Razzouk D, Zorzetto R, Dubugras MT, Gerolin J, Mari JD "Mental health and psychiatry research in Brazil: scientific production from 1999 to 2003 " REVISTA DE SAUDE PUBLICA 40: 93-100 Sp. Iss. SI, AUG 2006

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Addresses: mari at psiquiatria.epm.br 


Title: Mental health and psychiatry research in Brazil: scientific 
production from 1999 to 2003 

Author(s): Razzouk D, Zorzetto R, Dubugras MT, Gerolin J, Mari JD 

Source: REVISTA DE SAUDE PUBLICA 40: 93-100 Sp. Iss. SI, AUG 2006 

Document Type: Article 
Language: English 
Cited References: 18      Times Cited: 0        

Abstract: 
OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent of mental health scientific production in 
Brazil from 1999 to 2003, and to identify the nature of the publications 
generated, their sources of finance and the ways of publicly disseminating 
the research findings.
 
METHODS: Searches for publications were conducted in the MEDLINE and 
PsychInfo databases for the period 1999-2003. A semi-structured 
questionnaire developed by an international team was applied to 626 mental 
health researchers, covering each interviewee's educational background, 
research experience, access to funding sources, public impact and research 
priorities. The sample was composed by 626 mental health researchers 
identified from 792 publications indexed on MEDLINE and PsychInfo databases 
for the period above, and from a list of reviewers of Revista Brasileira de 
Psiquiatria.

RESULTS: In Brazil, 792 publications were produced by 525 authors between 
1999 and 2003 ( 441 indexed in MEDLINE and 398 in the ISI database). The 
main topics were: depression (29.1%), substance misuse (14.6%), psychoses 
(10%), childhood disorders (7%) and dementia (6.7%). Among the 626 
Brazilian mental health researchers, 329 answered the questionnaire.

CONCLUSIONS: There were steadily increasing numbers of Brazilian articles 
on mental health published in foreign journals from 1999 to 2003: the 
number of articles in MEDLINE tripled and it doubled in the ISI database. 
The content of these articles corresponded to the priorities within mental 
health, but there is a need for better interlinking between researchers and 
mental health policymakers.

Author Keywords: mental health; mental disorders; Brazil; psychiatry; 
publications; bibliometrics; research support; bibliography, national; 
information science 
KeyWords Plus: MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES; JOURNALS 

Addresses: Mari JD (reprint author), Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psiquiatria, 
Escola Paulista Med, Rua Botucatu,740 3 Andar, Sao Paulo, BR-04023900 Brazil
Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psiquiatria, Escola Paulista Med, Sao Paulo, BR-
04023900 Brazil
Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Ctr Avaliacao & Integracao Dados, Escola Paulista Med, 
Sao Paulo, BR-04023900 Brazil 

E-mail Addresses: mari at psiquiatria.epm.br 

Publisher: REVISTA DE SAUDE PUBLICA, FACULDADE SAUDE PUBL DA USP, AV DR 
ARNALDO 715, 01255 SAO PAULO, BRAZIL 
Subject Category: PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 
IDS Number: 074WO 

ISSN: 0034-8910 

CITED REFERENCES:

*WHO
MENT HTLH NEW UND NE : 2001  
 
 ALEM A
Conducting psychiatric research in the developing world: challenges and 
rewards
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 182 : 185 2003 
  
 BRESSAN RA
The modest but growing Brazilian presence in psychiatric, psychobiological 
and mental health research: assessment of the 1998-2002 period
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH 38 : 649 2005   

 CATAPANO LA
How international are psychiatry journals?
LANCET 361 : 2087 2003   

 DOKU VCK
Collaborating with developing countries in psychiatric research
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 182 : 188 2003   

 JEKINS R
ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND 103 : 2 2001   

 LETA J
Central international visibility of Brazilian psychiatric publications from 
1981 to 1999
SCIENTOMETRICS 50 : 241 2001   

 MAJ M
Psychiatric research in low- and middle-income countries: the need for 
concrete action
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA 111 : 329 2005 
  
 MARI JD
Mental health research in Brazil: policies, infrastructure, financing and 
human resources
REVISTA DE SAUDE PUBLICA 40 : 161 2006   

 MUNKJORGENSEN P
ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND 112 : 1 2006   

 PATEL V
Poverty and common mental disorders in developing countries
BULLETIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 81 : 609 2003  
 
 PATEL V
International representation in psychiatric literature - Survey of six 
leading journals
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY 178 : 406 2001   

 SARACENO B
Bridging the mental health research gap in low- and middle-income countries
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA 110 : 1 2004   

 SAXENA S
ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND 110 : 77 2004  
 
 SAXENA S
How international are the editorial boards of leading psychiatry journals?
LANCET 361 : 609 2003   

 SHAH A
Mental health economic studies from developing countries reviewed in the 
context of those from developed countries
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA 101 : 87 2000   

 WILLIAMS SM
The role of public health in mental health promotion (Reprinted from MMWR, 
vol 54, pg 841-842, 2005)

JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION 294 : 2293 2005   
 ZORZETTO R
IN PRESS REFORMA SER : 2006