Promotion of Mental Health of Venezuelan Indigenous People in a Support House in Santarém-PA: Experience Report

Abstract

The Amazon region, due to its geographic proximity to Venezuela, was taken over by immigrants, due to a serious socioeconomic and humanitarian crisis that the neighboring country has been experiencing, triggering the worsening of local public services, such as education, health and social assistance. The Warao indigenous ethnic group is one of the oldest in Venezuela, whose name means “water people”. Their mother tongue is Warao, with Spanish as their second dialect. This study is justified by the requirement to understand the psychological implications of this immigration and suggests strategies that guarantee and respect the cultural specificities of these people. The objective is to report the experience of students from the master's course of the Postgraduate Program in Nursing (PPGENF) at the State University of Pará (UEPA) and Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) during a health education action aimed at immigrants Warao indigenous people, focusing on promoting mental health. This is a descriptive observational study, with a qualitative approach, reporting the experience of master's students from PPGENF UEPA/UFAM, during a practical class of the curricular component of Public Health Nursing and Vulnerability in the Amazon Context, in the period of October 2024 . The municipality of Santarém is located in the Baixo Amazonas region, west of the State of Pará with a population of 331,942 inhabitants, according to the Institute's latest census. Brazilian Geography and Statistics (2022) and estimated for 2024 at 357,311 people (IBGE, 2022). Known as "The Pearl of Tapajós", the city is a meeting point between indigenous, Afro-Brazilian and cabocla cultures, reflecting a historical process of integration between people and their traditions. The mental health of indigenous migrant populations, such as Venezuelans in Santarém (PA), is an extremely relevant topic due to the specific challenges faced by these groups in contexts of forced displacement. From the analysis of the experience report, we can address central points related to mental health promotion strategies in the Casa de Apoio para Adultos e Famílias - CAAF. The experience report suggests that initiatives to promote mental health can have significant impacts on improving the quality of life of indigenous Venezuelans. The creation of a culturally appropriate welcoming space contributes to rebuilding self-esteem, strengthening social bonds and reducing symptoms of psychological stress. Promoting mental health in indigenous migrant populations requires an intersectional and multidimensional approach, which considers cultural specificities, the challenges of displacement and social conditions.