Mental Health Literacy and Positive Mental Health in Adolescents: A Correlational Study.

This study aimed to assess adolescents' Mental Health Literacy (MHL) level, Positive Mental Health (PMH) level, the association between sociodemographic variables and the MHL and PMH levels, and the relationship between adolescent's MHL and PMH levels. A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 260 adolescents studying in the 5th to 12th years of school. The Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire, the Mental Health-Promoting Knowledge, and the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire were used for data collection. Most of the adolescents were female (55.8%) with a mean age of 14.07 years. The participants showed good levels of MHL (MHKQ). The participants showed good levels of MHL (MHKQ 𝘹¯ = 60.03; MHPK-10 𝘹¯ = 4.49) and high levels of PMH (𝘹¯ = 128.25). The adolescents with higher levels of MHL were the oldest, in a higher year of school, female, those whose mothers are employed, those who have healthy eating habits, and those who have a better body image self-perception. Adolescents in a lower year of school, with adequate sleep habits, who spend fewer hours a day in front of a screen or online, and who have a better self-perception of mental and physical health and body image were the ones with higher PMH levels. These findings suggest the need to implement experimental or quasi-experimental studies to ascertain the effectiveness of interventions that promote adolescents' positive mental health literacy.

Stress e estratégias de coping em profissionais de saúde / Stress and coping strategies in health professionals / Estrés y estrategias de afrontamiento para profesionales de la salud

CONTEXTO: As especificidades do trabalho nas organizações de saúde e, em particular, os níveis de stress a que estão sujeitos os profissionais têm reflexos na sua condição de saúde. As medidas de redução do stress profissional inscrevem-se nas estratégias de governação clínica enquanto processo de melhoria da qualidade envolvendo princípios fundamentais da excelência, como a orientação para os resultados, melhoria contínua, responsabilidade social, focalização na saúde e bem-estar das pessoas/colaboradores. OBJETIVO: Avaliar principais fontes de stress e estratégias de coping utilizadas pelos profissionais de saúde no desenvolvimento da sua atividade profissional. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo descritivo exploratório com amostra por conveniência a diferentes profissionais de saúde. Para a recolha de dados foram utilizados dois instrumentos: Questionário de Stress nos Profissionais de Saúde; e Brief COPE. O questionário foi enviado por e-mail decorrendo a recolha entre os meses de maio e junho de 2018. Os dados foram tratados e analisados com recurso ao SPSS. Todos os procedimentos éticos foram assegurados. RESULTADOS: As dimensões de stress mais críticas referidas pelos profissionais de saúde foram: carreira, remuneração, excesso de trabalho e lidar com os clientes. As estratégias de coping mais referidas foram: coping ativo, planear e reinterpretação positiva. O uso de substâncias foi a menos utilizada. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados obtidos permitem identificar uma vulnerabilidade particular dos profissionais de saúde a fatores de stress profissional associados à carreira e às condições de exercício profissional. Apurou-se uma resposta relativamente consensual face ao stress: o impacto negativo na saúde, em particular na saúde mental, com as consequências adversas alusivas a todo o processo de governação clínica.

BACKGROUND: The specificities of work in health organizations and, in particular, the levels of stress to which professionals are subjected have consequences for their health condition. Occupational stress reduction measures are part of clinical governance strategies as a quality improvement process involving fundamental principles of excellence, such as results orientation, continuous improvement and social responsibility, and focus on the health and well-being of people / contributors. AIM: To evaluate the main sources of stress and coping strategies used by health professionals in the development of their professional activity. METHODS: This is a descriptive and exploratory study with convenience sample to different health professionals. Two instruments were used to collect data: Stress Questionnaire for Health Professionals; and Brief COPE. The questionnaire was sent by e-mail after the collection between the months of May and June of 2018. The data were treated and analyzed using SPSS. All ethical procedures were ensured during the process. RESULTS: The most critical stress dimensions reported by health professionals were: career, remuneration, overwork and dealing with clients. The most mentioned coping strategies were: active coping, planning and positive reinterpretation. Substance use was the least referred. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained allow the identification of a particular vulnerability of health professionals to professional stress factors associated with career and working conditions. It was also possible to establish a relatively consensual response to stress in health professionals: the negative impact on health, in particular on mental health, with adverse consequences for the entire clinical governance process.

