FAMILY EVALUATION: NETWORK OF SOCIAL SUPPORT IN MENTAL HEALTH CARE

Abstract

This study aims at identifying the network of social support of a user and family upon a follow-up in a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS). It consists of a subproject of the research named Evaluation of Psychosocial Care Centers from the southern region of Brazil, carried out in a CAPS of Porto Alegre having as subjects a user and a relative. It is a qualitative research of case study type that utilizes the Calgary Model of Family Evaluation. The collection of data provided the construction of the genogram and of the eco-map. The analysis involved structural, functional and development evaluations. The bonds of the user and his relationships within the micro and macro family space were identified by showing the networks of social support and the functions that they perform in the user´s daily life. The social support networks appear as an important therapeutic resource because they make it possible to offer a treatment addressed to the life of the subject, considering his culture and they also broaden care actions.