SUICIDE AND COVID-19: POSTVENTION IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICES, A MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This article reports on a professional experience in suicide postvention, carried out at the Municipal Health Department of Diadema, in the state of São Paulo, in 2020, following the death of a nurse from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The procedures used are described based on the authors’ experience, who recount the initial psychological care and other structured actions taken over the course of six months. A Care Committee was structured using psychoanalytic listening, and conversation circles, religious rituals, and other support modalities were implemented to prevent subsequent suicide attempts or suicides among healthcare professionals and to promote an institutional mourning process in dialogue with the local health management. It is possible to assume that this forceful and impactful emergency action in the psychosocial field prevented the spread of feelings of panic and helplessness, as well as the Werther effect, given the contagion risk caused by disclosing the case and subsequent suicide attempts and/or suicides. This experience can contribute to similar situations in the future and can be incorporated into public health policies as well as other sectors. The scenario highlights the need for ongoing support for workers’ health, ensuring that demands related to work processes and environments are addressed, and promoting mental health prevention and development in workplaces and other settings.