CONTEXTO: Las especificidades del trabajo en las organizaciones de salud y, en particular, los niveles de estrés a que están sujetos los profesionales tienen reflejos en su condición de salud. Las medidas de reducción del estrés profesional se inscriben en las estrategias de gobernanza clínica como proceso de mejora de la calidad que involucra principios fundamentales de la excelencia, como la orientación hacia los resultados, la mejora continua y la responsabilidad social y la focalización en la salud y el bienestar de las personas / empleados. OBJETIVO(S): Evaluar las principales fuentes de estrés y estrategias de coping utilizadas por los profesionales de la salud en el desarrollo de su actividad profesional METODOLOGÍA: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo y exploratorio con muestra por conveniencia a diferentes profesionales de la salud. Para la recogida de datos se utilizaron dos instrumentos: i) Cuestionario de estrés en los profesionales de la salud; y ii) Brief COPE. El cuestionario fue enviado por correo electrónico a través de la recogida entre los meses de mayo y junio de 2018.Los datos del fueron tratados y analizados con recurso al SPSS. Todos los procedimientos éticos se garantizaron durante el proceso. RESULTADOS: Las dimensiones de estrés más críticas referidas por los profesionales de salud fueron: carrera, remuneración, exceso de trabajo y lidiar con los clientes. Las estrategias de coping más mencionadas fueron: coping activo, planeamiento y reinterpretación positiva. El uso de sustancias fue la menos utilizada. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados obtenidos permiten identificar una vulnerabilidad particular de los profesionales de la salud a factores de estrés profesional asociados a la carrera ya las condiciones de ejercicio profesional. También es posible determinar una respuesta relativamente consensuada frente al estrés en los profesionales de la salud: el impacto negativo en la salud mental, con las consecuencias adversas en lo que se refiere a todo el proceso de gobernanza clínica.

Good practices to reduce unfinished nursing care: An integrative review.

AIM: To identify evidence of good practice interventions aimed at reducing unfinished nursing care in the hospital context. BACKGROUND: Unfinished nursing care is a common problem related to nursing practice, essentially due to time scarcity. There is not much research on how to deal with it and on how to develop good practices that can mitigate the unfinished nursing care. EVALUATION: This study is an integrative review of the literature. After searching databases, we selected seven articles that met the inclusion criteria. KEY ISSUES: To mitigate unfinished nursing care, the following good practices were identified: adequacy of human resources, nurse-to-patient ratio and workload distribution; improvement of the working environment with increased teamwork; and effective communication among all health professionals. CONCLUSION: An adequate number of nurses can ensure the timely provision of care and mitigate unfinished nursing care. Efficient communication between the multi-professional team, as well as recognition of professional merit, personal and organisational accountability, also contributes to mitigate unfinished nursing care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Health organisations should staff their units adequately and ensure a well-balanced workload distribution, and promote healthy work environments that foster personal accountability, adequate communication between all professionals and recognition of professional merit.

Nível de satisfaçãoe desejo de mudar de situação profissional em enfermeiros de unidades de cuidados continuados integrados / Satisfaction level and desire to change the professional situation in nurses of integrated continuous care units

This study aims to analyze nurses' satisfaction in the specific context of four Integrated Continuing Care Units of the Portuguese Red Cross, and to know how the level of satisfaction is related to their intention for professional change. It is a descriptive and correlational quantitative study. The sample consisted of 41 nurses from four Integrated Continuous Care Units. It was applied an instrument that integrated questions about job satisfaction (using the Job Satisfaction Scale described by Lima, Vala and Monteiro, 1994) and questions about the intention of professional change (using the Turnover Intention Scale, adapted from Bothma and Roodt, 2013).The results showed that, in the sample studied, the average level of satisfaction with the profession is M = 3.41 (SD = 0.55) on a scale ranging from 1, corresponding to the lowest level of satisfaction, to 5, corresponding to the highest level. The main dissatisfaction factors identified were career progression and remuneration.As for turnover intent, an average score of M=2.79 (sd = 0.65) was recorded, below the midpoint of the five-point scale. The analysis of the results revealed the existence of statistically significant correlations between the intention to turnover and different dimensions of job satisfaction, being particularly expressive in situations where there is dissatisfaction with the nature of the work performed (rs=0.655; p<0.05)

