Structural competency in global perspective.

This special issue aims to help fill two critical gaps in the growing literature as well as in practice. First, to bring together scholars and practitioners from around the world who develop, practice, review, and question structural competency with the aim of promoting a dialogue with related approaches, such as Latin American Social Medicine, Collective Health, and others, which have been key in diverse geographical and social settings. Second, to contribute to expanding structural competency beyond clinical medicine to include other health-related areas such as social work, global health, public health practice, epidemiological research, health policy, community organisation and beyond. This conceptual expansion is currently taking place in structural competency, and we hope that this volume will help to raise awareness and reinforce what is already happening. In sum, this collection of articles puts structural competency more rigorously and actively in conversation with different geographic, political, social, and professional contexts worldwide. We hope this conversation sparks further development in scholarly, political and community movements for social and health justice.

Understanding the relationship between gender and mental health in adolescence: the Gender Adherence Index (GAI).

Half of all mental health disorders appear during adolescence, although it is still far from clear how they relate to gender (not sex) criteria. This study aims both to analyse the relationship between gender and adolescent mental health and to propose an index: the Gender Adherence Index (GAI). We used cross-sectional, secondary data from 3888 adolescents (aged 13-19) from the FRESC Health Survey on Adolescence in Barcelona. We analysed the interaction among sex, age and socio-economic status with several mental health indices. Additionally, we computed a Gender Adherence Index (GAI) to transcend the information-poor binary sex label, and thus assess to what extent mental health can be predicted by the gender expression of adolescents irrespective of their biological sex. We found that older age and lower economic status have a greater impact on the emotional distress of girls, who reported lower self-perceived mental health than boys. Nevertheless, girls obtained higher scores regarding their prosocial behaviour, which is protective against mental health problems. The GAI was retained in all statistical models stressing it as a relevant metric to explain the variability of adolescent emotional distress. Young people who showed adherence to normative femininity in their lifestyles showed higher prosocial behaviour but did not tend to present more emotional distress. Despite its limitations, this is a novel attempt to explore the relationship between gender expression and mental health. Better defined indices of gender adherence could help us to improve our predictive capacity of mental health disorders during adolescence.

Structural competency in epidemiological research: What's feasible, what's tricky, and the benefits of a 'structural turn'.

Structural competency is an emerging paradigm for both the training of health professionals and the creation of a common language addressing structural processes that determine health disparities. However, its application to the field of epidemiological design and research is absent. Based on our previous proposal of a tool for Structural and Intercultural Competency in Epidemiological Studies, the SICES guidelines, in this article we analyse the possibilities and challenges of a 'structural turn' in epidemiology. In terms of possibilities, we recognise the value of paradigms from multiple parts of the world, such as social and sociocultural epidemiology, critical epidemiology and collective health, in facilitating a structural turn in epidemiological studies. In this framework, structural competency would provide a new angle by focusing not only on what to research (e.g. inequalities), but with what skills and attitudes (e.g. cultural and epistemic humility). The challenges lie in the inclusion of reflexivity and a comprehensive view in the context of a positivist epidemiology oriented towards obtaining evidence from a biomedical, but not social, perspective.

Unraveling Reactionary Care: The Experience of Mother-Caregivers of Adults with Severe Mental Disorders in Catalonia.

In most Mediterranean countries, people diagnosed with severe mental disorders (SMDs) are typically cared for by the mother, causing a significant burden on people in this family role. Based on a broader mental health participatory action and qualitative research carried out in Catalonia (Spain) of 12 in-depth interviews and 3 focus groups, this article analyses the mother-caregivers' experience in the domestic space. The results show that patients and caregivers are engaged in a relationship of "nested dependencies", which create social isolation. This produces the conditions of "reactionary care", practices that limit the autonomy of those affected and that reproduce forms of disciplinary psychiatric institutions. We conclude that both institutional violence derived from economic rationality and that which stems from the gender mandate feed off each other into the domestic sphere. This research argues for placing care at the center of clinical practice and shows the need to consider the structural forces shaping it.

