Title: Psychosocial effects of the soil subsidence disaster (ongoing), caused by salgema extraction, in the city of maceió/al
Mental health and psychosocial care in the context of disasters is a field of knowledge and intervention still under construction and little developed in Brazilian public policies. In the last two decades, several efforts have been made to overcome this gap and develop this field technically and scientifically. Understanding the disaster and its impact on the lives of communities is essential to develop responses guided by SUS concepts and guidelines (Santos, et al., 2021). Thinking about mental health and psychosocial care in a disaster situation requires knowledge of public policies and national guidelines in the area, as well as knowledge of the local network where the actions of different actors will be developed and the living conditions in which they are inserted. , respecting the conditions in which the community lived before the disaster, as well as intervening in the construction of an environment conducive to a healthy discussion, regarding the future environment in which it will reside, such as health care, leisure, school, housing, among other social policies. In this article, we highlight the health aspect, as a fundamental element for the target subjects of communities affected by disasters. The WHO (World Health Organization) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease or infirmity. Illness, on the other hand, is generally described as a condition that causes disturbances in the normal functioning of the body or mind and can result in symptoms and health problems. Thus, the relationship between health and illness is influenced by several historical, social, religious, scientific and cultural factors that have shaped the way these concepts are understood and viewed (Cubelli, 2018). In this sense, and contrary to the movement created by Capital, which prioritizes goods and services to the detriment of human life and the consequences of these disasters for health, we need to understand how the communities affected by the phenomenon of subsidence in Maceió were – and are being – affected, The setbacks of this imperialist policy by the multinational Brasken make sense on a psychosocial level.
Sheila Erika Ferro Ramalho Nobre works at University of Business and Social Science in Paraguay.