[Mental health and work: a discussion on the connection between work and diagnosis, based on daily practice]. / Saúde mental e trabalho: uma reflexão sobre o nexo com o trabalho e o diagnóstico, com base na prática.

Seven cases of workers selected among 150 who had undergone psychiatric treatment at the Workers' Health Reference Centers in Santo Amaro and André Gabois from 1994 to 1997 were presented for a detailed analysis characterizing work situations and discussing definition of the diagnosis and causal connections with work. The qualitative case study provides a thematic analysis of the patient history and files. Work situations are characterized by: unhealthy working conditions, problems related to work organization, inadequate human resources management, and urban violence. Symptoms included: fear, anxiety, depression, nervousness, tension, fatigue, malaise, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, and psychosomatic disorders (gastritis, hypertension); in addition, workers were unable to forget about work while off the job. Diagnosis varied. Three cases involved post-traumatic syndrome. Two cases involved organic psychosis linked to accidents or exposure to neurotoxic chemical products. Cases also included neurotic syndromes of fatigue, depression, and paranoia, as well as adaptation and reaction to acute stress. In all of the cases it was possible to relate the clinical picture to the work situation.

[Effects of occupational exposure to mercury in workers at a light bulb factory in Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brazil]. / Efeitos da Exposição Ocupacional ao Mercúrio em trabalhadores de uma indústria de lâmpades elétricas localizada em Santo Amaro, São Paulo, Brasil.

The aim of this research was to study metallic mercury poisoning in workers at a light bulb factory in Santo Amaro, São Paulo (Brazil). Visits were made to the factory to check both the work environment and the working conditions. Meetings with the workers took place in order to better understand the production process and how working conditions affect their health. Of the 91 workers investigated, 77 (84.62%) were chronically poisoned. Among chronically poisoned workers, 76 (98.70%) displayed neuropsychological alterations, 69 (75.82%) suffered from neurological impairments, 62 (68.13%) showed pathological findings under clinical examination, and 59 (63.96%) displayed psychiatric disorders.

[Clinico-neuro-psychological evaluation of workers exposed to metallic mercury in the electric lamp industry]. / Avaliação clinico-neuro-psicológica de trabalhdores expostos a mercúrio metálico em indústria de lâmpadas elétricas.

This research project was undertaken for the purpose of studying poisoning by metallic mercury among workers of an electric lamp factory located in S. Paulo (Brazil). 71 workers were investigated, of whom 61 (85.92%) were chronically poisoned. Exposure period ranged from 4 months to 30 years. The 57 (80.30%) of chronically poisoned workers showed poor psychomotor co-ordination, 56 (78.88%) showed neurological impairments, 51 (71.83%) decreases in memory capacity, 47 (66.20%) pathological findings in the clinical exam, 45 (63.38%) psychiatric disturbances and 37 (52.10%) poor performance in the concentration test.