Um respiro no caos: uma assistência psicológica na crise do oxigênio em Manaus

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated psychological impacts of varying magnitudes and orders among different population groups. In this context, various initiatives were created to alleviate the suffering of the Brazilian population by offering psychological services. Among these initiatives, psychologists from various regions of Brazil organized themselves and formed the groups "Apoio Manaus" and "Abrigo Humano" to provide voluntary assistance to the population of Manaus. The research objectives, approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CEP), are as follows: to describe the formation of these groups and, through a dialogue between the researcher/volunteer and seven other psychologists, to understand the challenges and repercussions produced by the services provided by the volunteer psychologists to the population of Manaus during the crisis of oxygen supply. Psychological assistance took place from January to March 2021, during the so-called "Oxygen Crisis," one of the saddest episodes of this pandemic in Brazil's history. Information to achieve these objectives was gathered through field diaries, reports from the State University of Amazonas, and two virtual "Roda de Conversas" (Conversational Circles), the first with five and the second with four invited psychologists, residing in different municipalities of Brazil and serving in various roles within the group: coordination, supervision, and on-duty support. This study is configured as a relational research, grounded in social constructionism, and it conducts a thematic analysis of the narratives produced during the meetings, resulting in the following themes: Vulnerability, Collective Construction, and Affectations. The discussion was generated through the integration of the narratives with the theoretical framework of Collaborative-Dialogical Practices. Among the considerations, we understand that the Conversational Circle about those experiences allowed for the production of redefinitions both in the professional and personal spheres through reflective dialogues. We emphasize the relevance of that moment and the experience lived by the professionals, documented here, as an ethical and political commitment from those who were present with others in their pain and sought to collectively construct ways of caring and researching.