The psychosomatic concept in the Latin American region is immersed in the mental health concept. This is also part of the generic notion of public health and therefore involves the pragmatic application of knowledge in various fields: clinical, epidemiological, neurobiological, sociocultural, and basic research, as the most important ones. The objective is the normal development of individuals and the maintenance of integrally emotional functions at individual and collective level (Ustun and Sartorius 1995).

Mental health in the region has its origin in the establishment of specific programs within the regional office of WHO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Washington, D.C. PAHO convened in 1962, the first mental health seminar in the Latin American region in Mexico City (PAHO 1980) .

The Declaration of Caracas in 1990 (González and Levav 1990) reiterated that conventional psychiatric attention was not compatible with a necessary assistance based on the principles of community intervention, decentralization, participation, integration, and preventive measures in addition to treatment and rehabilitation. Specific suggestions were made in relation to the development of national mental health programs in Latin countries, community campaigns, control of affective disorders, epilepsy and psychosis, promoting mental health and psychosocial development of children, increase of vocational training centers, and improved legislation and regulations for the protection of human rights (Brody 1985) .