Experience of Vulnerable Women Narrated through the Body-Mapping Technique

Jacqueline de Souza, Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura, Jordana Luiza Gouvêa de Oliveira, Loraine Vivian Gaino, Juliana Cristina dos Santos Monteiro, Jaqueline Lemos de Oliveira, Leticia Yamawaka de Almeida, Solina Richter and Denise Saint-Arnault
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Jacqueline de Souza: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Carla Aparecida Arena Ventura: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Jordana Luiza Gouvêa de Oliveira: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Loraine Vivian Gaino: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Juliana Cristina dos Santos Monteiro: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Jaqueline Lemos de Oliveira: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Leticia Yamawaka de Almeida: Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-902, Brazil
Solina Richter: College of Nursing, Saskatoon Campus Health Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada
Denise Saint-Arnault: School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-15

Abstract: Vulnerable women are considered a priority in public policies and research agendas. It is necessary to understand better the specificities of their daily lives and the meanings they attribute to their experiences, as this undoubtedly contributes to more grounded and culturally appropriate practices. Additionally, innovative techniques in qualitative research are demanded in academia. This narrative research study was carried out with fourteen women from a Brazilian socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhood. We used the body-mapping technique to investigate the experiences of women with mental health disorders or psychosocial distress. The aim was to analyze the self-perception about daily stressors and discuss the feasibility of this technique to facilitate this group’s storytelling. Data collection was performed through focus groups, guided by the body-mapping technique steps, and supplemented with individual interviews. Interpersonal conflicts and violence were the main stressors. These strongly impacted the well-being of these women and their children. Some important personal qualities and resilience were identified. Body-mapping played a fundamental role in facilitating storytelling. It amplified the linguistic possibilities for participants to express their feelings and promoted reflections about the present, past, and glimpses into the future.

Keywords: mental health; stress; women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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