Social representations of a former Colony Hospital: A study of its residents

This study aimed to analyze the social representations of residents of a colony hospital (CH), in the northeast of Brazil, about the institution itself. Participants were 16 residents, aged between 48 and 85 years (M = 67.0 years, SD = 9.7). Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using the Descending Hierarchical Classification method. The results indicated the centrality of justifying function of social representations, showing explanations for staying in the Colony, even after being cured. Thus, for some residents, living at the CH is due to the lack of resources. For others, remaining at the place arises from attachment to the institution. Therefore, although the CH was a shelter for patients and enabled them to be "cared for," this institution has also contributed to the construction of negative representations about these people and has not provided sufficient subsidies to reinsert them into the society.