The “latent liminality” of the therapeutic itineraries in mental health: an ethnographical approach in the Temuco city.

Abstract

In this paper present the therapeutic itineraries in mental health of 8 users of the Health Mental Program from Family Health Center Pueblo Nuevo, Temuco, Chile, based on an ethnographic approach carried out between 2022 and 2023. For this purpose, I describe 4 nodes or institucional instances for the management of mental health illness, in wich the therapeutic itineraries are concentrated: 1) the public system, 2) the Health Mental Program from Family Health Center, 3) the private system, and 4) the “new age” medicine. Product of the tension between the institutionalization of treatment and management afflictions, and the uncertainty arising from the contradiction between therapies, diagnoses, long waiting lists (public system) and the monetary barrier (private system and “new age” medicine), I understand that therapeutic itineraries in mental health form experiences of “latent liminality”.