PERCEPTION OF MOTHERS OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISTIC SPECTRUM DISORDER ON PROCESSES IN THE HEALTH UNIC SYSTEM
Autism Spectrum Disorder. Unified Health System. Secondary Health Care. Life Experience.
Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) appears in the first years of life, but its initial trajectory is not homogeneous. Public and private health services face challenges when it comes to diagnosing and treating this population, as well as caring for and guiding families. Goal: Therefore, this dissertation aims to analyze the perception of mothers of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder regarding care practices aimed at the well-being of the mothers themselves who accompany their children in the secondary care units of the Unified Health System (SUS), as well as the conditions for access to diagnosis and the initial treatment process. Method: To this end, it was decided to carry out two types of methodological designs, one being a systematic review (registered on the PROSPERO platform under the registration code CRD42023394779) and the other a qualitative-descriptive approach carried out through semi-structured interviews with fifteen mothers of people with ASD registered under opinion number 6,466,061 with the Ethics Committee of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital and which resulted in five articles. Results: The results of the systematic review (article 1) highlighted the emotional, social and economic challenges faced by parents of children with ASD and the importance of emotional and community support for their resilience; article 2 identified significant barriers in the SUS for the early diagnosis of ASD, such as the lack of specialized professionals and bureaucracy, suggesting improvements in public policies; article 3 revealed the diversity and inconsistency in ASD treatments available in the SUS, emphasizing the need for integration between different health services for therapeutic effectiveness; article 4 found significant variations in care practices in secondary care aimed at mothers who accompany their children to consultations, highlighting the importance of continued training for health professionals and the standardization of care; Article 5 addressed the unique experiences of single mothers of people with ASD, emphasizing the emotional and financial burden and the need for specific support networks; Finally, article 6 showed that mothers' knowledge about ASD evolves over time, influencing the effectiveness of treatment and highlighting the importance of ongoing educational programs for parents. Conclusion: It is therefore concluded that this dissertation offers a significant contribution by deepening the understanding of the experiences of mothers of people with ASD regarding the search for diagnosis and the therapeutic process of their children, as well as care practices in SUS secondary care units. The results obtained highlight the urgent need to improve access to early diagnosis, facilitate the initiation of treatments, standardize care practices and offer continuous support to families. For future advances, it is suggested that longitudinal studies be carried out that follow families over time to better understand changes in perceptions and care needs. It is important to investigate the reality of different regions of Brazil to obtain a more comprehensive view of access and treatment conditions. It would also be beneficial to include perspectives from other caregivers for a more complete understanding of the impact of ASD. Finally, it is essential to inform the creation of public policies that address the gaps identified in the research, promoting better integration and quality of health services offered by the SUS.