Therapeutic potential of a psychosocial intervention in the mental health of women deprived of liberty.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the therapeutic potential of a psychosocial intervention protocol developed and administered by nurses.

METHODS

a pilot, quantitative, preand post-test study, approved by the Ethics Committee and conducted with 12 women deprived of liberty in a women's penitentiary complex in a municipality in Minas Gerais. Sociodemographic data and data regarding symptoms of common mental disorders and mood modulation were collected. Descriptive statistics, measures of dispersion, and non-parametric tests were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

nine women completed the proposed program. Improvement was identified in all domains analyzed in relation to mood modulation, with particular emphasis on the depression and tension domains. Regarding symptoms of common mental disorders, there was a reduction in descriptive terms, but without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

the results suggest that the proposed intervention has the potential to be considered as a non-pharmacological therapeutic option by nurses working in the prison system.