História da Psiquiatria na Paraíba

Abstract

The book História da Psiquiatria na Paraíba by Edvaldo Brilhante is a work that takes us through the intricacies of mental health in the region. The author delves into the history of mental health policies, especially the Psychiatric Reform in Paraíba, and relates it to the trajectory of a prominent psychiatric institution: the Instituto Campina Grande de Neuropsiquiatria e Reabilitação Funcional (ICANERF), active from 1963 to 2005. By investigating the emergence of medical-psychiatric knowledge in Campina Grande-PB, the book records memories, identities and practices of this public mental health institution. Through the historical lens, we are invited to reflect on care, the dignity of patients and the relationship with the control of abnormal people”. The city's elite, concerned with progress, sought to get rid of elements considered humiliating, such as the insane and epileptics. The arrival of the Dr. João Ribeiro Hospital and the mental health physician impacted Campina Grande society, which faced sociocultural changes. The psychiatric medical staff institutionalized knowledge about family care, while marginalized patients cried out for recognition and dignity. In short, History of Psychiatry in Paraíba invites us to understand how psychiatric knowledge was socially consolidated in Campina Grande-PB, revealing the complexities of mental health and the construction of identities in the region.