Social Agency and Psychosocial Recovery: A Resilient Perspective on the Social Determinants of Mental Health in a Community Affected by the Colombian Armed Conflict

Abstract

Background: Armed conflict in Colombia has severely affectedthe mental health of individuals and communities. Factors such as poverty, inequality and social exclusion have exacerbated consequences such as depression and posttraumaticstress disorder. However, a perspective that transcends the mental deficit paradigm in addressing the social determinants of health in these contexts allows us to recognize how political and social conditions determine people's physical and mental health and the need to strengthen their skills and capacities. The Colectivo Tejiendo Memoria, composed of older adult victims of the conflict, is a remarkable example of the capacity for organization and psychosocial recovery through collective memory and civil resistance in the province of Sonsón, Antioquia. Methods: A qualitative approach based on the action without harm (ASD) methodological framework was used to implement photo elucidation workshops and mediate group interviews to capture the memories and experiences of the participants. The contentanalysis allowed codifying the actions, agents and knowledge generated by the group around psychosocial recovery and community agency. Results: This study reveals that the collective has played a crucial role in the preservation of historical memory, the promotion of emotional well-being and the generation of social agency; its actions have allowed the creation of safe spaces for psychosocial recovery through rituals, commemorations and the visibility of the victims. This promoted their consolidation as political actors who manage and sustain memory and reparation in their community. Conclusions: The experience of the Colectivo Tejiendo Memoria offers an innovative approach to the social determinants of mental health in the context of armed conflict, highlighting the capacity of communities to manage their own recovery through practices of resistance and solidarity.