Saúde mental infantil em contextos de desvantagem socioeconômica: fatores de risco e proteção

The main objective of this study is to identify and compare different situations of risk or protection in the socio-emotional development of children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged contexts. Seven (7) children aged eight to ten and their respective parents participated in the present survey. The children were 2nd to 5th grade students at an elementary public school in the countryside of Sao Paulo state. The subjects involved in this survey were divided into two different groups: one composed of children evaluated by the Strengths and Difficulties\udQuestionnaire (SDQ) – with clinical symptoms (Group with Clinical Symptoms of Mental Health - GSC); the other group was composed of children that did not present clinical symptoms (Group with Typical Development - GDT) and their parents. Two different interview scripts were used for data collection: one answered by the children and the other responded by the parents. Data analysis was based on the technique of Collective Subject Discourse (CSD). The results showed similarities and differences between the GSC and GDT groups. Regarding the similarities, all\udthe children have rules and responsibilities, and all the parents seek assistance in the care of their children by means of social, health and educational services. Concerning the differences, children in the GSC group refer to school in a negative way and have less support from their parents in school activities. It is worth mentioning that studies of this nature can contribute to the debate on public policies and practices aimed at this population