Cotidiano, qualidade de vida e saúde mental de mães de crianças e adolescentes que se autolesam

Abstract

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in childhood and adolescence is a complex, multifactorial and growing phenomenon, which has been configured as an important public health issue. Marked by intense emotional suffering, NSSI is related to individual, family, social and cultural factors, constituting an expression of trajectories of vulnerability that often remain invisible. This study aimed to understand the daily life, mental health and quality of life of primary caregivers — in this case, exclusively mothers — of children and adolescents who repeatedly engage in NSSI, seeking to identify cultural, symbolic and emotional constructions that permeate their experiences and influence the management of self-injurious behavior. This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, conducted in Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with five mothers of children and adolescents who present NSSI. Data were produced through semi-structured interviews, a field diary and a sociodemographic form. Analysis was carried out using Bardin’s Content Analysis. Three thematic categories emerged: (1) Body and family representations of self-injury; (2) Daily life, quality of life and mental health of mothers of children and adolescents who self-injure; and (3) family tensions and potentials. The results showed that NSSI is not configured as an individual event, but as a phenomenon deeply intertwined with family dynamics, gender inequalities and social determinants of health. The mothers reported life histories marked by trauma, violence, emotional overload and transgenerational experiences of suffering, including previous suicide attempts and self-injury. In many cases, the maternal body appears as a space of pain, subjective erasure and loss of identity, reflecting both past violence and the compulsory centrality of care. At the same time, the daughters’ self-injured bodies emerge as an expression of suffering and a call for help, often associated with bullying, aesthetic standards, anxiety, family conflicts and emotional legacies. The daily experiences described indicate exhausting routines, constant vigilance and a lack of time and conditions for self-care, leisure and rest. Maternal overload is intensified by unemployment, informal work, economic precariousness and insufficient family and institutional support. Weaknesses were observed in the articulation between the health, education and social assistance sectors, resulting in a fragmented network that scarcely responds to the complex demands of these families. Although there are maternal efforts at reorganization, protection and reinvention of care strategies, the support received is insufficient to meet the emotional needs of the family group. The study highlights that mothers simultaneously bear their own suffering and that of their daughters, with negative repercussions for their mental health and quality of life. The absence of fathers as participants reinforces a relevant cultural aspect: the naturalization of maternal responsibility for emotional care and the management of NSSI. Thus, the phenomenon emerges as a product of contexts marked by gender inequalities, social vulnerability and family historicity, underscoring the importance of interventions that include the family unit as a central focus. It is concluded that the promotion of mental health in children and adolescents who self-injure requires intersectoral, shared practices that are sensitive to the sociocultural contexts of families, encompassing both adolescents and their caregivers. The knowledge produced contributes to broadening the understanding of NSSI as a socially situated phenomenon and reinforces the urgency of integrated public policies that promote continuous support, strengthened bonds, qualified listening and backing for mothers, who are central figures in care and in the prevention of self-injury.