Service integration for suicide prevention is the final work of Barbra Eliza da Silva in her Graphic Design degree at UTFPR. Barbra heard from some friends who work in mental health services that the number of suicide attempts was skyrocketing in Curitiba. She decided to put her final work to help.
The project aimed at facilitating the integration and exchange of information between mental health professionals working in the private sector and public servants working in hospitals and clinics. Due to the lack of proper guidance and communication, the private service did not forward patients to the public service, which had more resources to take care of patients who have tried to commit suicide. As a result, the patient did not receive full care attention and, sometimes, would soon try suicide again.
Barbra interviewed and mapped the journey of a few patients who have gone through that experience. She developed great listening skills and compassion for the patients.
She also spoke to healthcare professionals in both the public and private sectors, while studying thoroughly the public policies and official protocols. The data revealed contradictions in the healthcare system that enabled, for example, religious private institutions to become preferred care providers for suicidal attempts.
The main result of the project was a service ecosystem map that highlights the actors involved in taking care of suicidal patients in Curitiba and their communication lines. She found room for improvement in the relationship between private psychiatrists, private psychologists, public health agents, hospital managers, and nurses.
