BETWEEN INVISIBILITY AND SURVIVAL: PSYCHOLOGICAL SUFFERING OF HOMELESS WOMEN

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the psychological suffering experienced by homeless women in a capital city in Northeast Brazil, seeking to understand the experiences of vulnerability, exclusion, and survival that permeate their life trajectories. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study, derived from doctoral research conducted in the municipality of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. Twenty-one homeless women participated, recruited with the support of the Street Clinic team. Data collection took place between September and October 2023, through the application of a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) for screening common mental disorders, and semi-structured interviews. For this analytical analysis, qualitative data were prioritized and subjected to thematic content analysis as proposed by Bardin. Results: All participants tested positive for common mental disorders. The most frequent symptoms were insomnia, nervousness, recurrent headaches, difficulty concentrating, and changes in appetite. Analysis of the narratives revealed that psychological suffering is associated with multiple vulnerabilities, including violence, insecurity, deprivation of basic rights, family breakdowns, abandonment, problematic use of psychoactive substances, and social exclusion. Three thematic categories emerged: “Between invisibility and vulnerability: the suffering of being a woman on the streets”; “Violence, ruptures, and drugs: trajectories that produce psychological suffering”; and “Psychological suffering as an experience of invisibility and survival.” Participants reported persistent feelings of sadness, fear, hopelessness, loneliness, low self-esteem, and social non-belonging, demonstrating that psychological suffering transcends the biomedical dimension and constitutes an expression of structural inequalities and the violation of human rights. Conclusion: The psychological suffering of women experiencing homelessness is a complex, multidimensional, and socially determined phenomenon, resulting from the intersection of social inequalities, gender vulnerabilities, and social exclusion. The findings reinforce the need to strengthen intersectoral public policies, the Psychosocial Care Network, and Street Clinic teams, aiming to promote comprehensive, humanized, and territorially based care for this historically marginalized population.