Salud mental colectiva: una revisión del concepto en la literatura académica de Brasil, Colombia y España / Collective mental health: a review of the concept in the academic literature of Brazil, Colombia, and Spain

Resumen La noción de salud mental colectiva hace referencia a una propuesta alternativa a la perspectiva biomédica y conductual que ha ido adquiriendo centralidad en las publicaciones académicas de Brasil, España y Colombia, especialmente en las dos últimas décadas. Con el fin de comprender el sentido que adquiere dicha noción, se realizó un análisis del concepto desde una revisión narrativa que empleó criterios intencionados para la selección del material. Se identificaron matices particulares en cada país y/o sus problemáticas asociadas, en estrecha conexión con las particularidades históricas y socioculturales de cada escenario. Las violencias relacionadas con las lógicas manicomiales (Brasil, España) y aquellas derivadas del conflicto armado y la violencia política (Colombia) son las problemáticas en las que la salud mental colectiva aporta orientaciones epistemológicas y modelos de prácticas para el acompañamiento en contextos de sufrimiento social. El deslinde entre lo colectivo y lo comunitario es el principal reto conceptual que emerge de la intersección entre la salud mental y la salud colectiva.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The notion of collective mental health refers to an alternative proposal to the biomedical and behavioral perspective that has been gaining centrality in academic publications in Brazil, Spain, and Colombia, especially in the last two decades. METHOD: In order to understand the meaning acquired by this notion, an analysis of the concept was carried out through a narrative review that used intentional criteria for the selection of the material. RESULTS: nuances were identified in each country and/or its associated problems, in close connection with the historical and socio-cultural particularities of each scenario. Violence related to asylum logic (Brazil, Spain), and those derived from armed conflict and political violence (Colombia) are the problems where collective mental health provides epistemological and practical guidelines for accompaniment in contexts of social suffering. CONCLUSION: the delimitation between the collective and the community is the main conceptual challenge that emerges from the intersection between mental health and collective health.

The woman who chose the terreiro. Lay care and medical landscapes in mental health care in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian mental health care reform understands mental health as a complex social process. There is a large literature production within the country focused on deinstitutionalization policy, social determinants of mental health and human rights, however, with little recognition beyond Latin American borders. In addition, cultural dimensions of mental suffering have been neglected in Brazilian debates which limits an expanded understanding of health care and users' inclusion. This paper aims to discuss the role of cultural determinants in mental health care in Brazil. We followed a patient in the city of Rio de Janeiro who opted for therapy based on her religious beliefs-using ayahuasca in the context of the Afro Brazilian religion of Umbanda-over the treatment-as-usual in mental health. We draw on the notions of autoatención (self, domestic, and group-care in lay contexts) and medical landscapes to examine how therapeutic negotiations reflect embodied cultural traits and both social and political determinants shaping therapeutic spaces. We argue that recognizing sociocultural differences and therapeutic negotiations are key elements in making a more inclusive health practice. Moreover, this recognition enables identifying and reasoning the broader social processes framing health practices. This debate is relevant to the Brazilian mental health context and to other scenarios, especially those where local and global knowledge and practices in mental health are entangled.

How Did People with Functional Disability Experience the First COVID-19 Lockdown? A Thematic Analysis of YouTube Comments.

People with functional disability endure barriers to health and other services and to full participation in social life. In the context of COVID-19, this discrimination has been intensified worldwide. We examine how the experience of COVID-19 lockdown was depicted in comments to a video about functional disability and COVID published on VICE's YouTube channel. We analysed the first 100 comments on the video, which was posted in spring 2020, during the first COVID-19 lockdown (roughly from March to June 2020, with some variations around the world). We identified four themes: lack of access to care and services, isolation and lifestyle changes, mental health consequences, and peer support. Legal regulations regarding COVID-19 and people with functional disability have not been sufficient in most countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed inadequate care systems, even in Western countries with advanced social protection policies.

