Management of acute psychological distress in emergency services without mental health support: A reflective analysis in the light of Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Care Theory
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v14i12.50426Keywords:
Psychological distress, Emergency services, Mental health, Nursing theories, Transcultural care.Abstract
Objective: To reflect on the management of acute psychological distress in emergency services without specialized mental health support, in light of Madeleine Leininger’s Transcultural Care Theory. Method: A theoretical-reflective study based scientific literature addressing psychological distress, emergency care, mental health, and nursing theories, emphasizing the Transcultural Care Theory. Results: The analysis reveals that, in emergency contexts lacking specialized mental health support, psychological distress is often reduced to biological and behavioral manifestations. The transcultural framework broadens clinical understanding by recognizing values, beliefs, sociocultural contexts, and life experiences as central elements for ethical, humanized, and effective care. Conclusion: The Transcultural Care Theory emerges as a robust framework to guide mental health care practices in emergency settings, particularly in resource-limited scenarios, strengthening comprehensive care, qualified listening, and culturally congruent decision-making.
References
Amarante, P. (2017). Saúde mental e atenção psicossocial. Rio de Janeiro: Fiocruz.
Ayres, J. R. C. M. (2017). Cuidado e reconstrução das práticas de saúde. Interface, 21(60), 73–92.
Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. (2014). Atenção às urgências no SUS. Brasília: MS.
Buss, P. M., & Pellegrini Filho, A. (2007). A saúde e seus determinantes sociais. Physis, 17(1), 77–93.
Casarin, S. T., Porto, A. R., Gabatz, R. I. B., Bonow, C. A., Ribeiro, J. P., & Mota, M. S. (2020). Types of literature review: considerations of the editors of the Journal of Nursing and Health. Journal of Nursing and Health, 10(5). https://doi.org/10.15210/jonah.v10i5.19924.
Deslandes, S. F., & Mitre, R. M. A. (2020). Humanização nos serviços de urgência e emergência. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 25(5), 2063–2072.
Fenandes, J. M. B., Vieira, L. T. & Castelhano, M. V. C. (2023). Revisão narrativa enquanto metodologia científica significativa: reflexões técnico-formativas. REDES – Revista Educacional da Sucesso. 3(1), 1-7. ISSN: 2763-6704.
Foucault, M. (2008). O nascimento da clínica. Rio de Janeiro: Forense Universitária.
Gil, A. C. (2017). Como elaborar projetos de pesquisa. 2. reimpr. (6.ed). Editora Atlas.
Gomes, M. P. C., & Pinheiro, R. (2015). Acolhimento e vínculo na atenção à saúde. Physis, 25(4), 1109–1129.
Kolcaba, K. (2003). Comfort theory and practice: A vision for holistic health care and research. New York: Springer.
Leininger, M. (2002). Transcultural nursing: Concepts, theories, research and practices. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Leininger, M., & McFarland, M. (2006). Culture care diversity and universality: A worldwide nursing theory. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett.
Merhy, E. E. (2014). Saúde: a cartografia do trabalho vivo. São Paulo: Hucitec.
Minayo, M. C. S. (2019). O desafio do conhecimento: pesquisa qualitativa em saúde. São Paulo: Hucitec.
Paim, J. S., et al. (2018). O sistema de saúde brasileiro: história, avanços e desafios. The Lancet, 377(9779), 1778–1797.
Pereira, A. S. et al. (2018). Metodologia da pesquisa científica. [free ebook]. Santa Maria. Editora da UFSM.
Pereira, M. O., & Oliveira, A. M. (2021). Saúde mental na urgência: desafios e perspectivas. Revista Gaúcha de Enfermagem, 42, e20200123.
Rother, E. T. (2007). Revisão sistemática x revisão narrativa. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem. 20(2), 5-6.
Santos, B. S. (2019). A cruel pedagogia do vírus. Coimbra: Almedina.
Silva, A. L., & Esperidião, E. (2018). Sofrimento psíquico na emergência. Acta Paulista de Enfermagem, 31(3), 308–314.
Silva, R. S., et al. (2020). Acolhimento em saúde mental na urgência. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva, 25(6), 2141–2150.
Starfield, B. (2002). Primary care: Balancing health needs, services, and technology. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tesser, C. D., et al. (2018). Práticas integrativas e cuidado ampliado. Saúde em Debate, 42(1), 174–188.
World Health Organization. (2022). Guidelines on mental health care in emergency settings. Geneva: WHO.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Thiago Vaz de Andrade, Luma Teles de Resende, Mylenna Menezes Leite Nascimento, Isadora Passos Vilela de Almeida, Luys Antônyo Vasconcelos Caetano, Pedro Henrique Costa França, Renato Cardoso de Queiroz, Luana Teles de Resende
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
2) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
3) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
