Saúde mental infantil e contexto escolar

This study sought to identify the perceptions of a school’s professionals about the socioemotional difficulties presented by some students and about the strategies utilized to face these problems. Eighteen professionals from a public school located in a city in the countryside of the state of Sao Paulo participated in the study, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data was analyzed using content analysis. It was observed that in the participants’ perception the problems related to child mental health are expressed through aggressiveness and excessive agitation, isolation, inattention, and difficulties in fulfilling agreements; the participants also perceived the involvement of factors from the family, school, and socio-cultural contexts that are present in children’s everyday lives. The results indicate the importance of intersectoral actions promoting child mental health that can encompass the different actors and services directed to this population.