Saúde mental e direitos humanos em Portugal e no Brasil: História, epistemologias, políticas e ativismos

Overview & Synopsis

How have conceptions of mental health changed over the last few decades? How have human rights redefined psychiatric care? This innovative work unveils the complex relationships between models of knowledge in mental health and the evolution of human rights, weaving a critical dialogue between Portugal and Brazil. Through eight chapters that combine historical, political, and social perspectives, the book reveals how the concept of mental health was reinvented in the postwar period, the transformative role of the World Health Organization in psychiatric epidemiology, and the emerging voices of artistic activism among patients. From the multiple reform initiatives in Portugal (1963-2024) to the Psychiatric Reform in Bahia, from the cinematic denunciation of hospital conditions to associative movements such as ADEB in Lisbon, this multidisciplinary research maps six decades of struggles, achievements, and resistance. In addition to containing an academic analysis, this book is a manifesto for emancipation in mental health, demonstrating how art, politics, and science can intertwine in the construction of more just and inclusive societies. Essential reading for researchers, health professionals, activists, and all those who believe that human dignity should be at the center of mental health care.