El modelo GAM (Gestión Autónoma de la Medicación) como generador de autonomía en salud mental / O modelo GAM (Gestão Autônoma da Medicação) como gerador de autonomia em saúde mental / The autonomous medication management (AMM) model as a generator of autonomy in mental health care

En este texto presentamos una aproximación al concepto de autonomía aplicado al campo de la salud mental tomando como marco la "Guía para la gestión autónoma de la medicación" (GAM) y su despliegue en Brasil y España. La estrategia GAM plantea una comprensión de la autonomía alejada de una visión individualista para aproximarse a una perspectiva social y colectiva. En este artículo vamos a evidenciar los posibles desplazamientos y las tensiones generadas, así como los efectos de autonomización que conlleva su implementación en salud mental. En la experiencia brasileña, se observa ese desplazamiento desde el lugar del saber-poder, propio de los profesionales, mientras la experiencia española muestra cómo la adaptación de la herramienta parte de la necesaria implicación de los profesionales, de los usuarios/as, sus familias y su red social en un proceso conjunto de trabajo y cuidado colectivo. (AU)

Neste texto apresentamos o conceito de autonomia aplicado ao campo da saúde mental. Para isso tomaremos como referencial uma experiência denominada "Guia para a gestão autônoma de medicamentos" (GAM) e sua implantação em dois contextos geográficos: Brasil e Espanha. A estratégia GAM propõe uma compreensão da autonomia afastando-se de uma visão individualista para se aproximar de uma perspectiva social e coletiva. Neste artigo iremos evidenciar os possíveis deslocamentos e tensões presentes, bem como os possíveis efeitos da autonomização que sua implementação produziu no contexto do cuidado em saúde mental. Assim, na experiência brasileira, observamos como esse deslocamento se produz a partir desse lugar do poder-saber, típico da experiência do profissional, enquanto a experiência espanhola mostra como a adaptação da ferramenta decorre da implicação necessária dos profissionais, usuários, familiares e rede social em um processo conjunto de trabalho e cuidado coletivo. (AU)

In this article we present the concept of autonomy applied to the field of mental health drawing on experiences of the implementation of the "Autonomous Medication Management Guide" in two different contexts: Brazil and Spain. Autonomous medication management proposes an understanding of autonomy that moves away from an individualistic view towards a social and collective perspective. This article highlights potential shifts and tensions and the possible effects of "autonomization" in the context of mental health care. In the Brazilian experience, we observed how this shift is produced from the place of power-knowledge typical of professional practice, while the Spanish experience shows how the adaptation of the tool derives from the necessary involvement of professionals, service users, families and social networks through a joint process of collective working and care. (AU)

The Structural and Intercultural Competence for Epidemiological Studies (SICES) guidelines: a 22-item checklist.

Structural and intercultural competence approaches have been widely applied to fields such as medical training, healthcare practice, healthcare policies and health promotion. Nevertheless, their systematic implementation in epidemiological research is absent. Based on a scoping review and a qualitative analysis, in this article we propose a checklist to assess cultural and structural competence in epidemiological research: the Structural and Intercultural Competence for Epidemiological Studies guidelines. These guidelines are organised as a checklist of 22 items and consider four dimensions of competence (awareness and reflexivity, cultural and structural validation, cultural and structural sensitivity, and cultural and structural representativeness), which are applied to the different stages of epidemiological research: (1) research team building and research questions; (2) study design, participant recruitment, data collection and data analysis; and (3) dissemination. These are the first guidelines addressing structural and cultural competence in epidemiological inquiry.

Chagas, Risk and Health Seeking among Bolivian Women in Catalonia.

In this article, we explore relationships between risk and emotions among Bolivian women living with Chagas disease, and the implications of this for their diagnosis and treatment in Catalonia, Spain. Here, risk is a social phenomenon, while emotions are conceived as embedded in the sociocultural and relational world. Emotions play key risk-related roles as both a cause and consequence of Chagas disease, are the basis of health practices, and allow us to link risk to wider social inequalities. The way we conceive emotions is crucial both theorically and practically.

Representations and care practices of professionals regarding indigenous use of alcohol. / Representações e práticas de cuidado dos profissionais da saúde indígena em relação ao uso de álcool.

