Carlos Gómez Restrepo

• MD, MSc PhD , Psychiatrist , Psychoanalyst, Liaison Psychiatrist, MSc Clinical Epidemiology PhD Public Health
• Managing Director at Pontifical Xavierian University

Background Involving people with lived experience in research has been increasingly recognised as a priority. This article details the development and implementation of three Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAP) and reports their evaluation of the experience. The LEAPs involved young people from Latin America with experiences of emotional distre...

Objective Colombia's mental health system is plagued by significant shortages in services and health professionals. Digital health technologies enable access to information and care, overcoming barriers related to systemic limitations, geographic location, cost and stigma. This paper aims to characterise the sample of Colombians who sought telecoun...

Importance Improving mental health of young people is a major societal challenge, particularly among the high numbers of young people living in deprived urban areas. Objective To identify factors associated with depression and anxiety among young people in deprived urban areas in South America. Design, Setting, and Participants This case-control...

Background Many young people achieve recovery from mental health problems by using strategies to manage emotional distress and enhance well-being. Given that little is known about the functions of these strategies, especially in Latin American countries, this study aims to describe the usefulness of the resources used by youth from deprived urban n...

Background Depression and anxiety are the most common mental disorders in the world. Screening tools allow early diagnosis and intervention, preventing disease progression and reducing years lost to disability. Internationally, the most widely used screening instruments for depression and anxiety symptoms are the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8...

Background Stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with increased risk of depression or anxiety. Coping mechanisms may moderate this relationship but little is known on this topic in young people or in Latin America. Aim To investigate whether coping strategies predict odds of depression and/or anxiety and moderate the relationship between SLE...

BACKGROUND The growing prevalence of mental health disorders among young people is a pressing global concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to mental health care is limited. Digital tools, leveraging Information and Communication Technologies, hold promise for bridging these gaps by providing accessible, user-friendl...

Objective Adolescents frequently experience mental distress. However, there is little research on community activities that help adolescents recover from depression and anxiety. This study investigated the outcomes and experiences of music workshops for helping adolescents overcome anxiety and/or depression. Results Thirty-four participants aged 1...

Background Adolescence and young adulthood are critical stages for developing mental health problems. However, the ability to cope with adversity can help them manage emotional distress and overcome mental health conditions. This qualitative study aims to describe the resources reported by urban Latin-American young people as useful to overcome men...

Background: Reducing anxiety and depression of adolescents is a global health priority. Personal and social resources (e.g., hobbies, socializing) may reduce distress. Yet, there is insufficient understanding of how adolescents use such resources to reduce distress. Objective: To identify resources that reduced distress in the everyday lives of ad...

Background Latin American youth have a high prevalence of mental health disorders and face major socioeconomic and public safety problems. This study assesses the association between stressful life events (SLEs) and depression, anxiety, and quality of life among adolescents and young adults from deprived neighbourhoods of Latin America. Methods Th...

Background Despite suicide’s public health significance and global mental health awareness, current suicide prevention efforts show limited impact, posing a challenge for low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to develop a dynamic simulation model that could be used to examine the potential effectiveness of alternative interventions for...

BACKGROUND Globally, mental health problems increasingly affect young people, contributing significantly to disability and disease. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Colombia, barriers to accessing care exacerbate the treatment gap. Additionally, the lack of widespread digital interventions further deepens the digital health divide b...

Background Globally, mental health (MH) problems increasingly affect young people, contributing significantly to disability and disease. In low- and middle-income countries, such as Colombia, barriers to accessing care exacerbate the treatment gap. In addition, the lack of widespread digital interventions further deepens the digital health divide b...

BACKGROUND Experience Sampling Methods (ESM) have been used in clinical research to collect data on emotional and behavioural states in real life contexts among different populations. Although the use of ESM in mental health has increased, it has not been applied to larger samples of young people in disadvantaged urban settings. OBJECTIVE This stu...

Background Studies have shown that adolescents and young adults are less likely to seek mental health (MH) services. This research aims to identify the factors associated with using specialized MH services among young people in deprived urban Latin American areas. Methods The study included 1345 adolescents (15–16 years) and young adults (20–24 ye...

Background Despite suicide's public health significance and global mental health awareness, current suicide prevention efforts show limited impact, posing a challenge for low and middle Income countries (LMICS). This study aimed to develop a dynamic simulation model that could be used to examine the potential effectiveness of alternative interventi...

El espejo de la pandemia ha permitido rescatar diferentes formas de análisis de la realidad social en salud, de manera que, para el caso de esta obra, se conjugue el juicioso análisis epidemiológico de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud Mental de 2 015 con la aproximación desde las ciencias sociales, la lectura de determinantes contextuales y, en partic...