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Photography in the planning of health interventions for the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze potentialities of the use of photo-elicitation technique as a tool of access to the real needs of the beneficiaries of the intervention of health professionals. For this purpose, the aspects of their quality of life that they considered more relevant were identified with an elderly group. METHOD: It is a qualitative investigation in which the discourse of the elderly on the changes to their quality of life is encouraged through the use of photographic images. RESULTS: Based on the data obtained, it was possible to identify the aspects of quality of life considered more relevant by the elderly, allowing, therefore, to sustain a later intervention adjusted to the needs and expectations of the elderly. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The use of photo-elicitation allowed verifying its potentialities as a strategy to collect significant and relevant information for the planning of interventions in the Health area.

Photography in the planning of health interventions for the elderly / La fotografía en la planificación de intervenciones de salud dirigidas a ancianos / A fotografia no planejamento de intervenções de saúde dirigidas a idosos

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze potentialities of the use of photo-elicitation technique as a tool of access to the real needs of the beneficiaries of the intervention of health professionals. For this purpose, the aspects of their quality of life that they considered more relevant were identified with an elderly group. Method: It is a qualitative investigation in which the discourse of the elderly on the changes to their quality of life is encouraged through the use of photographic images. Results: Based on the data obtained, it was possible to identify the aspects of quality of life considered more relevant by the elderly, allowing, therefore, to sustain a later intervention adjusted to the needs and expectations of the elderly. Final considerations: The use of photo-elicitation allowed verifying its potentialities as a strategy to collect significant and relevant information for the planning of interventions in the Health area.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Analizar las potencialidades de la utilización de la técnica de la foto-elección como instrumento de acceso a las reales necesidades de los beneficiarios de la intervención de los profesionales de salud. Con ese propósito, se identificaron, junto a un grupo de ancianos, los aspectos de su calidad de vida que consideran más relevantes. Método: Se trata de una investigación cualitativa en la que el discurso de los ancianos sobre las alteraciones a su calidad de vida es estimulado mediante el uso de imágenes fotográficas. Resultados: Con base en los datos obtenidos, fue posible identificar los aspectos de la calidad de vida considerados más relevantes por los ancianos, permitiendo así sostener una posterior intervención ajustada a las necesidades y expectativas del anciano. Consideraciones finales: La experiencia de utilización de la foto-elicitación permitió constatar sus potencialidades como estrategia de recogida de información significativa y relevante para la planificación de intervenciones en el área de la Salud.

RESUMO Objetivo: Analisar as potencialidades da utilização da técnica da foto-elicitação enquanto instrumento de acesso às reais necessidades dos beneficiários da intervenção dos profissionais de saúde. Com esse propósito, foram identificados, junto a um grupo de idosos, os aspetos da sua qualidade de vida que consideram mais relevantes. Método: Trata-se de uma investigação qualitativa em que o discurso dos idosos sobre as alterações à sua qualidade de vida é estimulado através do recurso a imagens fotográficas. Resultados: Com base nos dados obtidos, foi possível identificar os aspetos da qualidade de vida considerados mais relevantes pelos idosos, permitindo, assim, sustentar uma posterior intervenção ajustada às necessidades e expectativas do idoso. Considerações finais: A experiência de utilização da foto-elicitação permitiu constatar as suas potencialidades enquanto estratégia de recolha de informação significativa e relevante para o planejamento de intervenções na área da Saúde.

Communication problems between nurses and patient's family

Communication between the nurse and the patient's family is a significant aspect of nursing practice. This paper presents the results of a research aimed to characte-rize problematic situations that occur in the relations involving nurses and patients' relatives: I) the type and frequency with which nurses deal with problematic situa-tions involving the patient's relatives in the context of their professional activity; II) the level of difficulty in dealing with these situations; and III) the psychological exhaustion they cause. The research focused on nurses of two clinical services of a public hospital: an In-tensive Care Unit and an Emergency Department. The methodological approach to this study is quantitative and has a descriptive and correlational nature. A question-naire was elaborated for the collection of data, contemplating questions related to the objective of the research. From a total of 99 nurses of the two clinical services, 50 were interviewed. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the two services regarding the frequency with which nurses are threatened and intimi-dated, being more frequent in the emergency department. The insistent demand for information on the part of the family members constitutes the situation with greater occurrence and, simultaneously, the situation that causes greater impact on nurses. The lack of preparation stands out for the way it correlates with the wea-riness of nurses caused by requests of confidential information by the family on the patient's health status (rs = -0,473; p < 0.05) and the insistent search for information on the part of the relatives (rs = -0.416; p < 0.05)