Indigenous people's health in Brazil is organized by the indigenous health subsystem, structured according to that of SUS, and described in the National Policy for Health Care of Indigenous Peoples. Alcohol consumption has been regarded as a health issue among indigenous peoples. In this paper, we describe the representations attributed by health professionals concerning alcohol use among indigenous peoples, and how these influence care practices. This is a descriptive ethnographic study based on interviews and participant observation. Analysis and interpretation were made with the support of Software Atlas TI 8.0. Excessive consumption occurs in specific contexts, and professionals view alcohol use as a problem. Drinking patterns vary with ethnicity, religion, and location, thus resulting in the need to develop cultural competencies that support implementation of effective actions and that also allow for collective construction, as stipulated in the policies. A network of supporters is described, among which are indigenous leaders, traditional healers, and the Evangelical Church. The study shows the difficulties of both carrying out policies and implementing actions which correspond to the indigenous peoples' expectations, recognizing the cultural and social rationale related to alcohol use.

The collaborative management of antipsychotic medication and its obstacles: A qualitative study.

Antipsychotic medication is the primary treatment for psychotic conditions such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders; nevertheless, its administration is not free from conflicts. Despite taking their medication regularly, 25-50% of patients report no benefits or perceive this type of treatment as an imposition. Following in the footsteps of a previous initiative in Quebec (Canada), the Gestion Autonome de la Médication en Santé Mentale (GAM), this article ethnographically analyses the main obstacles to the collaborative management of antipsychotics in Catalonia (Spain) as a previous step for the implementation of this initiative in the Catalan mental healthcare network. We conducted in-depth interviews with patients (38), family caregivers (18) and mental health professionals (19), as well as ten focus groups, in two public mental health services, and patients' and caregivers' associations. Data were collected between February and December 2018. We detected three main obstacles to collaboration among participants. First, different understanding of the patient's distress, either as deriving from the symptoms of the disorder (professionals) or the adverse effects of the medication (patients). Second, differences in the definition of (un)awareness of the disorder. Whereas professionals associated disorder awareness with treatment compliance, caregivers understood it as synonymous with self-care, and among patients "awareness of suffering" emerged as a comprehensive category of a set of discomforts (i.e., symptoms, adverse effects of medication, previous admissions, stigma). Third, discordant expectations regarding clinical communication that can be condensed in the differences in meaning between the Spanish words "trato" and "tratamiento", where the first denotes having a pleasant manner and agreement, and the second handling and management. We conclude that these three obstacles pave the way for coercive practices and promote patients' de-subjectivation, named here as the "total patient" effect. This study is the first GAM initiative in Europe.

Neuronarratives of Affliction: Antidepressants, Neuropolitics and the "Entrepreneur of Oneself".

The dramatic increase in the consumption of antidepressants is one indicator, among others, of the contemporary cerebralization of human affliction. This process has been led by expert systems, creating new biosocialities or neurosocialities, and new models of self as well: the neural self. While some research minimizes the neuro-colonization of the self and its impact on lay knowledge systems, here I argue that synergy between neuropolitics and figures characteristic of neoliberal governamentality such as the "entrepreneur of oneself" can give rise to an interiorized, cerebralized, centripetal, inwardly-oriented self. This paper, based on long-term fieldwork among consumers of antidepressants in Catalonia, analyses the emergence of neuronarratives of affliction (NoAs). NoAs privilege neurochemical dysfunction as the source of distress, shortcircuiting an awareness of the social sources of suffering while at the same time obscuring the fact of this concealment. NoAs transform the self into structure and reduce the social world to event.

Apuntes para una nueva cultura de cuidados en salud mental / Notas para uma nova cultura de cuidados na saúde mental / Notes for a new culture of care in mental health

El sufrimiento mental grave está asociado con una dolorosa experiencia de desconexión con el mundo social que acrecienta todavía más la aflicción y la adversidad de las personas afectadas. En un contexto clínico Post-Reforma, marcado por la hegemonía de la respuesta farmacológica, las narrativas de aflicción de los sujetos quedan a menudo invisibilizadas, al mismo tiempo que se fragilizan los posibles espacios de comunicación, de sociabilidad y de construcción colectiva del cuidado. A partir del trabajo de campo desarrollado en el proyecto "La Gestión Colaborativa de la Medicación" en Cataluña (2017-2020), en este artículo se propone el rescate de las narrativas de padecimiento, cuidado y atención con el propósito de habilitar el horizonte de una cultura del cuidado basada en el diálogo.

