Towards a Latin American Neuropsychiatry

Abstract

Psychiatric and neurological disorders more frequently present together in Latin America than in high income regions. From the impact of armed conflict and political violence, to the neuropsychiatric consequences of neglected tropical diseases, Latin America has a unique profile of region-specific risk factors that mean it is not always well-served by neuropsychiatric practice developed in, and for, high income regions. Here, we address this problem by: i) characterising key health issues in Latin America by synthesising evidence on the neuropsychiatric characteristics of traumatic brain injury, stroke, epilepsy, dementia, functional neurological disorder, infectious disease, environmental health risks, and substance use in the region, ii) reviewing the structural challenges for neuropsychiatric health in the Latin America, both in terms of those facing the population and those facing professionals and researchers, and finally, iii) identifying priorities to advance a uniquely Latin American field of neuropsychiatry, across research, training, and care delivery, that has much to gain for people in the region and much to offer the world.