ABSTRACT
Objective
To investigate the psychic repercussions of mothers of children with complications due to Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome.
Method
Cross-sectional study with a two-step sequential mixed approach conducted in a Health Regional of a Northeast state. Participated in the first stage of the investigation, regarding the application of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire, 15 mothers. In the second stage, interviews were conducted with 13 mothers. The analysis was performed using statistical software (step 1) and the content analysis technique (step 2).
Results
It was observed that 10 women had a positive result for mental suffering. In the qualitative stage, the following stands out in the reports: the fear of loss/death or non-evolution of the child's condition, physical and psychological exhaustion as a result of continuous care, and the appearance / worsening of conflicts that negatively affect family dynamics.
Conclusion and Implications for practice
The results point to the need for health education actions in order to enable the exchange of knowledge, practices, and experiences; offering essential psychosocial support and strengthening support networks in the formal and informal health network, aiming to create/expand equipment to assist in self-care and empowerment of these women's identities and potentials.
Keywords:
Zika Virus; Microcephaly; Mothers; Mental health