O sofrimento mental grave está associado a uma dolorosa experiência de desconexão com o mundo social, o que aumenta o sofrimento e as adversidades vividas pelas pessoas afetadas. Num contexto clinico Pós-reforma, marcado pela hegemonia da resposta farmacológica, as narrativas de sofrimento dos sujeitos ficam muitas vezes invisibilizadas, ao mesmo tempo em que são fragilizados os possíveis espaços de comunicação, de sociabilidade e de construção coletiva do cuidado. A partir do trabalho de campo desenvolvido no projeto "A Gestão Colaborativa da Medicação" na Catalunha (2017-2020), neste artigo se propõe o resgate das narrativas de padecimento, cuidado e atenção com o propósito de criar um horizonte de cultura de cuidado baseado no diálogo.

Severe mental distress is associated with a painful experience of disconnection with the social world that further increases affliction and adversity among those affected. In a Post-Reform clinical context, marked by the hegemony of the pharmacological response, the narratives of suffering are often invisible, while the possible spaces of communication, sociability and collective construction are fragile. Based on the fieldwork developed in the project "Collaborative Management of Medication" in Catalonia (2017-2020), this article proposes the rescue of the narratives of suffering, care, and attention to enable the horizon of a dialogic culture of care.

Representações e práticas de cuidado dos profissionais da saúde indígena em relação ao uso de álcool / Representations and care practices of professionals regarding indigenous use of alcohol

Resumo A saúde indígena no Brasil está regulamentada pelo subsistema de saúde indígena, estruturado a partir do Sistema Único de Saúde e descrito na Política Nacional de Atenção à Saúde dos Povos Indígenas. O uso do álcool tem sido visto como um problema entre povos indígenas. Nesse artigo descrevemos as representações atribuídas por profissionais de saúde em relação ao uso do álcool entre indígenas e como estas influenciam nas práticas de cuidado. Estudo descritivo baseado em entrevistas e observação participante por inserção etnográfica. Análise e interpretação se deu com apoio do Software Atlas TI 8.0. O uso do álcool é observado como problemático pelos profissionais, e o consumo excessivo é reproduzido em contextos específicos. Os modos de beber variam de acordo com a etnia, religião e local, e isso resulta na descrição da necessidade de desenvolver competências culturais que apoiariam na execução de ações efetivas e contemplassem a construção coletiva prevista nas políticas. Uma rede de apoiadores é descrita, dentre eles, as lideranças, curadores tradicionais e a igreja evangélica. O estudo mostra as dificuldades na efetivação das políticas e na implementação de ações que correspondam às expectativas dos povos indígenas, reconhecendo as lógicas culturais e sociais relacionadas ao uso do álcool.

Abstract Indigenous people's health in Brazil is organized by the indigenous health subsystem, structured according to that of SUS, and described in the National Policy for Health Care of Indigenous Peoples. Alcohol consumption has been regarded as a health issue among indigenous peoples. In this paper, we describe the representations attributed by health professionals concerning alcohol use among indigenous peoples, and how these influence care practices. This is a descriptive ethnographic study based on interviews and participant observation. Analysis and interpretation were made with the support of Software Atlas TI 8.0. Excessive consumption occurs in specific contexts, and professionals view alcohol use as a problem. Drinking patterns vary with ethnicity, religion, and location, thus resulting in the need to develop cultural competencies that support implementation of effective actions and that also allow for collective construction, as stipulated in the policies. A network of supporters is described, among which are indigenous leaders, traditional healers, and the Evangelical Church. The study shows the difficulties of both carrying out policies and implementing actions which correspond to the indigenous peoples' expectations, recognizing the cultural and social rationale related to alcohol use.

Meanings of the use of medicinal plants in self-care practices. / Significados da utilização de plantas medicinais nas práticas de autoatenção à saúde.

