Abstract
Articulating gender and mental health is an urgent challenge. This article analyzes reports of women in psychic suffering in Primary Health Care from a gender perspective and the repercussions of Integrative and Complementary Practices in these women’s perception. To this end, interviews were conducted with five users of a Basic Health Unit, accompanied by floral therapy activities and a group of women. For the interviews, the Thematic Oral History technique was used between November and December 2018. The data analysis was carried out in terms of Content Analysis, resulting in the synthesis of the following categories: 1) stories of suffering of the women welcomed in Primary Health Care, and 2) the production of mental health based on flower therapy and the women's group. By shedding light on the stories behind the diagnosis of Common Mental Disorders, women's understanding of psychic suffering has been reframed, revealing its ethical-political dimension. The flower therapy and the group of women present a potential for the production of mental health and empowerment, pointing a way to deconstruct the a-historical character of psychological suffering and the medicalization of social phenomena within the scope of Primary Care.
Keywords:
Mental Health; Gender; Primary Health Care; Complementary therapies; Oral History.