Self-Help Plus Pilot Study, Colombia: Train2Care

Self-Help Plus Pilot Study, Colombia: Training to Care: Global Mental Health With a Territorial Approach

This project will strengthen local capacity for mental health care in high-need settings in Colombia by culturally and linguistically adapting the Self-Help+ intervention and delivering participatory, supervised training. Local community leaders will be trained to implement Self Help+ for their own well-being and to train others in their communities. The project will deliver a structured program with hands-on practice, ongoing technical support, and participatory evaluation of psychosocial outcomes and sustainability.

The main goal of the project is to strengthen the mental health capacity of individuals living in low-income settings and community-based, public, and private organizations in Eastern Antioquia, Colombia, by culturally adapting the Self-Help+ intervention and piloting a participatory training program with key community actors, laying the groundwork for future scale-up and sustainability. The following are the objectives of the study:

• Culturally and linguistically adapt Self-Help+ to the local context of communities in Eastern Antioquia, Colombia
• Co-design a pilot training program on Self-Help+ delivery with key community actors using participatory methods
• Implement the pilot training program on Self-Help+ with the selected community actors using participatory approaches
• Conduct a preliminary mixed-methods evaluation of acceptability, feasibility, and early psychosocial outcome indicators
• Systematize implementation data to support knowledge sharing and ongoing technical monitoring of the strategies in critical contexts.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years old and living in the study area

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current risk of self-harm or suicide that requires a higher level of care
• Significant cognitive impairment that would interfere with the ability to participate in the intervention or provide informed consent
• Severe mental health conditions requiring specialized care (for example, psychosis)
• Severe substance use or substance use disorders that would interfere with participation or require specialized treatment