The fact of a given person’s Discriminatory Conduct (discriminator) causing mental suffering in another (discriminated) indicates mental health professionals should take an interest in this subject.

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The fact of a given person’s Discriminatory Conduct (discriminator) causing mental suffering in another (discriminated) indicates mental health professionals should take an interest in this subject.

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​Project Discrimination-APRS (PD) has as its basic goal the appropriation of study by Psychiatry of Discriminatory Behavior (CD), whose origin is basically psychological and which produces mental and/or physical suffering on the discriminated, possibly leading, in extreme cases, to suicide. The fact of a given person’s CD (discriminator) causing mental suffering in another (discriminated) indicates mental health professionals should take an interest in this subject.

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There are currently, in our society, only two instances which help inhibit CD: organized discriminated groups and its sympathizers (both governmental and non-governmental organizations) and Law, which considers this behavior criminal. Law has appropriated he study of CD and considers it a crime in many situations, even though legal issues only appear at the end of the discriminatory process. The psyche, which is present at the beginning, middle and end of the discriminatory process, has not yet motivated us to the appropriation of its study as modern-day society considers it. Initially, to this end we should find a conceptual denomination compatible with crime, which is the definition of Law for CD in most advanced societies. Certainly, if our field of work can find a more up-to-date conceptual denomination, compatible with that of Law, we would be creating a third inhibiting instance against this mental suffering-generating behavior.

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For this, a greater mobilization and participation of mental health professionals in the discussion of CD is necessary. We are hereby inviting interested colleagues to learn and delve into this topic. From meetings/debates we will decide the next steps within the institution. We will also start spreading awareness about PD to professionals and groups of Mental Health and Human Rights in order to add other partnerships that may also contribute to the advancement of the understanding of PD.

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All interested in participating in Project Discrimination should contact APRS at aprs@aprs.org.br