Thesis advisor: Sharlene N. Hesse-Biber / Sociocultural theorists of eating disorders recurrently investigate anorexia nervosa (AN) through a macro lens of inequality, underscoring thinness as a social construction of beauty and form of cultural capital. Conversely, other scholars attest that focus on AN as a manifestation of idealized body image may, instead, function as a red herring in illness understanding. Taken together, it becomes unclear how to best advance AN research and treatment practices when etiology is uncertain. While researchers largely depend on eating disorder professionals to elucidate AN healing complexities, as an alternative, I utilized a feminist epistemological approach to inquiry in centering individuals with personal AN experience, as another type of AN expert, from whom there is much for researchers to learn. With recognition of health and illness as both private and social experiences, I sought to understand how individuals experience AN and recovery in their everyday lives. I conducted 25 in-depth interviews (article one) and 150 open-ended surveys (articles two, three, and four) with individuals who identified as having had experience with AN. I explored: 1) how respondents understand AN and recovery, and 2) what respondents most want researchers to know about AN and recovery. My aim was not to explain why AN happens, as much as to phenomenologically explore how. In article one, I focused on how individuals experience AN and recovery in everyday self-presentation. A central implication is that AN and recovery can be recognized as interactional accomplishments that are un/successfully “done.” Thus, while conventional portrayals of AN often depict a person with AN looking into a mirror and seeing a distorted perception of their own body, respondents demonstrated how they relied on the interpretations of others to inform their impressions. In article two, I investigated how respondents evaluate weight as a metric of AN recovery. Respondents portrayed weight as a weak criterion, underscoring how it is a physical measure for a mental illness. Yet, respondents simultaneously stressed how weight matters for recovery, given low weight is requisite for support. In effect, respondents pivoted emphasis from weight as a catalyst for AN, to weight as an obstacle to recovery. In article three, respondents articulated how others’ expectations for healing did not always resonate with personal experience. This disjuncture led to treatment strategies that were often incompatible with respondents’ recovery realities. While a single definition of recovery may be useful to researchers, it may paradoxically present disempowering effects for individuals with AN, constituting or exacerbating iatrogenic harm. In article four, respondents further illuminated juxtapositions between clinical and personal definitions of AN healing. Notably, respondents positioned the development of positive relationships with others as among the most efficacious ways to heal. In addition, respondents advocated for recovery criteria that centered personal agency for more individualized and integrative AN healing. Collectively, the article themes overlapped, with AN manifesting as: an identity, role, entity, experience, and status. Ultimately, some respondents felt they had fully recovered from AN. However, most respondents, regardless of illness status, spoke about others’ misunderstandings of AN, which, from their perspectives, collaborated to fashion a masquerade of recovery that immobilized healing. The voices of respondents in the dissertation are profound, as they expose how the validity and legitimacy of their illness experience, as uncertain and negotiable, become the definition of the AN situation. Consequently, AN history remains a composite of social constructions that continually reposition questions of cause, meaning, and blame. The answers to these inquiries,which mold into illness etiologies, shape academic, clinical, conventional, personal, and professional responses. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology.

The aim of this flexible, multi-method case-study (after Yin 1994, 2003), was to elicit the 'student perspective' on issues relating to mental well-being within the Higher Education Institution setting. It has been guided by the ideology of the health promotion model, the concept of salutogenesis and the Health Promoting University initiative. Phase One consisted of eleven focus group discussions involving fifty one self-selecting participant undergraduates and a semi-structured interview conducted with the lead medical practitioner of the Medical Centre on site. In Phase Two, a quota sample of 806 undergraduates completed a questionnaire. The three datasets were analysed according to a facilitative and complementary approach (Brannen 2004) and in keeping with assumptions of the paradigms from which they originated. The qualitative data were analysed within the framework provided by Miles and Huberman (1994) and the survey was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings demonstrated that this multi-site university may have specific difficulties with regard to the provision of equal access to the support services. Reduced pastoral care could pose risks to the mental well-being of some students whereas the allocation of students to a personal tutor might increase levels of social capital and reduce symptoms of 'anomie'. Conclusions of the study suggest that HEIs need an understanding of the concerns of the students and their help-seeking behaviour in order to define 'health assets' and minimise 'health deficits'. Overall, the development of co-ordinated institutional support service provision - that is responsive to the needs of a diverse student body - facilitates and supports the creation of a salutogenic environment that both promotes and sustains mental well-being. Health education programmes need to address the persistence of stigma and discrimination. Attention should be focused on health protection measures so that all groups of students are treated equally and fairly in order to counter-balance a possible residual biomedical approach to health promotion from within the medical sector provision. As a case-study of one university, the findings may be theoretically generalisable to other similar multi-site HEIs in their mental health promotion provision.

