating mental healthcare needs in the Family Health Strategy in two units of the basic healthcare network of the cities of Natal and Porto Alegre, Brazil. In the first stage of the research, in 2008, semi-structured interviews with the professionals of both healthcare units were conducted. 40 interviews were conducted in Natal, and 14 in Porto Alegre. In both units where research was conducted it was possible to observe the presence of preconceived representations about insanity as well as a strong tendency to solve mental healthcare needs through the simple administration of psychiatric medication. Based on these research results, it is necessary to invest in a mental healthcare policy in basic healthcare based on the creation of effective rapports between users and care givers, which also involves the reformulation of the internal procedures of the teams.