The relationship between Philosophy/Ethics and Psychiatry goes as far back as the two disciplines and western culture, since the Greek civilization was the first to attempt to provide a rational answer to the question of good and evil, and the first to advance a medicine based on reason. However, this relationship had quite distinct focuses: A psychiatry of ethics – “Addiction as an illness” (evil is an error, and whoever chooses it is wrong about its true nature, whether as a result of ignorance or illness). An ethics of psychiatry: “Illness as an addiction” (all illnesses, at least serious ones, […]

In an attempt to systemize what has been done, on a world level, on the topic of victimization(1), issues relating to this matter have been relatively understudied in Portugal(2). The distinct types of media have shown a growing interest on the dissemination of news involving individuals who have experienced different types of victimization: examples include the victims of social exclusion, the moving documentaries about the relatives of victims of tragic accidents or natural catastrophes, such as the landslide in Ribeira Quente, in the Azores, on 31 October 1997, or the fall of the Entre-os-Rios bridge on 5 March 2001, and […]

– Paula Rego and the Crime of Father Amaro – Analysing the work of Paula Regro and Crime do Padre Amaro (the Crime of Father Amaro) poses a challenge by analogy to the greatness and vastness of the author’s anthology. To reflect on the transformation of the plastic work after the literary work – a novel that marks the beginning of Realism in Portugal – and articulating it with the psychological dimension of the author represents another heuristic and immeasurable challenge. How can art contribute to, and include human and social development in the context of mental health? How can […]

The family, as the facilitating and promoting nucleus of human development, allows the elements that form it to fulfil two vital functions: to ensure the continuity of human beings, and to achieve a balance between growing up/individualization and the socialization of each of the family members. In this sense, the family, particularly through parents, is one of the most important sources of socialization and education (Alarcão, 2002; Relvas, 2000; Pinsof, quoted by Ribeiro, 1997). The evaluation of parenthood, from an ecosystemic perspective, has inherent to it the existence of distinct forms through which parents manage their responsibilities, reflecting the combination […]

In a brief introductory note to the topic above, it seems appropriate to put it into context, for which reason the next two sub-chapters precede the actual topic. a) General issues Contrary to some beliefs, and despite the root of the word (Hypnos, sleep), hypnosis is neither sleep nor dream. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness regarding wakefulness, characterised by attentive and receptive focusing, during which an individual does not think about the context he is in by means of a suggested attention focusing, in which partial absence of critique occurs. Very simply, it can be compared to the […]

A colleague at the Drug Addition Unit told me she had noticed a marked increase in the number of drug addicts coming to the Emergency Room, despite the limited response they found, as it is restricted to the intravenous administration of liquids. To my surprise, she explained that this procedure aims to prevent acute kidney failure by rabdomyolisis caused by the agitation arising from the deprivation state. My surprise increased even further, as I have never come across such a situation in the hundreds of heroine- dependents in a state of deprivation I have examined as part of my clinical […]

Abstract  Often expressions such as self-mutilation, self-injury, and self-aggression are believed to have a common definition. The present article aims to make these concepts clearer and draw attention to what society accepts and what it condemns. Introduction History has given us various examples of self-aggressive behaviours associated to various cultures throughout time. This includes finger amputation in the Pacific and in Africa, nasal septum piercing among some African and American tribes, the stretching of the neck and lips in a few cultures in Africa, foot binding in small shoes to prevent them from growing in a tribe in Asia, crucification […]

Drª Paula Godinho (Team Leader of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Day Hospital); Profº Drª Luisa Figueira (Director of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Unit); Psicóloga Drª Maria João Centeno, Psicóloga Drª Teresa Fialho, Enfermeira Liliana Campos, Enfermeira Cristina Guerreiro. The Day Hospital is a Santa Maria Hospital’s Unit of Psychiatry and Mental Health, under the direction of Professor Maria Luísa Figueira and is integrated into the Department of Neurosciences of the Centro Hospital Lisboa Norte. In 1957, the Day Hospital was the first Hospitalization Unit to be established in the Psychiatry Service of this large General Hospital. It has […]

Bipolar disease in children is more difficult to diagnose than in adults. It is a public health problem due to the severity and chronicity of the disease. The difficulty in diagnosing is related to the distinct manifestations of the disease during its early stages of development, whereas in adults it is associated to frequent comorbidity (Pavuluri et al., 2005). The dominant presence of bipolar disease in children is atypical, as the predominant signs are acute irritability, frequent chronic trajectory, and mixed symptoms of depression and mania. It is important to evaluate comorbidity in children affected by bipolar disease, as it […]

Abstract The objective of the present article is to offer a reflection on the relationship between emotion and falling ill and to present two ongoing research projects on this relationship from a psychobiological perspective. The projects are part of the lecturing and assisting activities we carry out. Introduction The research we undertake is based on a psychosomatic approach to the disease. Factors of psychobiological vulnerability are identified and worked upon, either in the sense of reducing that vulnerability, or in the sense of reducing emotional pain associated to experiencing a chronic disease and its impact on the life of the […]

In this section we continue to divulge online resources, which may be personal web pages, blogs, institutional portals, etc. We shall give preference to those of simple and intuitive use, preferably free of charge. A large part will be dedicated to the medical sciences. In the present edition, we offer some more suggestions, which may also be added to the favourites link. Free Science Information The Science Information site is a web page maintained by Ana Paula Margarido de Azevedo and Manuel Montenegro. Despite being recent, it is a space of reference for those who wish to keep abreast of free […]