Psychiatric epidemiology in latin america, 1960-1990: a narrative historical review

Abstract

This article presents a narrative historical review of the development of psychiatric epidemiology in Latin America. Based on the analysis of 67 texts published between 1960 and 1990, the objective is to analyze the tension between the adoption of scientific models from the Global North and the search for an approach relevant to local realities. The 1960s-1970s saw the emergence of pioneering studies focused on social determinants and a theoretical critique of diagnostic universalism. The 1980s were marked by the adoption of standardized instruments, which paradoxically coexisted with open self-criticism about the limits of these methods. The conclusion is that the field forged a critical and ambiguous identity, but without consolidating an autonomous epistemology.