Abstract
Social support of the institutions to family members of homicide victims is discussed based on the analysis of the perceptions of professionals in primary health care and social assistance who work in the city of São Gonçalo, Brazil. Interviews were conducted with 21 professionals from Family Health Units, Extended Family Health Center and Specialized Social Assistance Reference Center, in 2018. Some professionals recognize the suffering triggered by the loss of family members due to homicide and physical and mental health impacts of this event on the population. However, they demonstrate difficulties in addressing this issue and little acknowledge the possibilities that these services offer in supporting these families. We conclude that health and social assistance services are not prepared to meet the needs of family members of victims of homicide, partly due to the perpetuity of violence in the areas where they work and sometimes live. The problem demands the formulation of public policies to support these families and to raise awareness and improve training for professionals who deal with this population. The absence of social support reinforces the isolation of the relatives of victims and intensifies the impacts on health, which can even lead to premature death.
social support; murder; family; health; social assistance