Psychoanalysis and mental health: Contextualizing the demands for care

Abstract

In Brazil, the field of mental health is constituted by public policies that guide the operation of its services according to a treatment logic that is different from the asylum. Starting from the premises of the psychiatric reform, the service in this field should be community-based and should involve several professionals. In this context, in the responses to the demands for care, professionals must respect the guidelines of the Unified Health System and of the Brazilian mental health public policy, as well as the particularities of each case. At the same time, they are free to work according to the theoretical and methodological approach of their choice. In this article, from clinical data related to practice in mental health, we highlight the specific orientation of psychoanalysis as a basis for the construction of possible follow-ups.