Investigações da vegetoterapia caracteroanalítica pós-reichiana sobre sintomas depressivos

Abstract

Recent data indicate that around 280 million people worldwide suffer from some form of depressive spectrum disorder, with depression being the leading cause of disability among mental health disorders. Given the severity and complexity of this scenario, this study is based on the following research question: What are the possible articulations between the clinical understandings of post-Reichian character-analytic vegetotherapy and the etiologies of depressive symptoms? From this problem, the general objective was established: to identify possible articulations between the aforementioned approach and the origins of depressive symptoms. The specific objectives were: (1) to distinguish the basic character structures and covering characterial traits presented by individuals with depressive symptoms; (2) to understand the presence or absence of somatopsychopathologies; and (3) to describe the somatopsychodynamics present in these individuals. This is a qualitative study with four participants residing in the municipality of Torres (RS) and neighboring cities, selected through the application of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and later invited for interviews. Data collection consisted of one meeting for the application of the instrument and three individual meetings, according to inclusion criteria. The information obtained was analyzed using content analysis, from which categories emerged that responded to the proposed objectives. The characterial traits detected among the participants were hysterical, masochistic, compulsive, and oral. Regarding orality, the reports on breastfeeding and weaning indicated significant frustrations in the oral phase, according to the post-Reichian perspective. Thus, participants A and D were classified as repressed oral subtype, and participants B and C as dissatisfied oral subtype. The body assessments conducted according to character-analytic vegetotherapy revealed armoring especially in the first two segments, with emphasis on the oral segment. The somatopsychopathologies observed were anxiety, anguish, and dysthymia. Considering the set of information - participants' responses, characterological analyses, and body assessments - it was concluded that all participants present a borderline basic character structure, classically associated with depressive disorders in post-Reichian theory. [resumo fornecido pelo autor]