Background: The aim of this study is to present the design of a proposal for the implementation of the Comprehensive Health Care Routes (RIAS, by its Spanish acronym) in the municipality of Vista Hermosa (Meta, Colombia). We are trying to get a real and broad view of the health context in the municipality; identify the health assets, problems, and...

Introduction The management of long-term physical conditions is a challenge worldwide, absorbing a majority resources despite the importance of acute care. The management of these conditions is done largely in primary care and so interventions to improve primary care could have an enormous impact. However, very little data exist on how to do this....

Objective Because the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic fostered an environment marked by limitations for social encounters and emotional fluctuations, it is essential to determine the variations in the consumption of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Electronic Non-nicotine Delivery Systems (ENNDS) during this period in young Colombians between 18...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1241038.].

The SARS CoV-2 antibody and CD4⁺ T cell responses induced by natural infection and/or vaccination decline over time and cross-recognize other viral variants at different levels. However, there are few studies evaluating the levels and durability of the SARS CoV-2-specific antibody and CD4⁺ T cell response against the Mu, Gamma, and Delta variants....

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of adolescents are emerging and require particular attention in settings where challenges like armed conflict, poverty and internal displacement have previously affected their mental wellbeing. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety symptoms, depressive symptomatology, probable post-...

Objectives: To Characterize the population of Bogotá (Colombia), in terms of mental health, based on data from the 2015-National Mental Health Survey. Metodology: A quantitative analysis was employed. Data for population living in Bogotá and collected in the 2015-National Mental Health Survey was employed to calculate the prevalence of mental heal...

Background: This study aims to present the design of a proposal for implementing the Comprehensive Health Care Routes in the municipality of Vista Hermosa (Meta, Colombia). We are trying to obtain an accurate and broad view of the health context in the municipality; identify the health assets, problems, and needs, as well as the enablers and barrie...

Objective: Evaluation of the effectiveness of integration of depression and alcohol use disorder care into primary health care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. The authors aimed to quantify the effectiveness of integrating mental health care into primary care by examining depression and alcohol use disorder outcomes. The stu...

Background Educational settings are ideal for promoting mental well-being and resilience in children. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic made evident the important role that teachers and school counselors play in the mental health of their students. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and implement cost-effective interventions that allow th...

BACKGROUND Educational settings are ideal for promoting mental well-being and resilience in children. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic made evident the important role that teachers and school counselors play in the mental health of their students. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and implement cost-effective interventions that allow th...

Background: The aim of this study is to present the design of a proposal for the implementation of the Comprehensive Health Care Routes (RIAS, by its Spanish acronym) in the municipality of Vista Hermosa (Meta, Colombia). We are trying to get a real and broad view of the health context in the municipality; identify the health assets, problems, and...

Introduction: The management of long-term physical conditions is a challenge worldwide, absorbing a majority resources despite the importance of acute care. The management of these conditions is done largely in primary care and so interventions to improve primary care could have an enormous impact. However, very little data exist on how to do this....

Background Adolescents and young adults are vulnerable to developing mental distress. However, evidence suggests that more than half of the young people with symptoms of depression and anxiety overcome their distress within a year. However, there is little research on the exact resources that young people use and help them to recover. The aim of th...

Background: Colombia is a middle-income country in South America, which has historically had high rates of mental health problems, coupled with a scarcity of mental health care. There is growing concern for the mental health of the adolescent population within this region. There is a significant treatment gap for young people, especially those liv...

The consequences that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the mental health of adolescents are emerging and require particular attention in settings where challenges like armed conflict, poverty and internal displacement have previously burdened their mental wellbeing. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 657 school attending adolescents in a post-ar...

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of adolescents are emerging and require particular attention in settings where challenges like armed conflict, poverty and internal displacement have previously affected their mental wellbeing. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of mental health problems and symptoms of anxiety and depressi...

This study aimed to determine the cumulative incidence, prevalence, and seroconversion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its associated factors among healthcare workers (HCWs) of a University Hospital in Bogotá, Colombia. An ambispective cohort was established from March 2020 to February 2021. From November 2020 to...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact both in general and mental healthcare, challenged the health systems worldwide, and affected their capacity to deliver essential health services. We aimed to describe perceived changes in ease of access to general and mental healthcare among patients with a diagnosis of depression and/or unhealth...

We sought to explore mental health and psychosocial impact among young people (18 to 24 years old) in Bogotá during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We carried a cross sectional study using a web-based survey to assess mental health and personal impact among 18 to 24 years old living in Bogotá during the first 4 months of the 202...

Background Patient and stakeholders’ involvement in the development of mental health interventions is a central part of the research process as end-user’s input can improve the design of patient-centered interventions. This is particularly important when developing interventions directed towards improving the mental health of children and adolescen...