Existing research and anecdotal accounts have consistently reported that Jewish people are positively inclined to seek treatment for mental health problems, including making use of psychiatric services and psychotherapy. However, much of this data has been based on samples of American Jewry and there appear to be no existing studies in the UK which have quantitatively investigated whether there are similar help seeking preferences for mental health problems amongst British Jewry. The present study investigated Jewish people’s attitudes and intentions to seek professional help for mental health problems and their experiences of seeking professional help in the UK. Using the theoretical framework of the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975; Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) the study also aimed to determine the strongest predictors of intentions and attempts to seek professional help, according to people’s attitudes, perceived social pressure, beliefs about the causes of mental illness and level of religiosity. The study included 126 Jewish people who were predominantly recruited from synagogues and community centres across the UK. Results indicated that a high percentage of this sample would be willing to see a mental health professional if they experienced a mental health problem. According to multiple regression analysis, attitudes towards seeking professional help and stress-related causal beliefs most strongly predicted intention to seek professional help. Despite the sample being non-clinically recruited, 63% of participants reported that they had experienced a mental health problem and the majority of these individuals had sought professional help in the past. Path analysis revealed that actual attempts to seek professional help were directly influenced by intention to seek professional help, perceived social pressure and supernatural causal beliefs. Given the high prevalence of mental health problems and use of professional mental health services amongst this sample, clinical considerations highlighted the need for preventative mental health strategies and culturally sensitive mental health services for Jewish people. Limitations of the study include the use of an opportunity sample which was unable to recruit members of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.

Background: Postnatal depression (PND) is a global problem and an important public health issue. It is estimated that approximately 15% of women experience depression during the first postnatal year but there are problems in recognition because its clinical assessment can be complex. The incidence of postnatal depression continues to rise resulting in serious consequences for the mother, her child and the extended family and a risk of suicide (the leading cause of maternal death in England and Wales) and infanticide in some severely depressed mothers. Treatment programmes vary considerably but many studies are suggesting that psychological interventions can be as equally, if not more, clinically effective in the management of depression as routine care from a general practitioner or anti-depressants in the short term – and may be more cost effective. Method: The aim of this exploratory pilot study is to identify whether the support, on a one to one basis, from a Peer Support Worker (PSW) would assist in the reduction of PND in new mothers. Eight PSW’s were recruited. Each PSW had previously suffered from mild to moderate postnatal depression but had recovered and were not currently receiving any form of psychological support or taking any medication. They were employed, on a six month contract, by the local NHS Trust. References and enhanced criminal records clearance were obtained. A confidentiality statement was also signed by the PSW. Thirty mothers were recruited by their own Health Visitor. This was carried out using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scoring documentation (EPDS) alongside a clinical assessment. The cut off score, as agreed by both the lead researcher and the Health Visitors involved in the study, was 11. Fully informed consent was obtained and participant information sheets given. The mothers were allocated into either a Control group or an Intervention group using number alternating. The PSW’s received formal training about child protection procedures/safeguarding children in addition to the relevance and importance of confidentiality. However, apart from this, a structured training programme was not adhered to. The PSW’s strongly felt, as a combined group, that they wanted to provide the intervention simply as a ‘fellow mum who had survived the rollercoaster journey of PND’. Each PSW wanted to identify the nature of the problem, find a possible solution, and design their own proposed ‘support package’ – from the outset of the study. The PSW visited the mother in their home environment, or a location of their choice, for a period of six weeks on a once weekly basis (intervention group). This was then compared to a number of mothers who received support from their family Health Visitor (HV) alone (control group). Data collected was both qualitative and quantitative. The PSW's and the mothers from both the control group and the intervention group were asked to maintain a