Abstract

AKIMOTO JUNIOR, Cláudio Kazuo  and  MORETTO, Maria Lívia Tourinho. Reflections on the iatrogenic potential of psychotherapies in the field of Mental Health. Rev. SBPH [online]. 2016, vol.19, n.1, pp.76-102. ISSN 1516-0858.

This paper presents a theoretical research on the iatrogenic potential of psychotherapies in the field of Mental Health, proposing a reflection on the problem that arises from the findings. Since ancient Greece, with Hippocrates, it was established as a basic principle of healing practices that, firstly, the doctor should not cause harm to the patient. Today it is known that any treatment with the potential to cure also has a iatrogenic potential. Research indicates that mental health treatments cause worsening of the clinical condition of the patient in up to 10% of cases. However, in this field, research on the topic made little progress, facing strong resistance from professionals, who give more emphasis to research on therapeutic effects of its practices, with little familiarity with iatrogenic effects. We conclude that, following the Hippocratic principle, it is essential that psychotherapists - and other health professionals - become aware of the iatrogenic potential of their practices, also enabling a more consistent basis regarding the therapeutic effects of their work. It is hoped that this work will serve as basis for a broader discussion on the iatrogenic potential of treatments in mental health, aimed ultimately at the possibility of reducing damages caused by iatrogenic effects.

Keywords : psychotherapy; iatrogenesis; iatrogenic effects; mental health.

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