Objective To explore which resources and activities help young people living in deprived urban environments in Latin America to recover from depression and/or anxiety. Design A multimethod, qualitative study with 18 online focus groups and 12 online structured group conversations embedded into arts workshops. Setting This study was conducted in B...

BACKGROUND Colombia has a long history of an armed conflict that has severely affected communities with forced internal displacement and violence. Victims of violence and armed conflicts have higher rates of mental health disorders, and children and adolescents are particularly affected. However, the mental health needs of this population are often...

Background Colombia has a long history of an armed conflict that has severely affected communities with forced internal displacement and violence. Victims of violence and armed conflicts have higher rates of mental health disorders, and children and adolescents are particularly affected. However, the mental health needs of this population are often...

Resumen Introducción Poco se conoce acerca de la incidencia del delirio en pacientes hospitalizados en diferentes servicios de hospitales universitarios en Latinoamérica y de los subtipos que se presentan. Objetivo Determinar la incidencia del delirio, la frecuencia de los subtipos motores y los factores asociados en pacientes hospitalizados en d...

Background The use of rosuvastatin plus colchicine and emtricitabine/tenofovir in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) has not been assessed. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of rosuvastatin plus colchicine, emtricitabine/tenofovir, and their combined use in these patients. Methods This was...

Background: Young adults and adolescents are in stage where their mental health is more vulnerable. In Latin América, there are factors that predispose young people towards an increased risk of suffering from mental illness. However more than half of the young people who manifest symptoms of depression and anxiety are able to overcome these episode...

Resumen Introducción y objetivos Las enfermedades mentales pueden afectar a la capacidad de decisión del individuo, lo cual obliga a los familiares a tomar decisiones sobre el tratamiento. Se han descrito variaciones culturales en las preferencias y el grado de participación en el cuidado. El objetivo es identificar y caracterizar las opiniones, l...

Resumen Introducción Los sistemas de salud no han logrado dar una respuesta adecuada a los trastornos mentales debido a sus crecientes prevalencia y carga de enfermedad. Se ha propuesto acortar esta brecha fortaleciendo y utilizando los recursos propios de la comunidad. Este estudio evalúa la factibilidad y los desenlaces a 1 año de un programa no...

Background DIALOG+ is a resource-oriented and evidence-based intervention to improve quality of life and reduce mental distress. While it has been extensively studied in mental health care, there is little evidence for how to use it in primary care settings for patients with chronic physical conditions. Considering that DIALOG+ is used in existing...

Introduction Improving the mental health of young people is a global public health priority. In Latin America, young people living in deprived urban areas face various risk factors for mental distress. However, most either do not develop mental distress in the form of depression and anxiety, or recover within a year without treatment from mental he...

El Instituto de Evaluación Tecnológica en Salud (IETS) y la Empresa Nacional Promotora del Desarrollo Territorial (ENTERRITORIO), en el marco del acuerdo de subvención N°. COL-H- Enterritorio 1840 (convenio N°. 219139) suscrito con el Fondo Mundial y bajo el liderazgo del Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social (MSPS) iniciaron el proceso de actual...

Introduction: Access to healthcare services involves a complex dynamic, where mental health conditions are especially disadvantaged, due to multiple factors related to the context and the involved stakeholders. However, a characterisation of this phenomenon has not been carried out in Colombia, and this motivates the present study. Objectives: T...

Background: Mental disorders are a major cause of the global burden of disease and significantly contribute to disability and death. This challenge is particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where >85% of the world's population live. Latin America is one region comprising LMICs where the burden of mental disorders is high...

Introduction: This systematic review summarises the existing evidence on the implementation of technology-based mental healthcare models in the primary care setting. Methods: A systematic search was conducted (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL) in August 2019 and studies were selected according to predefined eligibility criteria. The main outcomes were c...

Introduction: Depression represents a major disease burden in Colombia. To better understand opportunities to improve access to mental healthcare in Colombia, a research team at Javeriana University conducted formative qualitative research to explore stakeholders' experiences with the integration of mental healthcare into the primary care system....

This article explores the structure of the network of actors involved in the care of individuals with unhealthy alcohol use (UAU) at the primary care level in five primary care centers in Colombia between 2017 and 2018. We use the Actor-Network Theory Framework (ANT) which posits that health outcomes are a product of a multitude of relationships be...

We greatly appreciate the comments made by Rojas-Botero et al.1 on our paper entitled “Critical reflections on the Municipal Epidemiological Resilience Index used for public policy decision-making regarding the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia”.2 We acknowledge that public health, understood as the well-being of the community, should b...

BACKGROUND The effectiveness of rosuvastatin plus colchicine, emtricitabine/tenofovir, and of their combined use in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pneumonia is unclear. METHODS In each hospital, hospitalized adults with Covid-19 pneumonia, were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive: a) standard of care; or b)...