log book reflecting upon their feelings and thoughts after each visit (either from their PSW or their HV). Individual and group supervisory sessions were also offered by the lead researcher to both the mothers within the intervention group, and the control group, in addition to the PSW’s. A number of the participants were interviewed on a one to one basis when their infant was six months old. Data from the interviews was subsequently transcribed, coded and categorised, and key themes identified. Quantitative data was collated in the form of an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Score (EPDS) – an assessment tool which is routinely used to identify mothers at risk or suffering from postnatal depression. The EPDS score was recorded prior to the support commencing by either a PSW or the Health Visitor, after completion of all six visits, and when the infant was six months old. Analysis: The EPDS scores recorded at 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and again when the infant was six months old, were analysed and summarised using graphs and charts. Non parametric analysis using Friedman’s Anova and the Wilcoxon paired test was carried out. A Mann Whitney test, Kolmogorov-Smirrov test and a Shapiro-Wilk test were also performed. A constant comparative method was used as a means of analysing the qualitative data collected from both log books and interview transcript (Denscombe 2008). The lead researcher consistently read and re-read text data, compared new codes and categories as they emerged and repeatedly compared them against existing versions. This process enabled the researcher to refine and improve the explanatory power of the concepts and theories generated from the data. Similarities and differences were highlighted and categories and codes were identified. On completion of this analysis, all participants were contacted to ensure validity of the findings and that each participant agreed with the researchers interpretation of the data collected. Results: Qualitative and quantitative findings from this study suggest that the input from a PSW does assist in the reduction of PND in new mothers. This is demonstrated in both the analysis of the quantitative data and the qualitative. The EPDS scores demonstrated little difference between the participants at 6 weeks but the statistics started to diverge at 12 weeks – the mean at 12 weeks for the control group is recorded at 12.46 and the intervention group is 10.33 – a difference of 2.13. The EPDS at six months demonstrates a difference between the two scores as 2.67 (the control group mean recording is 11.60 compared with the intervention mean which is 8.93). The key themes identified were the immeasurable value of ‘social support’ and ‘shared experiences’. The resounding factor that appears repeatedly throughout the analysis of data is the fact that the mothers could ‘truly relate to their Worker.’ Their PSW gave them ‘hope’, made them feel as if they were ‘not a failure’ and gave them an overwhelming ‘sense of normality’. This, in turn, increased their self-esteem, their positivity towards their parenting role, and their ability to therefore be ‘a good mother.’ A major strength of the work was the involvement of the PSW’s in both the planning and the implementing of the intervention. It was their design, their creation, and their feelings about what may really help their mother. A number of other themes were also identified that were, interestingly, commonalities across the entire data set (participants and PSW’s). These included recognition of their own changing perspective – a realisation that there simply is no ‘quick fix’ solution, that both time and support are required. The PSW’s described feelings of ‘personal benefit’, ‘self-awareness’ and the ‘provision of closure’ for themselves. The intervention group also talked, at length, about their ‘personal benefit’ from the PSW, and their own self-awareness about how they truly felt, their emotions and, in some instances, why they felt this way. The control group recognised the huge advantage from talking to other mothers and, although they did not have the formal support sessions from a PSW, they embraced the opportunity of sharing their thoughts and feelings with ‘fellow mums’. Each participant, and PSW, discussed the sharing of experiences, empathy, the feeling of ‘release’ and, particularly on the mothers’ part, the importance of knowing that, actually, they are not ‘alone’. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to provide early intervention to mothers who were classed as ‘at risk’ of suffering from PND, and, indeed, the support from the PSW’s did appear to have a positive impact upon the mothers’ mental health and wellbeing. However, this was a small scale, pilot study over a relatively short period of time. Larger, more longitudinal studies are certainly required. The importance of the pilot study presented here lies in its usefulness in shaping research to investigate and explore further whether there are indeed beneficial factors to post-natally depressed mothers who receive one to one support from a PSW. The positive results from this study can, potentially, have a huge impact within practice and, most importantly, upon the lives of those affected by postnatal depression.

