Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book highlights the articulation between the fields of mental health, education and subjective development as a way to advance a critical mental health care proposal. It focuses on Gonzalez Rey’s theory of subjectivity and its contribution to the study of mental health, attending to theoretical, epistemological and methodological alternatives in the face of the current challenges in this field. The book presents a brief case study of a mental health service user in order to illustrate some of the main theoretical arguments. It describes the concept of subject and the notion of subjective development as conceptual devices to be used simultaneously for research and practice in the mental health field. The book ends with questions that summarize the key problematizations and with suggestions to advance this practice and research line.