O cuidado de escolares com transtorno de déficit de atenção e hiperatividade na atenção primária à saúde

Abstract

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the leading and most neglected mental disorders. It is associated with unsatisfactory school performance, conflicting social relationships, and low self-esteem. These symptoms tend to contribute significantly to the emergence of problems such as school expulsion, drug abuse, trafficrelated mortality and involvement with crime. There is little national literature on the approach to ADHD in Primary Care. Some international experiences shed light on the subject, but with no homogeneity. The present study analyzes the potentials and limitations of primary care in diagnosing and treating schoolchildren with ADHD. For registration, systematization and analysis of the material that constitutes the object of this study, qualitative methodology was adopted. A total of 05 cases of schoolchildren with a diagnosis of ADHD were selected. They were all treated at the Primary Care Clinic Vila Basevi. The medical records were analyzed and supplemented with semi-structured interviews with parents and teachers, as well as the matrix support psychiatrist. Systematization was carried out using narrative medicine. Thematic analysis was applied, using the essential attributes of primary care as categories: access, longitudinality, completeness and coordination of care. From this study, it was possible to design a flow of care and outline specific techniques for treating school children with ADHD in primary care, involving aspects inherent to team and community-based work. There are natural limitations to such a pioneer study. It is therefore clear that new research initiatives are needed to increase knowledge on the subject as well as to improve primary care resolutivity.