"cheating" in order to survive: On the Significance of Depression Treatment in Primary Health Care "hacer Trampita" para sobrevivir: Significaciones sobre el Tratamiento de la Depresión en Atención Primaria

Abstract

In Chile, the treatment of depression in public health care is guaranteed by law. Nevertheless, the real performance of treatments as actually provided to patients and the way in which health care teams in charge of their administration perform are unknown. This research describes and characterizes the significance that Psychologists who work in primary health care units attach to the treatment of depression as actually performed. We interviewed eight Psychologists from the diversity of Health Services within the Metropolitan Region and analyzed the contents of those interviews from a Funded Theory standpoint. Six categories emerged from the analysis, with "cheating" being one of the most relevant. As it turned out, it is a means to survive in primary health care, which implies fitting the criteria and the parameters demanded by Health Service authorities in order to improve the level of service provided to patients, meet the service's targets and/or receive performance incentives when