'We see they are abandoned': Social support between people discharged from long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors in Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Neighbors are an important component of personal social network (PSN) and despite their peripheral role and being considered as familiar strangers, they typically provide instrumental support. For people who is discharged after long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, neighbors would offer other types of social support and play a different role fostering the process of becoming full member of a given community. AIMS: To analyze the effects of neighboring on both, those who have had long-term psychiatric hospitalizations and their neighbors. METHOD: Data was collected between 2020 and 2021, including interviews with formal care staff of three housing support experiences in Argentina, and short testimonies from formerly discharged mental health service users living in the community and their neighbors. We analyzed the data using the Framework Method with a focus on the different aspects of social support and equity and reciprocity theories. RESULTS: Results suggest that emotional support was a frequent function displayed by neighbors toward people with a history of long-term psychiatric hospitalizations, which differs from typical neighboring relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Despite reciprocity was observed, users and neighbors displayed an unbalanced helping relationship.

Lo comunitario y la transformación de la atención en salud mental en el contexto de las reformas sanitarias pro-mercado: estudio de caso – Bogotá / The community aspect and the transformation of mental health attention in the pro-market sanitary reforms context: case study – Bogotá

Esta investigación es un estudio de caso sobre la transformación de la atención psiquiátrica en el contexto de las reformas de salud pro-mercado. Analiza la situación de la atención psiquiátrica en la ciudad de Bogotá, pues la reforma del sistema de salud colombiano ejemplifica la implementación de las sugerencias de los bancos multilaterales en materia de salud. Se enfoca en el análisis del componente comunitario de la reforma psiquiátrica, revisándose las prácticas de atención y sus referentes políticos, jurídicos y técnicos, mediante entrevistas a profundidad, análisis documental y cuestionarios a profesionales de servicios. Los referentes son los estudios críticos sobre la reforma de los sistemas de salud y la psicología social comunitaria. Los resultados señalan que la atención comunitaria, en el contexto de este sistema de salud, estaría siendo contraria a los principios de la reforma psiquiátrica. El trabajo es un avance de resultados de una tesis de maestría.