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Determining factors of communication effectiveness in nursing teams

The quality and effectiveness of nursing care depends on, among other factors, communication processes configuration between health care team members. The objectives of this study were: I) to determine how nurses evaluate the diffe-rent dimensions of the communicative process; II) to identify the main obstacles to communication; III) to gauge how nurses evaluate the adequacy of different com-munication channels in health services. This was an investigation of quantitative descriptive and correlational. A structured questionnaire was developed to obtain relevant data on the matter. The research was carried out in four health services (Neonatology, Medicine II, Emergency and Basic Emergency) and a total of 75 nur-ses were surveyed. A comparative analysis between the four services revealed no statistically significant differences in how nurses evaluate the communicative pro-cess. This fact indicates that the way in which communication is configured and evaluated is transversal to nursing practice and independent from the context in which it occurs. The research reveals the generally positive way how nurses evalua-te the communication process. However, some weaknesses of communication in the clinical context are identified, mainly related to the mode in which information of organizational nature is disseminated within each department

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Interpersonal conflict management strategies in nursing teams

Nursing is par excellence a teamwork activity and is, consequently, exposed to the vulnerabilities of the dynamics of group functioning. Based on this assumption, conflicts management in nursing teams gains particular relevance. The main ob-jective of the research is to assess the frequency with which nurses are confronted with situations of conflict, to identify the main causes of conflict, and the strategies adopted by nurses to deal with conflict situations. The methodological approach to this study is quantitative and has a descriptive, exploratory and correlational nature. A questionnaire was elaborated for the collection of data and a total of 35 nurses from an emergency department of an Hospital of the Serviço Nacional de Saúde were inquired. The results show that the conflicts in the nursing teams assume identical configuration with other activities, standing out five strategies: Commitment, Avoidance, Accommodation, Confrontation and Collaboration. Con-frontation is the most mentioned strategy by nurses and this can be explained by the limitation and dispute of resources. The conclusions show that conflict mana-gement by nurses is determined by the nature of the conflict. The data obtained indicate that the scarcity of material resource reserves leads to confrontation, con-tributing to the degradation of the organizational environment

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Reflexos da lógica organizacional na identidade profissional: variações do discurso autobiográfico / Reflections of organizational logic in professional identity: variations of the autobiographical discourse / Reflejos de la lógica organizacional en la identidad profesional: variaciones del discurso autobiográfico

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a forma como a identidade profissional incorpora os princípios das lógicas de gestão organizacional que enquadram a trajetória profissional dos indivíduos. A análise incide nas referências identitárias mobilizadas na produção do relato autobiográfico e que estruturam a identidade profissional. Para tal, são apresentados os resultados obtidos a partir da análise de um corpus documental de 100 autobiografias que integram relatos das experiências profissionais. Os resultados revelaram que a diferente configuração das trajetórias profissionais, estruturados em torno de uma maior ou menor vinculação a conteúdos funcionais estritos, corresponde a uma atribuição de significados também distintos à ideia de experiência profissional, com implicações na identidade profissional e no modo como esses indivíduos se apresentam narrativamente.

The objective of this article is to analyze how the professional identity embodies the principles of the organizational management logic that frame the professional career of individuals. The analysis focuses on the identity references mobilized in the autobiographical narrative production and that structure professional identity. For this purpose, the results obtained from the analysis of a documentary corpus of 100 autobiographies are presented. The results revealed that the different configuration of the professional trajectories, structured around a greater or lesser attachment to the strict functional content, also corresponds to an assignment of meanings that are also different from the idea of professional experience, with implications for the professional identity and the way these individuals present themselves in the narrative.

En este artículo se analiza cómo la identidad profesional incorpora los principios de la lógica de la gestión organizacional que engloban la trayectoria profesional. El análisis se centra en las referencias de identidad movilizadas en la producción del relato autobiográfico y que estructuran la identidad profesional. Con este fin, se presentan los resultados del análisis de un corpus documental de 100 autobiografías que integran relatos de experiencias profesionales. Los resultados mostraron que las diferentes configuraciones de las trayectorias profesionales, estructuradas en torno a un mayor o menor apego a contenidos funcionales estrictos, corresponden también, a una asignación de diferentes significados con relación a la idea y experiencia profesional, con implicaciones para la identidad profesional y la forma cómo estos individuos se presentan narrativamente.

