The crisis, considered the expression of mental illness, refers to situations in which, during the development of life, there are conflicting experiences that generate ruptures with the socially accepted reality and the emotional ties that sustain the person. This study aims at getting to know the meanings present in the discursive practices of professionals concerning the attention to the crisis in the Psychosocial Healthcare Centers (CAPS). It is characterized by a qualitative approach that uses the theoretical perspective of social constructionism. The data used are part of the database research Evaluation of Psychosocial Healthcare Centers in Southern part of Brazil - CAPSUL. In this study, 27 interviews with professionals from the Psychosocial Healthcare Center of Alegrete city and three field diaries with the record of 390 observation hours were analyzed. Data analysis identified the meanings - periculosity and citizenship - which were discussed in an attempt to understand their influence on the construction of attention practices to the crisis.
Crisis intervention; psychiatric nursing; mental health; production of meaning