This study investigated the relationship between the perceptions concerning family support and child stress in 30 children of both sexes, between the ages of 7 and 12, who were participating in the "Family-in-Action Project "promoted by the Department of Health in the city of Matelândia, in the state of Paraná. It is a descriptive-exploratory study that used, as a data collection tool, the Inventory of Perception of Family Support and the Child-stress Scale, both applied individually. Results indicated that 60% of the children presented low family support and stress, and of these 50% lived in families that were still intact. The predominant symptoms of stress were psychological, affecting 50%, which indicates child vulnerability to psycho-social non-adaptation. Thus, the importance of preventive work and the strengthening of the social-support network is discussed, where families are inclusive, directed towards the psychological well-being of our children.
Mental health; Family relations; Psychological stress