Psychiatry in the 21th century: Changes from the integration with Primary Health Care through matrix support

Abstract

The gap in Mental Health Care is a worldwide problem. Primary Health Care (PHC) is the framework basis for providing integrated care. Integrating Psychiatry into PHC is fundamental to solve this problem. Based on the issue of how integration of PHC into Mental Health Care is being developed with matrix support from psychiatrists, this paper investigates the role of Psychiatry in the organization of PHC, within a health comprehensive model approach. Problem-based analysis was used to systematize the knowledge and experiences gained by the authors during the execution of several research projects developed at the Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research in Primary Health Care (LIPAPS) of Rio de Janeiro State University. Conceptual references such as Comprehensive Care, Collaborative Care and the Brazilian Model of Matrix Support Teams, as well as the most frequent Mental Health demands in PHC are reviewed, while discussing their influence on mental health care, medical education and changes imposed on Psychiatry. In conclusion, PHC may be considered as a new scenario for Psychiatry that raises important challenges related to mental health education and services.