[HEALTH, WELLBEING AND CONVIVIALITY OF THE ELDERLY. THE PORTUGUESE, SPANISH AND EUROPEAN SITUATION]. / Salud, bienestar y convivencia de Los ancianos. LA SITUACION PORTUGUESA, ESPAÑOLA Y EUROPEA.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the specificities of aging in Portugal and Spain, in contrast to the reality of nineteen countries of the European Union. METHODOLOGY: The senior condition is characterized in different dimensions: health status, the level of wellbeing, conviviality and sense of loneliness. For that we have analyzed the results of the European Social Survey, round 5. RESULTS: In Portugal, compared to Spain, it has been identified in the elderly population: greater financial difficulties, poorer perceived health status and wellbeing but, simultaneously, less limitation in performing activities of daily life. Respecting to con- viviality, Portugal and Spain are distinct from other populations of the European reality analyzed, with a high frequency of con- vivial activities. CONCLUSION: In conclusion it was found the existence of national characteristics that suggest the existence of social and cultural factors that determine the experience of aging.

Salud, bienestar y convivencia de los ancianos. La situación portuguesa, española y europea / Health, wellbeing and conviviality of the elderly. The portuguese, spanish and european situation

Objetivo. Describir las características del envejecimiento en Portugal y España, en contraste con la realidad de los diecinueve países de la Unión Europea. Metodología. La visión del mayor se ve desde diferentes dimensiones: el estado de salud, el nivel de bienestar, las relaciones de convivencia y el sentimiento de soledad. El análisis se ha basado en los resultados obtenidos en el European Social Survey, round 5. Resultados. En Portugal, en comparación con España, se han identificado en la población anciana: mayores dificultades financieras, una peor percepción del estado de salud y del nivel de bienestar, pero, simultáneamente, menos limitación en la realización de las actividades de la vida diaria. Con respecto a las relaciones de convivencia en la población anciana, Portugal y España se diferencian del resto de la realidad europea analizada, con una frecuencia elevada de actividades de convivencia. Conclusión. Se ha podido constatar la existencia de especificidades nacionales que sugieren la existencia de factores sociales y culturales en la experiencia de la vejez (AU)

Objective. To characterize the specificities of aging in Portugal and Spain, in contrast to the reality of nineteen countries of the European Union. Methodology. The senior condition is characterized in different dimensions: health status, the level of wellbeing, conviviality and sense of loneliness. For that we have analyzed the results of the European Social Survey, round 5. Results. In Portugal, compared to Spain, it has been identified in the elderly population: greater financial difficulties, poorer perceived health status and wellbeing but, simultaneously, less limitation in performing activities of daily life. Respecting to conviviality, Portugal and Spain are distinct from other populations of the European reality analyzed, with a high frequency of convivial activities. Conclusion. In conclusion it was found the existence of national characteristics that suggest the existence of social and cultural factors that determine the experience of aging (AU)

A condição sénior no sul da europa e na Escandinávia / The senior condition in southern europe and Scandinavia

O aumento da esperança média de vida associado a uma retração significativa da natalidade tem contribuído para um rápido envelhecimento das sociedades e uma profunda alteração da estrutura demográfica de muitos dos países europeus. Neste artigo, analisamos as especificidades da condição sénior nos países do Sul da Europa e da Escandinávia. Tratando-se de países com uma configuração de modelos de proteção social distintos, procuramos perceber se existem formas diferenciadas de viver a velhice nessas sociedades. Para tal, recorremos à análise dos resultados obtidos no European Social Survey (round 5 - 2010). A análise realizada revela que a existência de diferentes modelos que configuram a condição sénior nas sociedades em análise traduz-se em formas diferenciadas de lidar com o processo de envelhecimento. Concluímos que a condição de idoso não depende exclusivamente dos fatores biológicos relacionados com a limitação física, pois o contexto social em que se enquadra a vivência desse período da vida também influencia a condição sénior e a forma como os idosos a perspetivam.