This thesis explores how gender can affect experiences of health and illness, with the understanding that gender is constructed differently across the life course, and is mediated by 'race' and class relations in Britain. Research was conducted with a small sample of informants drawn from African-Caribbean community groups in east London, using focus groups and in-depth interviews. Findings are three-fold. First, participation in health research itself was problematic for informants, relating directly to their experiences of personal and institutional racism in Britain. Evidence showed that these experiences encouraged informants to use public accounts of health and illness when more structured research methods were used. In-depth interviews encouraged informants to develop more private accounts of their illness experiences. A second finding was that social relations and low social status were often implicated in private accounts as contributing factors to illness. Women and men felt that racialised experiences, especially in the workplace, were problematic for black people collectively. Older female informants also connected personal health problems to their efforts in fulfilling the more traditional expectations of women in the home, family and workplace. Finally there is evidence that women and men have developed a variety of strategies to mediate the impact that social circumstances may have on their health. Some strategies influenced the way that illness discourses themselves were constructed, whilst others focused on building self-esteem through Caribbean or Black identity, or through developing a sense of 'self. ' Besides these findings, the methodology of this study is discussed. This was developed in response to the sensitive nature of the racialised research context. Key concerns have been to develop trust and rapport with informants, and to offer them the opportunity to comment critically on this research project and its findings. It was felt that this approach enhanced the insight into informants' reporting and understandings of health and illness. Conclusions of this research have theoretical, methodological and policy implications. Most topical are implications relevant to east London's Health Action Zone strategy. There are specific recommendations for understanding the mental health needs for African-Caribbean communities, and for developing appropriate ways to involve these communities in this initiative and offering them better access to information.

This paper brings together theoretical work on gender, caregiving, and illness to investigate emotion work performed in response to a spouse’s physical illness. We analyzed qualitative in-depth interview data with 36 individuals in 18 long-term heterosexual marriages (N=36) wherein one or both spouses experienced illness. Findings indicated that men and women performed, received, and interpreted their emotion work in gendered ways. Women with an ill spouse performed emotion work more often than men. Women who were ill themselves often performed emotion work to relieve the burden on their spouse—a dynamic not found among men who were ill. When women performed emotion work, they constructed this work as a natural propensity. Men who did not perform emotion work constructed themselves as protective and problem-solving. These findings point to underlying intra- and inter-personal processes that may help to explain why women experience higher levels of caregiver burden and depression than do men. / text

This thesis investigates the role of Canadians in the international trade in human organs and the factors influencing patient decision making, assuming that patients make decisions regarding the management of their illness in a complex social, cultural, political and economic nexus. It engages a broad theoretical question of whether Canadians uphold values consistent with a commitment to consumerism, commodifying organs as needed and afforded, or altruism, supportive of voluntary organ donation systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with hemodialysis patients and their care givers in a southern Ontario hospital. Based on this analysis, Canadians appear to fall somewhere in the middle of the consumer-altruist divide. The dominant sentiment among participants was that Canadians ought not to be commodified, but the organs of foreign others in places removed from the Canadian value system hold potential, and provide opportunities for participating in a market when the supply of organs falls short of demand.