OBJECTIVE: Understand the meanings people attribute to the use of plants in self-care practices during situations of ailment. METHOD: Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research with ethnographic orientation, based on health anthropology with informants selected from a relations network. The sampling was done by semi-structured interviews and participant observations, from April 2015 to February 2017. RESULTS: Seventeen informants participated. The thematic axis emerged in the content analysis: meanings attributed by the informants to the use of medicinal plants. Feelings of love and happiness were unveiled, meanings of helping others, cure practices, family care through plants, comfort, the sense of welfare, among others. CONCLUSION: The importance of the nursing professional in establishing a therapeutic alliance with the subjects and social groups, aiming at the promotion of health and care completeness.

Inequality in breast cancer care in a Brazilian capital city: a comparative analysis of narratives.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in women in Brazil. Timely access to treatment is a priority for health policy in the country. However, indicators of the disease are not equally distributed between women. Poverty and low levels of schooling associate with late diagnosis, worse prognosis and lower survival. OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences between women from different socio-demographic profiles in the breast cancer care trajectory in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. METHOD: This is a hermeneutic study through narrative analysis. The selection of the participants was based on data from hospital records of four public and private oncology services in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, according to the following variables: age, levels of schooling, and treatment cost source (Proxy of income): In-depth interviews were performed with 35 women characterized in three profiles: Profile 1 (n = 7), age range 51-69 years, schooling ≥15 years and private treatment cost; Profile 2 (n = 13), age range 35-58 years, schooling = 11 years and predominantly public treatment costing; Profile 3 (n = 15), age range 43-79 years, schooling ≤ 8 years and public treatment cost. RESULTS: The analysis of the narratives allowed the identification of three main themes (preventive care and first signs/symptoms; search for care and diagnosis of cancer; treatment and perceptions about care received) that highlighted differences between the trajectories, with prejudice to women with characteristics of greater vulnerability (Profile 3). CONCLUSION: Although in Brazil the attention to women with breast cancer is guided by principles of equality and equity of care, it is necessary to develop mechanisms to prevent discriminatory practices and that guarantee equality of access to diagnosis and treatment.

Self-perception of health and social determinants in high school adolescents / Autopercepção de saúde e determinantes sociais em adolescentes matriculados no ensino médio

ABSTRACT Purpose: to verify the association between self-perception of health, gender, age, economic status, quality of life, cultural aspects and contexts of violence in high school adolescents. Methods: an observational analytical cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample composed of 386 high school students aged 15-19 years. The data collection was made in 16 public schools. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate data analyses were made. Models with hierarchical entry of the blocks according to the level of determination established in the theoretical model were built, and for the evaluation of associations in the logistic regression models, the significance level of 5% was considered. The Odds Ratio and its respective confidence interval of 95% were used as a measure of the magnitude of the associations. Results: the data revealed that more than two-thirds of the participants reported a positive self-perception of health and, in the hierarchical multiple logistic regression model, to have own house, to practice any religion, and the quality of life remained associated with positive Self-perception of health. Conclusion: having their own house, practicing a given religion and having a better quality of life increased the chances of a positive self-perception of health.

RESUMO Objetivo: verificar a associação entre a autopercepção em saúde com determinantes sociais demográficos, culturais, contexto de violência e autopercepção de qualidade de vida de adolescentes matriculados no ensino médio. Métodos: estudo observacional analítico transversal com amostra probabilística composta por 386 estudantes de ensino médio, na faixa etária de 15 a 19 anos, matriculados em 16 escolas públicas. Foram realizadas as análises de dados descritiva, bivariada e multivariada. Foram construídos modelos com entrada hierárquica dos blocos segundo o nível de determinação estabelecido no modelo teórico e para avaliação das associações nos modelos de regressão logística foi considerado o nível de significância de 5%. Como medida de magnitude das associações foi utilizado o Odds Ratio e seu respectivo intervalo de confiança de 95%. Resultados: os dados revelaram que mais de dois terços dos participantes referiram autopercepção de saúde positiva e no modelo de regressão logística múltipla hierarquizada permaneceram associadas à Autopercepção de saúde positiva ter moradia própria, praticar alguma religião e qualidade de vida. Conclusão: o fato de o participante ter moradia própria, praticar alguma religião e referir melhor qualidade de vida aumentou as chances de ter autopercepção de saúde positiva.