This study aimed to identify the perception of the Community Health Agents (ACS) as regards the mental health problems in the community. Intervene with the individuals in psychological distress is a challenge, because madness is marked by negative myths, suggesting to know the conceptions of the professionals involved in the care of these individuals. For the accomplishment of the data collection, it was used a technique of the focus group, followed by content analysis. It was found that, although interventions in the mental health field are being reviewed and performed more widely in past years, the perceptions of ACS still relies on the popular imagination, and the broad concept of mental health is poorly understood by category.
Mental health; Primary Health Care; Community Health Worker