With the aim of studying the comprehension of mental illness of patients and their families, we conducted a bibliographical study of articles in Brazilian periodicals, theses and dissertations in the period between 1993 and 2003. The identification of the sources was done through the automated search systems Latin American Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) and the University of São Paulo's Bibliographic Data Bank On-line Global Catalog (DEDALUS). Nineteen papers were selected and four categories identified: family difficulty in the relationship with the patient; prejudice and stigma; organic/biological explanation for the illness; and fear and pain of insanity. Most of the papers show that, regarding assistance, there is a need for support and expansion of the public health system in order to meet the demands. It is believed that the number of publications is small considering the importance of the problem, showing the need for new research.
Mental health; Psychiatric Nursing; Perception