The mental health policy of Brazil has been guided by the search for citizenship,
social equality and autonomy of the individuals with mental disorders and it started
with the deinstitutionalization process. On the other hand, this paradigm shift
contributed to making the patients stay in the family environment and thus the
need for family members to play the role of caregivers. The attributions of these
care functions have contributed to a physical and emotional overload. Using a
psychoeducational approach focused on the family member/caregiver of people
with schizophrenia, this study proposed to check the caregivers' perception about
the importance of the practice of relaxation activities for the promotion of selfcare.
The intervention was performed during a six-month period. Participants were
31 family caregivers of mental health cohabitation centers in the city of Belo Horizonte,
Brazil. Using the relatives’ reports about the perception of the intervention,
categories were listed and treated with the support of the software webQDA. The
results revealed through the family members' perception, that the intervention
program provided them with contributions such as wellbeing, self-control over
impulses, increased self-esteem, and encouragement for self-care. The literature
reinforces that the educational practice in health is composed of educational activities
aimed at the development of individual and collective capacities aimed at
improving the health and quality of life of people. The intervention program with
relaxation exercises contributed to an improved physical and mental health for family
caregivers, awakening them to self-careinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
