Construction of Categories/Places for Madness in the Reports of Users of Psychosocial Care Centers

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the categories mobilized in the discourse of users of a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS I) to refer to themselves and the social places constructed for them and for other persons in psychological distress. This qualitative research was conducted through participant observation and conversation circles in the light of discursive social psychology. The reports underwent discourse analysis. To avoid the use of excluding categories such as “crazy” and “craziness” while placing themselves within the “normal” category, participants used categories such as “disabled,” “trauma,” and “psychological illness.” The participants also defined themselves as people who carry a “stain” for life, which evinces the presence of a stigma related to “madness” experienced in the spaces where they circulate. Despite this, CAPS users tried to depict themselves as people like others - who get sick, live, and can circulate in various places besides hospitals, CAPS, or other health services. The results indicate that participants employed discursive categories with evident rhetorical ability to understand their situation while combating the stigmatization process that acts upon them.

Keywords: Modern terms; Care facilities; Users of mental health services