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Mental health in Colombia

Part of: BJPsych International Country Profiles Collection

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Roberto Chaskel ,
Silvia L. Gaviria ,
Zelde Espinel ,
Eliana Taborda ,
Roland Vanegas  and
James M. Shultz
Roberto Chaskel
Affiliation:
Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Hospital Militar Central, Universidad El Bosque, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia, email rchaskel@gmail.com
Silvia L. Gaviria
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry. Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia
Zelde Espinel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
Eliana Taborda
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Universidad CES, Medellín, Colombia
Roland Vanegas
Affiliation:
Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Medellín, Colombia
James M. Shultz
Affiliation:
Center for Disaster and Extreme Event Preparedness (DEEP Center), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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Abstract

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A hallmark of Colombia is population-wide exposure to violence. To understand the realities of mental health in Colombia requires attention to the historical context of 60 years of unrelenting armed conflict overlaid upon high rates of homicide, gang activity and prevalent gender-based and intra-familial violence. The number of patients affected by trauma is extremely large, and the population burden of alcohol misuse and illicit drug use is significant. These patterns have brought the subspecialties of trauma and addiction psychiatry to the forefront, and highlight the need for novel treatments that integrate psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological modalities.

Type
Country Profile
Information
BJPsych International , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , November 2015 , pp. 95 - 97
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015

References

Bell, V., Mendez, F., Martinez, C., et al (2012) Characteristics of the Colombian armed conflict and the mental health of civilians living in active conflict zones. Conflict and Health, 6, 10. Available at http://www.conflictandhealth.com/content/6/1/10 (accessed 11 March 2012).Google Scholar
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Shultz, J. M., Gomez Ceballos, A. M., Espinel, Z., et al (2014a) Internal displacement in Colombia: fifteen distinguishing features. Disaster Health, 2, 13–24. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4161/dish.27885.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shultz, J. M., Garfin, D. R., Espinel, Z., et al (2014b) Internally displaced ‘victims of armed conflict’ in Colombia: the trajectory and trauma signature of forced migration. Current Psychiatry Reports, 16, 475. doi: 10.1007/s11920-014-0475-7.Google Scholar
Yepes Lujan, F. J. (2012) Colombia: A Healthcare System in Crisis. (Essay Series: Healthcare Systems). Medical Solutions.Google Scholar
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