“For a society without asylums”: the medicalization of madness and the trajectory of brazilian psychiatric reform

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30612/rehr.v21i39.18889

Keywords:

Psychiatric Reform, Anti-Asylum Movement, CAPS.

Abstract

The present work aims to problematize, through a historiographical analysis, the construction of spaces designated for the care of individuals in psychological distress, initially focusing on psychiatric hospitals. For this analysis, the literary works of contemporary thinker Paulo Amarante, particularly *Saúde Mental e Atenção Psicossocial* (2007), will be used as a foundation, as they outline the trajectory of Brazilian psychiatric reform and offer contributions to the field of mental health. Furthermore, the anti-asylum movement was marked by tensions between those advocating for humanized care and those opposing the closure of psychiatric hospitals and the discontinuation of traditional practices within these spaces, which also functioned as sites of power. Subsequently, the context that led to the opening of Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) across Brazil will be examined, following the enactment of law 10.106 by a Minas Gerais (MG) Workers' Party (PT) deputy. Under this premise, supported by the law, numerous Brazilian cities began implementing Psychosocial Care Centers (CAPS) in various forms, considering the specific needs of each locality.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Emanoel Lucas, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande

Mestrando em História pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em História, Culturas e
Espacialidades (PPGHCE/UECE). E-mail: emanoel.lucas@aluno.uece.br

Gabriely Késia de Oliveira Loa, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Mestranda em História pelo Programa de Pós-Graduação em História do Ceres
(PPGHC/UFRN)

References

AMARANTE, Paulo Uma Instituição de Loucos, Doentes e Sãos in Amarante, Paulo. Saúde Mental e Atenção Psicossocial, Rio de Janeiro, 2007, Fiocruz, p.21-36.

BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde. A Reforma Psiquiátrica e Política em Saúde Mental no Brasil. Conferência Regional de Reformas dos Serviços: 15 anos depois de Caracas, Brasília, novembro, 2005.

CASTEL, Robert. A ordem psiquiátrica: a idade de ouro do alienismo, 1978. v. 4, 2ª edição, 1991.

FOUCAULT, Michel. A História da Loucura na Idade Clássica, São Paulo: editora, perspectiva, 1978.

GONÇALVES, Monique Siqueira de; EDLER, F. C. Os Caminhos da Loucura na Corte no Imperial: Um Embate Historiográfico Acerca do Funcionamento do Hospício Pedro II de 1850 a 1889. Rev. Latinoan. Psicotat. V.12 p. 393-409. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1415-47142009000200013

GOULART, Maria Stella Brandão. As raízes italianas do movimento antimanicomial. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo, 2007.

GOVERNO DA BAHIA, Secretária de Saúde. A Rede de Atenção Psicossocial. Disponível em: https://www.saude.ba.gov.br/atencao-a-saude/comofuncionaosus/rede-de-atencao-psicossocial/. Acesso em: 28 jul. de 2024.

LÔA, Gabriely Késia de Oliveira. A loucura e o feminino: uma análise do perfil das usuárias-dia do centro de atenção psicossocial (CAPS III) “Tozinho Gadelha” de Sousa-Pb. Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso (Graduação em História) – Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Cajazeiras, Paraíba, 2023.

MATIAS, Kamila Dantas. A Loucura Na Idade Média: Ensaio Sobre Algumas Representações. 2015. Dissertação (Mestrado)-Departamento de História, estudos europeus, arquivologia e Artes da faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra, 2015.

Downloads

Published

02/05/2025

How to Cite

Lucas, E., & Loa, G. K. de O. (2025). “For a society without asylums”: the medicalization of madness and the trajectory of brazilian psychiatric reform. Revista Eletrônica História Em Reflexão, 21(39), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.30612/rehr.v21i39.18889

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 39 (2025): Dossiê: A pluralidade na história das ciências no Brasil - instituições, sujeitos e circulação de saberes (vol. 2)

Section

Artigos do Dossiê

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Eletrônica História em Reflexão

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish in this journal accept the publication guidelines and agree to the following terms:

(a) The Editorial Board reserves the right to make changes to the originals in Portuguese to maintain the formal standard of the language, while respecting the authors' style.

(b) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal the right to first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial-CompartilhaIgual 4.0 Internacional, which allows: Share — to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, and Adapt — to remix, transform, and create from the material. The Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial-CompartilhaIgual 4.0 Internacional includes the following terms:

  1. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You must do this in a reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes. ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or create from the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.
  3. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

(c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online—in institutional repositories, personal pages, social networks, or other scientific dissemination sites, provided that the publication is not for commercial purposes.