Abstract

LIMA, Andrea de Alvarenga  and  HOLANDA, Adriano Furtado. History of psychiatry in Brazil: a review of historiographical production (2004-2009). Estud. pesqui. psicol. [online]. 2010, vol.10, n.2, pp.572-595. ISSN 1808-4281.

The recent changes brought about by the Psychiatric Reform invite inquiry into how the History of Psychiatry is being studied today.  This article reviews recent scientific papers and identifies the main perspectives and limits established by historians on the subject. Sixty nine papers were selected, including articles, theses, and dissertations, which met the following criteria: be related to the history of the “psy” sciences (Psychiatry, Psychology and Psychoanalysis), be published in Brazil between 2004 and 2009, and use the historiographic method. In this review, contemporary trends are analyzed, in relation to: time periods, the geographical boundaries of the studies, and the methodological approaches employed. The review showed that most researches are produced and published in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, rely on written documents and focus their attention on the constitution of the psychiatric knowledge in the Southeast of Brazil. Considering the data collected, gaps in the historical narrative are identified.

Keywords : History; Psychiatry; Madness; Psychiatric hospital; Historiography.

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