[Cartographic notes on the work in the Family Health Strategy: relationships between workers and the population]. / Notas cartográficas do trabalho na Estratégia Saúde da Família: relações entre trabalhadores e população.

The objective of this intervention study was to map instituted and instituting movements present in the work of the Family Health Strategy in the development of their care practices. The theoretical framework is based on institutional analysis, using the schizoanalytic approach. Group meetings were carried out with the staff to discuss how they provided collective care in continuing health education. The study subjects were professionals from the team and students who were engaged in academic activity in the service. The average attendance was twelve people per meeting, and there were a total of eight meetings from March to July 2010. Data were grouped into two immanent strata: the relationships of the team and the relationship with clients. The strata point to the intersection of education and legal institutions and the social and technical division of labor. Collective thinking in groups appeared to be effective in denaturalizing established processes and interrogating places, knowledge and practices.

[Diabetes Mellitus: challenges related to self-care addressed in a Psychological Support Group]. / Diabetes Mellitus: desafios relacionados ao autocuidado abordados em Grupo de Apoio Psicológico.

The purpose was to identify the feelings of users associated with the diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), the difficulties inherent of glycemic control and coping strategies adopted in face of the demands imposed by the disease. Qualitative study carried out with patients followed by a multiprofessional team group in a research center from a university in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. Four group sessions, that were audio recorded and transcribed, constituted the corpus of research. The thematic analysis led to the categories: feelings aroused from the diagnosis of DM; difficulties in controlling the disease and coping strategies. The results showed different ways of dealing with the challenges posed by the disease on the diary activities, that directly influence on the treatment adherence and factors which are relevant for the design of more effective interventions.

[Therapeutic factors in a group of people with diabetes]. / Fatores terapêuticos em grupo de diabéticos.

The objective of the present research was to analyze the therapeutic factors identified in the accounts of the participants of a group of people with diabetes. An exploratory, assessing research carried out by means of semi-structured interviews pinpointed the following therapeutic factors: information availability (100%); cohesion (100%); universality (86%); interpersonal learning (57%); development of socialization techniques (57%); altruism (28.5%); imitative behavior (28.5%); and hope stimulus (28.5%). The implementation of group intervention actions for the promotion of self-care towards diabetes carriers can generate a beneficial interaction among group members, thus allowing for experience exchange processes, as well as a broader understanding of the disease and other positive experiences evidenced by the presence of the therapeutic factors.