MENTAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: LIMITS AND POTENTIALITIES OF NURSING PRACTICE

Mental health is an integral component of the expanded concept of health and represents a fundamental element of comprehensive care within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), particularly in the context of Primary Health Care (PHC), which constitutes a strategic setting for psychosocial care. In this context, nursing plays a central role in welcoming practices, qualified listening, and longitudinal follow-up, although professionals face challenges related to professional training, work organization, and working conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze nursing practices in mental health within PHC, identifying challenges, approaches, and care strategies based on the scientific literature. This study consists of a qualitative bibliographic review with a descriptive and analytical approach, conducted between August and September 2025 through searches in the SciELO and Google Scholar databases, including publications from 2015 to 2025. A total of twenty articles were included in the analysis. The results indicated that nursing practices in mental health within PHC are primarily focused on welcoming, listening, and referral processes, still strongly influenced by the biomedical model and by the medicalization of care. Some advances were identified, particularly related to network-based care and matrix support, as well as weaknesses in professional training and the negative impact of working conditions on nurses’ mental health. It is concluded that strengthening continuing education, expanding matrix support strategies, and promoting worker health protection are necessary measures to improve the quality of mental health care in PHC.