Introduction:

Cinema can be a useful tool for medical education. In Psychiatry, specifically, cinema allows us to explore representations of different mental disorders, what it is like to live with mental illness, stigma, medical ethics, the psychiatrist/patient relationship, among others. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of some type of psychopathology in films produced in Paraguay, so that they can be used as didactic tools in the teaching of Psychopathology.

Methodology:

The design of this research was qualitative and exploratory. For convenience, 10 Paraguayan films, produced between 2010 and 2019, were selected. The films were chosen taking into account their availability for viewing on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO GO, Apple TV+, and YouTube platforms, and in DVD format.

Results:

The following films were analyzed in search of psychopathology Universo Servilleta (2010), Cuchillo de Palo (2010), 7 cajas (2012), La Enamorada (2012), Latas Vacías (2014), La Chiperita (2015), Los Buscadores (2017), Leal (2018), Las Herederas (2018), and El Supremo Manuscrito (2019). In the selected films, characters with signs and symptoms that may be useful to teach some of the main psychiatric syndromes were found: depressive disorders, anxiety, suicide attempts, obsessive-compulsive traits, personality disorders, delusions, impulse control disorders, and addictions.

Conclusion:

Paraguayan cinema, increasingly rich and diverse, in addition to being a source of inspiration and entertainment, can help in the teaching of Medicine in general, and Psychiatry in particular.