‘We feel better here now’: traditional practices, sanitation, and dialog with the biomedical system to restore spiritual harmony in an Indigenous community in Colombia

Early Abstract:

Introduction: Suicidal behavior has increased in the last decade, particularly among Indigenous children and adolescents. This study explores variables associated with spiritual harmony—understood by Indigenous Peoples of Colombia as holistic mental health—among displaced Embera Dobidá youth, focusing on food security, general health, and connection to the land. It also evaluates outcomes of community-led and interculturally coordinated strategies implemented between 2023 and 2025.
Methods: A descriptive longitudinal study was conducted with all children aged 6 to 17 (M=14.97 years) from an Embera Dobidá community displaced by armed conflict. Data were collected at two time points using culturally validated instruments (PACES, BSS, food security scale) and pediatric assessments. Interventions included traditional ceremonies, sanitation improvements, intercultural mental health support, and psychological first aid adapted to local cosmovision. Bivariate analyses were performed.
Results: In 2023, 57.4% of participants had nutritional problems and 30% were at suicide risk. Strong associations (p<0.001) were found between suicide risk and variables such as access to clean water, food, environmental distress, and physical health. By 2025, significant improvements were observed in mental health (r=0.86), food security (r=0.84), environmental distress (r=0.61), and family dynamics (attachment r=0.58).
Discussion: Suicidal behavior is closely linked to ecological, cultural, and nutritional factors rather than only psychiatric disorders. Forced displacement, disconnection from ancestral territory, and spiritual disharmony are central elements.
Conclusion: Restoring mental health in Indigenous communities requires culturally grounded interventions that integrate nutrition, land-based practices, and intercultural collaboration. These strategies demonstrate potential for addressing pediatric suicide risk through culturally grounded, collective healing.
Keywords: Food Security; Indigenous Peoples; Intercultural Health; Pediatric Mental Health; Spiritual Harmony; Suicide.