PROMOTION OF BODILY DIGNITY FOR PEOPLE IN PSYCHOSOCIAL REHABILITATION: AN ACTION OF THE “CUIDANDO SEM TABU” PROJECT

Abstract

Psychosocial rehabilitation guides mental health care through the promotion of autonomy, citizenship, and social inclusion, recognizing individuals in their entirety and within the contexts of vulnerability in which they are inserted. In this sense, the dignity of bodily care, especially related to hygiene, constitutes an essential dimension of comprehensive care; however, it is often neglected among populations experiencing psychological distress, contributing to processes of stigmatization and social exclusion. This study aimed to report actions focused on promoting the dignity of bodily care within the context of psychosocial rehabilitation. This is an experience report with a qualitative approach, developed within the Extension Project Cuidando Sem Tabu, in partnership with the Psychosocial Care Center “Dr. José de Carvalho Vilela,” in the municipality of Mineiros, Goiás, Brazil, in 2025. The analysis was based on the systematization of professional experiences and critical reflection on the actions implemented in the service. The interventions included the distribution of individualized hygiene kits to users undergoing psychosocial rehabilitation and the provision of shared-use hygiene items for individuals in daytime care, integrating bodily care into the Individual Therapeutic Project. The findings revealed user satisfaction, strengthened self-esteem, recovery of the desire for self-care, improved organization of hygiene routines, and an expansion of therapeutic possibilities within the service. Positive impacts were also observed in autonomy, the sense of social belonging, and the humanization of the care provided. It is concluded that promoting the dignity of bodily care constitutes a powerful strategy in psychosocial rehabilitation, reaffirming care in freedom, human rights, and the ethical and political role of psychosocial care, in addition to presenting potential for replication in other services and territories.