Adoecimento por câncer e o afastamento da atividade laboral: possíveis repercussões na saúde mental

Abstract

Work is understood as a structuring category of human life, mediating the constitution of subjectivity, identity, and historically constructed meanings surrounding social existence. The absence from work due to oncological illness can lead to a significant symbolic and material rupture, potentially resulting in mental health issues and psychological distress related to the disorganization of meanings, bonds, and identity references. This study aims to investigate how work absence, resulting from the impacts of cancer, affects the mental health of oncological patients. A qualitative research study was conducted with 11 oncological patients who were absent from work, recruited from a university hospital in Northeast Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and analysis was performed using the Nuclei of Significance methodology. The results revealed significant impacts of work absence on mental health, expressed through feelings of uselessness, frustration, guilt, psychological distress, and anxiety regarding functional and financial dependence, intensified by the fragilization of income and social bonds. The study concludes that cancer can reveal existing structural inequalities, making visible how the material basis of life sustains or fragilizes subjectivity. It is argued that Psychology should commit to an ethical-political stance that goes beyond adaptive practices and broadens the understanding of the relationships between work, illness, and mental health.