The dementias are illnesses which have significant cultural prominence and feature in a wide range of contemporary writing, often as a trope for old age. This thesis examines how stories of dementia are told in fiction and in the clinic. To do this, the work uses Arthur Frank's socio-narratology to examine twelve selected texts in which a key protagonist has dementia. Three of the selected texts have been written by authors with direct experience of dementia within their family and form a subset of texts, memoir fiction. How stories of dementia are told is considered by examining the clinic as a storytelling venue, the creation of faux medical notes from information in the texts and a Triple Analysis of the memoir fiction using three reading templates. The templates have been created from clinical practice, using the questions posed by Frank's socio-narratological practice of Dialogical Narrative Analysis, and using the parameters of Rita Charon's version of Close Reading drill in Narrative Medicine. The work is informed by autoethnography which uses my position as a clinician and reader to examine how fiction has been used in my clinical practice and how it informs my reading of the selected texts.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Esta dissertaÃÃo objetivou analisar os sentidos construÃdos sobre saÃde-doenÃa mental por participantes de um grupo terapÃutico do CAPS e suas implicaÃÃes ao processo de desinstitucionalizaÃÃo da loucura. Para tanto, esteve referenciada nos aportes da SaÃde Coletiva, no tocante a produÃÃo social do processo saÃde-doenÃa e ainda nas contribuiÃÃes teÃricas do campo da SaÃde Mental sobre a proposta de desinstitucionalizaÃÃo da loucura no cotidiano das prÃticas de cuidado e atenÃÃo aos usuÃrios. AlÃm dessas bases, o estudo conta tambÃm com o referencial da Teoria HistÃrico-Cultural da Mente, no que se refere Ãs suas elaboraÃÃes em torno da temÃtica dos sentidos. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa se configurou como uma investigaÃÃo de carÃter qualitativo. A pesquisa foi realizado no CAPS Geral da SER II de Fortaleza, por meio do contato com um dos grupos terapÃuticos dessa instituiÃÃo, o Grupo de Florescimento Humano. O contato com esse grupo iniciou-se em julho de 2010, primeiramente, por meio da metodologia da ObservaÃÃo Participante, com intuito de conhecer o modo de funcionamento dessa proposta terapÃutica. Posteriormente, foi realizada uma Entrevista Individual Semi-Estruturada com uma das participantes. Por fim, foi aplicado um questionÃrio escrito com doze pessoas do grupo, as quais tambÃm participaram de um CÃrculo de Cultura sobre o tema desta pesquisa. O material oriundo desses procedimentos foi registrado com o auxÃlio de um gravador de voz, em seguida, foi transcrito e analisado com base na metodologia da AnÃlise TemÃtica. Como resultado de tal proposta de anÃlise, foram categorizados trÃs temas que mais se destacaram do discurso dos participantes, quais sejam: a conceituaÃÃo da loucura e do processo saÃde-doenÃa mental; as histÃrias e âestÃriasâ que explicam as existÃncias-sofrimento e a produÃÃo da saÃde mental; a construÃÃo de sentidos e desinstitucionalizaÃÃo. Os achados desta pesquisa apontam que a loucura e o processo saÃde-doenÃa mental encontram-se imersos em um quadro de grande indefiniÃÃo cientÃfica, que gera muitas possibilidades de significaÃÃes em torno da questÃo. Os sentidos de saÃde e doenÃa mental produzidos com os participantes circularam em torno de adjetivos antagÃnicos que indicaram a presenÃa marcante de uma noÃÃo de saÃde mental como algo inalcanÃÃvel, por significar a ausÃncia de doenÃas. JÃ a doenÃa mental foi percebida como desajuste, erro, desequilÃbrio e acÃmulo de problemas. Por outro lado, os participantes tambÃm destacaram a existÃncia de diferentes modos de ser e existir no mundo como marcas de singularidades, que, frequentemente sÃo diagnosticadas como loucura. Eles apontaram apara a necessidade de convivÃncia com essas diferenÃas e com seu processo de sofrimento. Como mais um resultado do estudo, foi discutida a importÃncia da categoria sentido, como ferramenta essencial a ser valorizada e trabalhada na proposta de desinstitucionalizaÃÃo da loucura no cotidiano dos serviÃos de saÃde mental. / This paper aimed to analyze the constructed meanings of health-mental illness participating in a therapeutic group of CAPS and its implications to the process of institutionalization of madness. To do so, was referenced in the contributions of Public Health, regarding the social production of health-disease process and also on the