The book Complete works I. Bioethics, neurosciences and mental health, was written by Octavio Márquez Mendoza, a medical surgeon specialized in psychiatry and psychoanalysis, with several postgraduate degrees and complementary studies in bioethics. It points out the intricate and important evolution in terms of health care and protection, given the shift from a disease-centered approach, to one focused on people or patients who are afflicted by pathologies. It was published in June 2017.

This work explains how, over time, terms such as mind and brain, memory, consciousness, the unconscious and the structure of the human psyche proposed by Sigmund Freud and Kendell have been, not only developed in depth, but also related to elements such as socialization, genetics, learning, experiences and intrinsic values with which the human being and society in general function, with behavior as a tangible consequence of such expressions. All this underlies the understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of various mental disorders, whose evaluation is interrelated with imaging techniques, underlining the importance of inter and transdiscipline for the understanding of a complex phenomenon such as the human mind.

One of the topics developed in depth in this text is the progress made by neuroscience and neuro bioethics in the study of human behavior. Indeed, it is mentioned that all the scientific and technological development to understand the psyche of an individual and the repercussion it has on society is not necessarily thought from the point of view of ethical control. It is therefore elementary that research and determinations in this field include this analysis, especially when their studies involve the participation of human beings. Moreover, respect for the fundamental ethical principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy and justice plays a fundamental role that encompasses the moral concerns of the most important exponents of anthropology, philosophy and bioethics.

It deals with the role of emotions and the expression of human feelings in morality, an entity understood as an adaptive mechanism. From this point on, the imperative character of the analysis of current phenomena can be seen. A clear example of the above is conscientious objection, a concept embodied in the reform to the General Health Law in its article 10 bis, on May 11, 2018 and that, undoubtedly, has generated (in addition to their respective speculations) great questions, not only on the issue of health care, but also on those underlying them as legal, ethical and bioethical duties of all health personnel.

On the other hand, issues related to psychoanalysis and psychiatry address important theoretical and practical meanings on depressive neurosis, its defense mechanisms, the mourning process and other topics related to regression, expressed as a tool of group psychotherapy used to treat psychic affections. About this process of group therapy, the author takes up important experiences on this technique carried out inside a prison institution and also in private practice, where the importance of the collective sense of psychotherapeutic treatment becomes evident. With this, it is emphasized that proceeding with the necessary professional ethics is fundamental so that the emotional repercussions in each of the members of the group, including the mental health professional(s), are positive and satisfactory.

In the context of the most representative challenges of the 21st century, we reflect on the features of the modern and postmodern era as a consequence of social and collective handicap, generated by the suppression of values such as solidarity, understanding, equality, justice, among others. However, it is assumed the importance of political, economic and social phenomena that highlight the need for reflection on multidisciplinary aspects such as, for example, human rights. The professional ethics of physicians and paramedics is pointed out as a fundamental element of professional practice, which, in a broad sense, is aimed at society. Technological advances, of course, have generated a paradigm shift, not only in the way professions are taught, but also in the way they are practiced, going from a vertical or paternalistic method to a horizontal or deliberative method, where the large amount of information constantly received through mass media and social networks represents a challenge for the exercise of the right to health protection.

In the last chapter, with the purpose of conducting an introspective analysis of mental health from the perspective of bioethics and neuroscience (and also with the firm conviction of creating a bridge of interdisciplinary dialogue between these important elements), three aspects are included:

Finally, the idea of observing the human being as a whole is strengthened, where the biological, psychological, social and spiritual dimensions affect not only his or her own behavior, but also the functioning of the family and the community (both entities are seen as complex systems). The primary objective of this vision is to promote interdisciplinary attention to mental health and that higher education institutions design a diagnosis and treatment program aimed at the student community that is part of the future professionals.