[Mental health and public health: an essential bond].

The Mental Health domain is larger than psychiatry because it implies the establishment of strategies aiming at the promotion of the well-being of the population, the prevention of mental disorders and their treatment and care. Politicians, planners, users and families and society at large have a great expectations and this require health professionals to be able to provide public mental health knowledge. It is necessary to identify those specific public mental health actions to which general practitioners and specialist could contribute. To do so more knowledge in public mental health is needed and more training is necessary.