Adolescence and mental health: a review of the Brazilian literature

The objective of this work was to review the Brazilian scientific literature from 1995 to 2005 on mental health in adolescence, considering the priorities identified by the World Health Organization (depression, anxiety, substance abuse, behavioral disorders, eating disorders, psychosis, child abuse, and violence). 971 abstracts were identified in the LILACS, MEDLINE, INDEXPsi, and SciELO databases, using descriptors associated with the themes. After selection according to specified criteria, 267 abstracts were analyzed by year, focus, methodological design, and principal conclusions. A qualitative analysis was performed on the main findings. Brazilian publications in this area have increased in the last five years. The majority of the articles aimed to identify the problem, while a smaller proportion dealt with the development of intervention and prevention strategies.