PROMOÇÃO DE SAÚDE MENTAL NA ATENÇÃO BÁSICA: RELATO DE UM GRUPO TERAPÊUTICO PARA ANSIEDADE COM ADULTOS NO INTERIOR DA REGIÃO AMAZÔNICA

Anxiety disorders are among the main demands in mental health care within Primary Health Care (PHC), requiring care strategies that go beyond the biomedical and individualized model. This article aims to report the experience of implementing and conducting therapeutic groups for adults with anxiety symptoms, developed in a Primary Health Care Unit in the municipality of Espigão do Oeste, Rondônia. This is a qualitative and descriptive experience report, grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Throughout the project, three therapeutic groups were conducted in different months, with different participants, each group structured into ten weekly meetings with an average duration of one and a half hours. On average, each group included five participants, aged between 28 and 38 years. The interventions involved psychoeducation about anxiety, identification of automatic thoughts, emotional self-regulation techniques, breathing and relaxation exercises, as well as spaces for sharing experiences. For each group, a prior and careful participant selection process was carried out in order to ensure coherence between the clinical profile and the group’s objective, including only users with demands predominantly related to anxiety. The observed results indicated a reduction in anxiety symptoms, strengthening of emotional autonomy, expansion of social skills, and a positive impact on the organization of psychological care flows within the health unit. It is concluded that therapeutic groups constitute a viable, ethical, and effective strategy for mental health promotion in PHC, expanding access to psychological care and strengthening collective practices aligned with the principles of the Brazilian Unified Health System.