Factors that promote psychic suffering in the black population in a social vulnerability

Abstract

Racism persists in Brazil and triggers psychological distress. We sought to identify the factors that promote psychological distress in black people in a context of social vulnerability in the Distrito Federal. For this, qualitative research was carried out with interviews and a questionnaire with 15 self-declared black people in a situation of social vulnerability. The results expose the lack of educational, institutional and financial opportunities, the family and social abandonment necessary for the maintenance of the participants' mental health, thus generating emotional and behavioral problems. The black person in a situation of social vulnerability suffers from several prejudices, racism being just one of them. Participants have difficulty identifying racism. Discrimination is perceived in terms of social status, for being on public roads, with altered mental status or begging for alms, with skin color being an aggravating factor, as white individuals in the same social and unhealthy condition are less discriminated against. The presence of psychological distress is real, but most participants are not in the habit of regularly looking for health services, just the emergency because they feel discrimination already in the reception, a fact that characterizes institutional racism. It is concluded that racial issues need to be consciously assumed in the context of mental health institutions. It demands awareness-raising processes, training on racial issues, in order to promote more attention and care, which go beyond the reception of basic needs. The empowerment of the black population is another focus to be embraced in mental health care.