The extended increasing of life expectancy associated with a significant decline in the birth rate have contributed to a rapid aging of societies and a profound change in the demographic structure of many European countries. We analyze in this article the specific condition of the senior in the countries of Southern Europe and Scandinavia. In the case of countries with a configuration of different models of social protection, we realize that there are different ways of living old age in these societies. For this reason, our analysis uses the results obtained in the European Social Survey (round 5-2010). The analysis reveals the existence of different models that set the senior condition in the referred societies, which means different ways of dealing with the aging process. To conclude, the condition of the elderly does not depend solely on biological factors related to physical limitation, it is also influenced by social configuration that fits the experience of this period of individual life, as well as the way old people face it.

Modes of acquisition of health literacy skills in informal learning contexts / Modos de desarrollo de competencias de literacia en salud en contextos informales de aprendizaje / Modos de desenvolvimento de competências de literacia em saúde em contextos informais de aprendizagem

In this article we try to analyze the learning processes of health literacy skills in informal contexts. We intend to broaden the understanding of the learning process beyond the formal contexts, thus contributing to the elucidation of health professionals on how individuals acquire and manage their knowledge in health matters. Given our goal, we use an analytic corpus constituted by one hundred autobiographical narratives written between 2006 and 2011, in educational contexts but with recognized potential for use in different scientific fields, including health. The results reveal the existence of three different types of modes of learning health literacy skills in informal context: : i) learning that takes place in action, in achieving daily tasks; ii) learning processes that result from problem solving; iii) learning that occurs in an unplanned manner, resulting from accidental circumstances and, in some cases, devoid of intentionality.

En este artículo se analizan los modos y procesos de aprendizaje de competencias de literacia en salud en los contextos informales. Tenemos la intención de ampliar la comprensión del proceso de aprendizaje más allá de los contextos formales, contribuyendo a la elucidación de los profesionales de salud sobre cómo las personas adquieren y gestionan el conocimiento en salud. Teniendo en cuenta nuestro objetivo, utilizamos un corpus de análisis que consiste en cien relatos autobiográficos producidos, entre 2006 y 2011, en contextos educativos, pero con reconocido potencial para uso en diferentes campos científicos, incluyendo la salud. Los resultados demuestran la existencia de tres tipos diferentes de modos de aprendizaje de competencias de literacia de salud en contextos informales: i) el aprendizaje que tiene lugar en la acción en la consecución de las tareas diarias; ii) aprendizajes que derivan de procesos de resolución de problemas; iii) aprendizajes que se ocurren de modo no planificado, resultado del fortuito y, en algunos casos, carente de intencionalidad.

Neste artigo procuramos analisar os modos e processo de aprendizagem de competências de literacia em saúde em contextos informais. Pretendemos ampliar a compreensão dos processos de aprendizagem para além dos contextos formais, contribuindo para a elucidação dos profissionais de saúde sobre a forma como os indivíduos adquirem e gerem o conhecimento em saúde. Face ao nosso objetivo, recorremos um corpus analítico constituído por cem narrativas autobiográficas elaboradas, entre 2006 e 2011, em contextos educativos mas com reconhecido potencial para a utilização em diferentes campos científicos, incluindo a saúde. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam a existência de três diferentes características dos modos de aprendizagem de competências de literacia em saúde em contextos informais: i) aprendizagens que decorrem na ação, na concretização de tarefas quotidianas; ii) aprendizagens que resultam de processos de resolução de problemas; iii) aprendizagens que ocorrem de forma não planeada, fruto do fortuito e, em alguns casos, desprovidas de intencionalidade. ...

Modes of acquisition of health literacy skills in informal learning contexts.

In this article we try to analyze the learning processes of health literacy skills in informal contexts. We intend to broaden the understanding of the learning process beyond the formal contexts, thus contributing to the elucidation of health professionals on how individuals acquire and manage their knowledge in health matters. Given our goal, we use an analytic corpus constituted by one hundred autobiographical narratives written between 2006 and 2011, in educational contexts but with recognized potential for use in different scientific fields, including health. The results reveal the existence of three different types of modes of learning health literacy skills in informal context: : i) learning that takes place in action, in achieving daily tasks; ii) learning processes that result from problem solving; iii) learning that occurs in an unplanned manner, resulting from accidental circumstances and, in some cases, devoid of intentionality.