theoretical contributions of the field of Mental Health on the proposal of de-institutionalization of madness in the daily practice of care and attention to users. In addition to these bases, the study also has the frame of the Cultural-Historical Theory of Mind, with regard to their elaborations around the theme of the senses. Methodologically, the research was configured as a qualitative research. The study was conducted at the General CAPS II, Fortaleza-Ce, through contact with an institution of the therapy groups, the group of human flourishing. Contact with this group began in July 2010, primarily through the methodology of participant observation, in order to understand the mode of operation of the proposed therapy. Subsequently, we performed an Individual Semi-Structured Interview with one of the participants. Finally, a questionnaire was written in twelve people in the group, which also participated in a Culture Circle on the subject of this research. Material from these methodologies was recorded by audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. As a result of this proposed analysis, three themes were categorized that stood out the speech of the participants, namely: the concept of madness and mental health-disease process, the stories and "stories" that explain the stock-suffering and production mental health, the construction of meanings and deinstitutionalization. The findings of this survey indicate that the madness and the health-mental illness find themselves immersed in a framework of great scientific uncertainty, which generates many possible meanings around the issue. The meanings of health and mental illness produced with participants circulated around opposing adjectives that indicated the presence of a remarkable notion of mental health as something unattainable, because it signifies the absence of disease. Since mental illness was perceived as a misfit, error, imbalance and accumulation of problems. On the other hand, participants also highlighted the existence of different modes of being and existence in the world as marks of singularities, which are often diagnosed as insane. They pointed out the need to trim live with these differences and their grieving process. As a result of the study, it is pointed towards the category as an essential tool to be valued and worked in the proposed institutionalization of madness in everyday mental health services.

Submitted by Neusa Fagundes (neusa.fagundes@unioeste.br) on 2018-09-04T18:31:02Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Terezinha_Campos2018.pdf: 1587329 bytes, checksum: 5170d308861e390023668c0a4143ae3b (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-04T18:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Terezinha_Campos2018.pdf: 1587329 bytes, checksum: 5170d308861e390023668c0a4143ae3b (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-23 / To understand part of the vast and complex universe of health and illness, it is necessary, first of all, humility to recognize that any study of this theme is partial and provisional. Second of all it is necessary to choose paths and cutouts to approach it. Initially, we sought to contextualize some aspects of the historical, social, economic, political, environmental and cultural moment in which the society finds itself. This contextualization is necessary because health and illness do not represent the same thing for people, since several factors can influence the imaginary of each one. This will depend on the time, on the place in which one lives, as well as on their social relations, on their individual and collective values, on scientific, religious, philosophical and daily conceptions. In this perspective, this study, through exploratory and qualitative field research, has as central objective to apprehend the perception of high school teachers of public schools from the city of Cascavel, Paraná, Brazil, on health and illness process in work. For the data collection, a semi-structured script was used, applied in the form of interviews and, later, the data obtained were grouped and analyzed through the Content Analysis Technique. It is inferred that teachers are exposed to an overload of work activities, double working hours, instability, professional, social and wage devaluation, besides the unhealthy conditions in the work environment. It was found that 66.7% of the teachers interviewed carry out their work activities during the morning and afternoon, and that 53.3% of them have a 40-hour workload per week, which represents an exhaustive working day, also because they are