Psychoanalysis and public health

Abstract

Psychoanalysis has been excluded from the Sanitary Services Catalog, recently approved by the Spanish Ministry of Health. It is the form of psychological treatment with the longest history and presents considerable developments. In a strict sense, psychoanalysis was never provided by the public health services. Due to its nature and technical applications it was a private practice, since it extends beyond the strict limits of health intervention. Its theory, however, has inspired and inspires various therapeutic orientations that are applicable in the field of public mental health.