Formação docente e saúde mental: uma investigação com estudantes de licenciatura na faculdade de educação da UFJF

Abstract

Initial training, which takes place in Higher Education, is a fundamental stage for personal and professional development in any field of knowledge. However, the inherent tensions of the academic trajectory, when heightened, can lead to distress and mental illness. This research, which falls within the thematic field of health education, starts from the documentation of harmful factors and protective factors associated with the mental health of university students, as well as possible institutional interventions that may promote mental health among undergraduates. It established as its general objective to investigate, through a short-term health education intervention, the possible reverberations of this intervention in promoting mental health and quality of life among licentiate students. The study followed the activity titled “Formative Atelier: education, health, and meaning of life in teacher training,” developed with licentiate students at the School of Education of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora – MG. During this activity, participants were invited to record their experiences, which constituted the “Formative Diaries,” the primary data for this research. For the analysis of the recorded data, Thematic Analysis as proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) was chosen. It was possible to identify, in the “Formative Diaries,” contributions of the health education intervention to the participants’ lives. In analyzing the research data, it was possible to identify four themes: Mental Health, Self-Knowledge, Meaningful Encounters, and Self-Care. The first theme addressed mental health in the university context, highlighting the need to promote it for students’ wellbeing and presenting the Formative Atelier as an example of an initiative that can contribute to the promotion of mental health and quality of life within the university. The second theme, focused on self-knowledge, revealed records that pointed to the human person as a threedimensional being, considering the biological, psychological, and noetic dimensions. In this theme, it was also possible to identify the relevance of finding meaning(s) in life and learning to deal with change(s), tension(s), and challenges in a healthy manner. In the third theme, the records emphasized the importance of finding meaning in one’s personal life and in teacher education, as well as the need to develop strategies to overcome the challenges experienced through the exercise of resilience. Finally, the fourth theme, Self-Care, highlighted the relevance of self-care and support networks for mental health and well-being, emphasizing the need for meaningful and effective self-care practices that can contribute to the holistic development of students. Based on the study conducted, it is possible to conclude that the experience provided by the “Formative Atelier: education, health, and meaning of life in teacher training” was indeed capable of generating positive impacts on the promotion of mental health and quality of life among the participants.