likely to perform other functions that are not tied to teaching, such as housewives, parents, mothers, and spouses. In this context, they often end up falling ill and, consequently, having to go to work even sick. It is so that 100% of respondents say that they have already worked sick. In the health problems reported it is included musculoskeletal disorders, migraines, voice problems, upper respiratory infections, and stress. It is inferred that adverse working conditions resulting from professional devaluation, inadequate physical structure, excess of students in class, double journey and work overload, among others, are causes that lead to the sickness of the teachers. Faced with this complexity that is this kaleidoscope of health and illness process, it was verified that this phenomenon extrapolates the physical and biological body, affecting their mental, social and cultural dimension, perceptible in their relations in the classroom and in their style and quality of life. It is considered that the health and illness process involves objective and subjective characteristics of human being. Thus, when looking at this subject, it is also necessary to consider the context, in which it is inserted, as well as its values, beliefs, senses and perceptions, in order to plan and promote actions aimed at reducing vulnerabilities and health risks in work environment. / Para compreender parte do vasto e do complexo universo da saúde e doença é preciso, antes de tudo, humildade para reconhecer que todo é qualquer estudo sobre essa temática é parcial e provisório. É preciso, no entanto, escolher caminhos e recortes para abordá-lo. Inicialmente, buscou-se contextualizar alguns aspectos do momento histórico, social, econômico, político, ambiental e cultural em que a sociedade se encontra. Essa contextualização é necessária em razão de que saúde e doença não representam a mesma coisa para as pessoas, pois que diversos fatores podem influenciar o imaginário de cada um. E isso vai depender da época, do lugar em a pessoa vive, bem como das suas relações sociais, dos seus valores individuais e coletivos, das concepções cotidianas, científicas, religiosas e filosóficas. Nessa perspectiva, este estudo, por meio da pesquisa de campo, de cunho exploratório e qualitativo, teve o objetivo central de conhecer a percepção dos professores do ensino médio dos colégios públicos do município de Cascavel/PR sobre o processo de saúde e doença no cotidiano do trabalho. Para a coleta de dados foi utilizado um roteiro semiestruturado, aplicado na forma de entrevistas e, posteriormente, os dados obtidos foram agrupados e analisados por meio da Técnica de Análise de Conteúdo. Infere-se que os professores estão expostos a uma sobrecarga de atividades laborais, dupla jornada de trabalho, instabilidade e desvalorização salarial, profissional, social, além de condições insalubres nos locais de trabalho. Constatou-se que 66,7% dos professores entrevistados exercem suas atividades laborais nos períodos da manhã e tarde, e que 53,3% deles arcam com uma carga laboral semanal de 40 horas, o que representa uma jornada de trabalho exaustiva, pois eles exercem outras funções que não estão vinculadas à docência, como donas de casa, pais, mães e cônjuges. Diante desse contexto, os professores adoecem devido uma conjunção de fatores, e consequentemente, tendo que desenvolver as atividades laborais doentes. Tanto assim é que 100% dos entrevistados afirmam que já trabalharam doentes. E dentre os problemas de saúde relatados estão as doenças de ordem musculoesqueléticas, enxaquecas, problemas na voz, infecções das vias aéreas superiores e estresse. Infere-se que as condições de trabalho adversas resultantes da desvalorização profissional, da estrutura física inadequada, do excesso de alunos em sala, da dupla jornada e da sobrecarga de trabalho, entre outros, são causas que levam ao adoecimento dos professores. Diante dessa complexidade, ou seja, desse caleidoscópio do processo de saúde e doença, constatou-se que esse fenômeno extrapola o corpo físico e biológico, afetando sua dimensão mental, social e cultural, perceptíveis em suas relações em sala da de aula e em seu estilo e qualidade de vida. Considera-se que o processo de saúde e doença envolve características objetivas e subjetivas do ser humano. Assim, portanto, ao olhar para esse sujeito é necessário ponderar também o contexto em que está inserido, bem como, seus valores, crenças, sentidos e percepções, para então planejar e promover ações que visem à redução de vulnerabilidades e de riscos à saúde no ambiente de trabalho.