Mental Health in Colombia

Since the pandemic, the mental health of Colombian youth has deteriorated drastically. Also in the Horyzon project Paza la Paz, an increase in depression, suicide attempts, panic attacks and anxiety was observed among the youth.

Under the slogan "Talking about it heals" (Spanish: Hablar lo cura), the project has therefore launched a campaign in cooperation with the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare to improve the mental health of young people. Through the campaign, young people learn to recognise signs of mental health problems and acquire self-care techniques. In addition, offers from psychological services, hotlines and information centres are disseminated.

Santiago from Las Colinas took part in various activities of the #HablarLoCura campaign. Looking back, he says:

"I often felt sad, depressed and could not reveal my feelings to anyone. Through the Paza la Paz project, I found new friends with whom I can talk about my emotions. In addition, we also learned different methods to deal with stress and negative feelings, to take care of ourselves and our mental health."