The practice of the psychologist at SUS: an analysis of some impasses

This study discusses some current impasses experienced by psychologists who work for the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), the Brazilian public health system. Its hypothesis is that they were produced by two factors: (1) the admission of psychologists into the SUS was associated to the psychiatric reform; (2) the prevailing model of training in undergraduation courses privileged the private clinic. Those factors produced professional practices that tended to reinforce a classic professional identity model centred on the individual clinic, in detriment of a more inventive practice in the health field. It was proposed a discussion based on the literature that approaches these issues. The presentation of elements of the history of the Mental Health Programme in Belo Horizonte was used as a particular field for illustration and counterpoint of some issues approached in the bibliographic review. The article highlights the importance of the widening of psychologists’ practices on the health teams going further than the clinical practice, even though regarding its relevance and underlines the partnership with the Family Health Program in this process.

Mental health; SUS; Psychology training; Family health