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ABSTRACT: Objective: To explore patient experience for non-surgical periodontal therapy using phenomenography. Methods: This qualitative study was performed in a postgraduate specialist training program in periodontics. Patients reported their experiences through in-depth interviews in order to recognize the impact of non-surgical periodontal therapy on their quality of life and their satisfaction. A homogeneous sampling procedure was used, establishing redundancy after the fifteenth interview. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed by three researchers who codified the answers into categories to determine the emerging topics. Results: The core emerging themes were: (i) lack of information about periodontal disease; (ii) experience during treatment; (iii) treatment implications; and (iv) clinician-patient relationship. Conclusions: Patients seem to have limited knowledge about periodontal diseases. Reasons for attendance mainly include bleeding gums, tooth mobility, and aesthetic problems. Therapy can generate pain, fear, and is considered invasive, whereas dentine hypersensitivity may occur post-operatively. Despite this, patients would be willing to undergo treatment again and were generally satisfied with the level of care and treatment received.
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RESUMEN El presente artículo analiza las necesidades de atención de salud mental de refugiados y solicitantes de asilo de origen latinoamericano en Chile, por medio de un estudio cualitativo descriptivo, realizado en 2018, desde la voz de las personas solicitantes de refugio y asilo (n=8), profesionales de salud que los atienden (n=4), y miembros de organismos e instituciones dedicados en la temática (n=2). Los hallazgos evidencian que las obligaciones asumidas por Chile, a través de la adhesión a tratados internacionales, no han logrado garantizar el ejercicio del derecho a la salud mental, entendida como parte del derecho universal de acceso a la salud. En lo particular, el artículo documenta la presencia tanto de barreras de acceso a la salud mental en migrantes solicitantes de refugio y asilo, como de factores de estrés posmigratorios que pueden acentuar el riesgo de estos grupos a sufrir trastornos emotivos. También se reporta la insuficiente instalación de capacidades de atención en los equipos de salud mental para abordar las consecuencias psíquicas de los episodios de violencia y persecución que están a la base de la migración forzada. Finalmente, el artículo discute la necesidad de estrechar la vinculación entre la salud mental -como derecho humano fundamental- y el derecho a la protección internacional.
ABSTRACT This article analyzes the results of a descriptive, qualitative study carried out in 2018 on the mental healthcare needs of Latin American refugees and asylum seekers in Chile, through the perspectives of refugees and asylum applicants (n=8), healthcare professionals responsible for delivery of care (n=4), and members of civil society organisations involved in this area (n=2). Our findings indicate that despite Chile's commitment to international treaties in this regard, little has been achieved in safeguarding the right to access to mental health care, understood as part of the universal right to health care access. This article documents barriers to mental health care access for migrants applying for asylum and refugee status. Post-migration stress factors may also increase the risk of emotional disorders within this group of people. Mental healthcare providers and teams are often not equipped with the tools to deal with the psychological consequences arising from the situations of violence and persecution associated with forced migration. Our study discusses the need to strengthen the link between mental health care - as a fundamental human right - and the right to international protection.