Los aspectos sociologicos de la psiquiatria en Colombia constituyen un escenario que necesita ser comprendido y abordado, reconociendo los determinantes sociales como factores de riesgo en salud mental. Son barreras actuales: politicas insuficientes en salud mental, estigmas y baja calidad en la atencion primaria. Frente a ellas es necesario realizar tamizaje de los trastornos mentales presentes en la comunidad, validar instrumentos para reconocerlos y visionar niveles de formacion permanentes para fortalecer la educacion integral. La psiquiatria como disciplina social debe estimar los retos en salud promoviendo desarrollo cultural, social y humanistico, ademas de los conocimientos y las habilidades disciplinarias. Rev.cienc.biomed.2013;4(2):373-376 PALABRAS CLAVE Psiquiatria; Salud mental; Educacion medica. SUMMARY The sociological aspects of the psychiatry in Colombia constitute a scenario that needs to be understood and approached, recognizing the social determinants as risk factors in mental health. The insufficient policies in mental health and the stigmas and poor quality in primary attention are the current barriers. In front of them it is necessary, by means of the research, to link proposals that include the screening of the mental disorders of the community, to validate the instruments to recognize these disorders and to view levels of permanent training to reinforce the integral education. Psychiatry as social discipline must estimate the challenges in health promoting cultural, social and humanistic development, the knowledge and the disciplinary abilities. Rev.cienc.biomed. 2013;4(2):373-376 KEYWORDS Psychiatry; Mental health, Medical education..