Guarding minds: The evolution of mental hygiene and stigmatization of mental illness in early 20th century Latin America.

This article examines the development of the mental hygiene movement and the stigmatization of mental illness in Latin America throughout the 20th century. It highlights how psychiatric reforms and the transnational mental hygiene movement—rooted largely in French and American influences—sought to shift mental health care from asylum confinement toward prevention, early diagnosis, and outpatient treatment, despite challenges such as resource scarcity and entrenched social prejudices. The movement framed mental illness in economic and productivity terms, promoting social control mechanisms that marginalized groups including the mentally ill, indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and the working class, often intertwining scientific racism and eugenic ideas. Unlike the U.S. model, Latin American mental hygiene was dominated by medical professionals and state authorities, limiting civil society participation and reinforcing exclusionary practices. The article underscores the lasting impact of these historical dynamics on contemporary mental health policies and social perceptions in the region.