Psychological Duty: project offers free consultations in schools in Manaus

Manaus (AM) – Mental health is a key factor for school success. Students who have problems in this field have more difficulty learning, concentrating and relating to their peers. Therefore, the presence of a psychology professional in the school environment can help prevent disorders or disturbances and improve school performance.

Therefore, the social project “Psychological Plantão” is offering free assistance to students from the state and municipal network of Manaus. The project has been carried out since 2022, serving students from the 6th to the 9th year of Elementary School, and from the 1st to the 3rd year of High School.

For the professor of the undergraduate and graduate courses in Psychology at the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), Ewerton Helder Bentes, who coordinates the project, the main objective is to welcome, listen and take care of students, teachers and parents of students who seek the service. The services also aim to prevent mental health problems and promote the well-being of students.

“Contribute to the mental health of the population of the capital of Amazonas and, in the future, of the metropolitan region of Manaus”,

Ewerton reinforces the purpose of the project.

According to Professor Ewerton, by June 15 of this year, 1,550 students had been assisted by the project teams.

“Psychological counseling is carried out with the adolescents, that is, listening to the emergency demand and the search for them to understand that there is the possibility of building strategies to face the situation experienced”,

explains the teacher.

According to Ewerton, a student can be seen up to five times and, if the need for therapy is observed, he is referred to the support network.

Main demands

The main demands registered during actions in schools are: cutting or self-injury, domestic violence, family neglect, child sexual abuse, sexual harassment, aggressiveness, anxiety, issues related to sexuality, compromised relational configurations, among others.

“Some demands that really impacted us were, mainly, the issue of sexual abuse and family neglect which, given their magnitude, leave deep marks on adolescents”,

said the teacher.

In all, 320 students needed psychological counseling outside the classroom. In addition to the students, the project also provides psychological assistance to teachers in the schools where the project is located and to the parents of students. 480 psychotherapy sessions were held with teachers, administrators and students’ parents.

“For parents and teachers, online psychotherapy is offered, with students in the last periods of Psychology, free of charge. As with students, when the need for therapy is identified,”

clarifies Helder.

“Psychologists can also work with teachers and parents to create a more positive school environment and to support struggling students,” he said.

In addition to guidelines, actions include conversation circles about bullying, violence in schools, among other events.

Idea for the project

Ewerton Helder explains that the idea of ​​offering services free of charge in the public education system came after a manager told him about the immeasurable number of problems he was facing on a daily basis with the teenagers who were under his tutelage at school.

“That’s when I decided to design the program and present it at Ufam as an extension project, so I could provide them with psychological support. In 2022, I started as a plantonist, the first service at school. Then, other students, from other faculties, joined me, which has been essential for the progress of the actions”,

reports.

The first unit to receive free psychological care was the State School Ana Neire Marques Da Silva, in Conjunto Galiléia, located in the Cidade Nova neighborhood, North Zone of Manaus. Since then, the project has served around 20 teaching units, state and municipal, in various parts of the city.

*With advisory information

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