Reforms to psychiatric practice in Sweden are discussed, expecting that the Scandinavian experience be of assistance as regards changes that are being implemented for a re-structuration of psychiatric care in Latin America. The following points are enhanced: (a) epidemiological studies as an important basis for planning and action in mental health; (b) a progressive closing of mental hospitals while, at the same time, more institutionalization capacities are being created at general health services, and (c) organizing non-hospital care by sectors with community mental health teams being in charge of. As far as negative aspects are concerned, a tendency towards a "psychologization" so to speak of social issues, and a certain lack of attention of patients with severer disorders are pointed out.

The Swedish Psychiatric Association, in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Umeå, Sweden, and the Pan American Health Organization/WHO, has obtained economic support from the Swedish Agency for International Development (ASDI), to organize training seminars for young psychiatrists from Central America. The program will continue until 1995 with an option to pursue further studies leading to a master or other post-graduate degrees. The overall purpose is to strengthen the knowledge in epidemiology and community mental health, along the lines set by the "Caracas Declaration" of a cadre of young leaders in the field of psychiatry in Central America.

In recent years the family perspective in Psychiatry has become more important a factor. Therefore this paper is aimed at examining the family structure of mentally disordered people in León, Nicaragua, as well as presenting the use of a Genogram in epidemiological research. 201 families were randomly selected, whose members were interviewed in two steps: a screening, and a diagnostic stage. The family map or Genogram for each family was analyzed with respect to adult and child cases, generations within the family, and other background variables.

Two main trends can be found in psychological historiography, both streaming from discipline: on one hand the Central-European trend, phenomenological and dealing with inner life, and on the other, the Anglo-American trend, empirical and pragmatic. Latin America has reflected this cultural phenomenon in an extreme shadeless manner which had a clear influence in undergraduate schools. Modern psychology tendencies, however, don't allow the continuity of such a state of matters, and this has begun to reflect in the academic atmosphere of the region.

In this work we describe and analyze today's Latin American occupational reality, according to the world economical context we live in. We mention up-to-date data about employment and unemployment rates, from different countries of Latin America, Europe, and also from Japan. Besides that we have taken into account the technological development and the demographic growth, as essential variables in order to understand the labor phenomenon and its possible prospect, as well as the psychosociological consequences or unemployment. We also analyze the future of some professions. We think that all this information gathered from different sources, is essential to the professional who has to guide teen-agers at the time of the Ocupational-Vocational election. This is also necessary to all those who deal with Professional Guidance and with the Planning of Careers that have already been chosen.

In spite of the difficulties to define the term "culture" there is agreement with regards to its profound influence in the contemporary social environment of which medicine and psychiatry are important components. Cultural psychiatry studies psychopathology inasmuch as it reflects and it is subjected to the influence of cultural factors within the biopsychosocial context. Its contemporary clinical dimensions cover five fundamental areas: culture as an interpretive/explanatory instrument of human behavior; as a pathogenic/pathoplastic agent; as a diagnostic/nosological factor; as a therapeutic/protective element, and as a tool for management and service delivery. This paper examines the conceptual nature of each of these roles and presents pertinent examples from the clinical literature, away from theoretical lucubrations. The cultural legacy of each and every patient seen by the psychiatrist or any other mental health professional demands serious studies and effective actions at all levels.

A study carried out with 250 young students showed how much alcohol is socially accepted during young people parties. Significant differences were observed according to kind of alcoholic beverage, specially greater alcohol consumption of those of less alcoholic graduation.

The importance of diagnosis in psychiatry is relevant for therapeutic, research and public health questions. During the '70s, operational criteria improved ways for developing reliability and the basis of validity of psychiatric diagnosis. However, the possibility of a common language in psychiatry has been in doubt because of the proliferation of operational systems. There are also reductionist trends that could be dangerous for psychopathology and pedagogy.