Cuidados com a saúde mental de mulheres gestantes e puérperas: uma perspectiva ecopsicológica

Abstract

This paper seeks to reinforce the debate on how Ecopsychology can provide support for the mental health care of pregnant and postpartum women, emphasizing the importance of integrating Psychology, Health and Environmental Sciences in research on sexual and reproductive rights. It suggests that the clinical resources proposed by Ecopsychology be integrated with those already existing in conventional Psychology in the prevention of psychological distress among women during the perinatal period, since it emphasizes the importance of reconnecting the individual with the environment that surrounds them. For pregnant and postpartum women, this approach proposes strategies capable of transforming the way they relate to the environment around them, based on a process of self-knowledge and understanding of the world that surrounds them. The objective of this study was to conduct an in-depth analysis of women’s responses to the demands of life during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as the interpretations they construct about their desires, capabilities, ambitions, ideas and emotions in relation to the environment that surrounds them. In the 21st century, one of the main challenges is to promote equity in access to mental health, encouraging the recognition of this issue as an essential aspect of the human condition. In view of the socio-environmental crisis that the global community is experiencing, it is essential to invest in research that inspires the adoption of new social habits, with a view to stimulating personal and collective transformation. In this scenario, the contemporary lifestyle proves to be an adverse factor, contributing to the increase in chronic diseases — physical and mental — directly related to environmental degradation. This study is based on the principles of the quantitative descriptive and qualitative exploratory approaches, with the objective of observing, quantifying, describing and interpreting the information provided by pregnant and postpartum women. The research was conducted in four municipalities belonging to the Corbélia District — Anahy, Braganey, Corbélia and Iguatu — with the participation of 68 women. Of these, 66.2% were pregnant and 33.8% had recently given birth. Although the average age of the participants was 29 years, two groups composed of seven women presented different age ranges: one with an average of 26 years and the other with an average of 34 years, in the year 2024. For the qualitative analysis, three pregnant women and three postpartum women from the municipality of Iguatu-PR were selected. Data collection occurred through the application of three questionnaires, carried out in the format of individual interviews. The analysis used the descriptive-analytical method, allowing the identification of interconnections between categories and objectives, highlighting the relevance of each dimension in understanding the socio-environmental profile and in assessing satisfaction with the quality of life of these women. In general, participants reported experiencing perinatality in good socio-environmental conditions, especially with regard to guidance, protection, safety and comfort. However, they expressed dissatisfaction with their quality of life and well-being in the context of pregnancy and the postpartum period.