Possibilidades de intervenção do psicólogo em Unidades de Terapia Intensiva Neonatais com bebês pré-termos e seus familiares

Abstract

This research aims at investigating an array of possible interventions of psychologists in antenatal intensive care units (ICU) involving preterm babies and their relatives. A comprehensive and qualitative methodology was applied to an interview-based data set obtained from people's opinions and perceptions about their own life experiences. The theoretical scope of this paper is based on a psychoanalytic perspective, hence the great number of scientific inquiries dealing with issues concerning mother-baby bonding. In this pursuit, six mothers of preterm babies who had already been hospitalized in antenatal ICUs were interviewed, together with four family members and two psychologists who worked in a public maternal care facility in Manaus. The data obtained through the semi-structured interview questions has been submitted to content analyses, through which thematic categories were indicated: 1- preterm births and maternal affective experiences; 2- the importance of the psychologists' interventions with mothers; 3- the importance of the psychologist’s interventions with relatives and parents; 4- the importance of the psychologist’s interventions according themselves. The most common sentiments reported by the mothers were: shock/denial; fear; guilt; sadness and impotence. The techniques and guidance used by the psychologist were shown to be interventions pertinent to the three groups interviewed (mothers, family members and psychologists). Aside from the interviews, the participant observation technique was employed in order to confront their discourse or responses with the subject's behavior, leading to the realization that the presence of the psychologist in the ICU did not occur in a systematic manner, despite the fact that all interviewees recognized the importance of this professional in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), demonstrating that their visits should occur more often. Individual and group interventions were held only with the group of mothers. In light of these facts, other possible interventions have been suggested, including parents, grandparents and health care staff. This research contributes positively to clarifying a professional attitude that may strengthen affective ties among preterm babies and their families, facilitating reductions in mortality levels and baby abandonment, and resulting evidently in better well-rounded developed individuals in the future.