Introduction People with mental health conditions frequently attend primary care centers, but these conditions are underdiagnosed and undertreated. The objective of this paper is to describe the model and the findings of the implementation of a technology-based model of care for depression and unhealthy alcohol use in primary care centers in Colomb...

Introduction Social media use is growing in Latin America and is increasingly being used in innovative ways. This study sought to characterise the profile of social media users, among primary care patients in Colombia, and to assess predictors of their use of social media to search for health and mental health information (searching behaviour). Me...

Background Stigma is a sociocultural barrier to accessing mental health services and prevents individuals with mental health disorders from receiving mental health care. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia acknowledges that a great number of people with mental disorders do not seek medical aid due to stigma. Objectives Charact...

Background The implementation of new technologies in medical research, such as novel big storage systems, has recently gained importance. Electronic data capture is a perfect example as it powerfully facilitates medical research. However, its implementation in resource-limited settings, where basic clinical resources, internet access, and human res...

Context Colombia passed Law 100 in 1993 with the goal of providing universal health care coverage, and by 2013, over 96% of the Colombian population had health insurance coverage. However, little is known about how health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and health literacy are related among those with the two most common types of health insurance c...

Objective Assess the prevalence and types of digital technology use, as well as the extent to which patients use the internet and mobile devises. Evaluate the socioeconomic characteristics of patients and the possible relation to patterns of technology use in Colombia. Understand the nature of patient technology use in primary care for finding medi...

Harmful alcohol use is a public health problem worldwide, contributing to an estimated 5.1% of the global burden of illness. Screening and addressing at-risk drinking in primary care settings is an empirically supported health care intervention strategy to help reduce the burden of alcohol-use problems. In preparation for introducing screening and...

The DIADA project, understood as a mental healthcare implementation experience in the context of a middle-income country like Colombia, promotes a necessary discussion about its role in the global mental health framework. The following article outlines the main points by which this relationship occurs, understanding how the project contributes to g...

Objective Analyse the relationship between the sociodemographic profile of the DIADA study participants and the rate of compliance with the follow-up assessments in the early stage of this project’s intervention for depression and unhealthy alcohol use offered within primary care. Methods A non-experimental quantitative analysis was conducted. The...

El 2 de junio de 2021, el Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia expidió la Resolución 777, mediante la cual se determinan las condiciones para el reinicio de todas las actividades económicas y sociales restringidas y se define el Índice de resiliencia epidemiológica municipal (IREM) como la herramienta para apoyar las decisiones relac...

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health. Up to a quarter of the population has reported mental health disorders. This has been studied mainly from a nosological perspective, according to diagnostic criteria. Nevertheless, we did not find studies that have explored the daily expressions of the population. Our objec...

BACKGROUND Although focus groups are a valuable qualitative research tool, face-to-face meetings may be difficult to arrange and time consuming. This has been further compounded by the COVID-19 global pandemic, where the subsequent lockdown and physical distancing measures implemented, caused exceptional challenges to all human activity. Online Foc...

Background: Although focus groups are a valuable qualitative research tool, face-to-face meetings may be difficult to arrange and time consuming. This has been further compounded by the COVID-19 global pandemic, where the subsequent lockdown and physical distancing measures implemented, caused exceptional challenges to all human activity. Online F...

Background Improving care for patients with severe mental illness in Latin America requires effective strategies that are low-cost. One such strategy is a volunteering scheme, referred to as befriending, which seeks to support the social integration of patients. Despite positive reports in other world regions, this intervention has not been studied...

Resumen Introducción El acceso a servicios de salud implica una dinámica compleja, donde las condiciones de salud mental se ven especialmente desfavorecidas, debido a múltiples factores relacionados con el contexto y los actores involucrados. Sin embargo, en Colombia no se ha caracterizado este fenómeno, lo cual motiva el presente estudio. Objeti...

Resumen Introducción Las personas con enfermedades mentales son frecuentes en atención primaria, pero son subdiagnosticadas y poco tratadas. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir un modelo para depresión y uso riesgoso de alcohol y los resultados de su implementación en centros de atención primaria en Colombia. Métodos Entre febrero de 2018 y...

Introduction and objectives Mental disorders are very prevalent in the general population. Despite this, it is estimated that only about a third of the people affected is able to recognise problems on their own and to access health services. The aim was to determine the factors associated with the lack of self-recognition of mental problems and dis...

Background: DIALOG+ is a resource-oriented and evidence-based intervention to improve quality of life and reduce mental distress. While it has been extensively studied in mental health care, there is little evidence for how to use it in primary care settings for patients with chronic physical conditions. Considering that DIALOG+ is used in existing...

Resumen: Para lograr una adecuada comprensión de los resultados de un estudio de investigación en salud es importante tener claros ciertos conceptos epidemiológicos y estadísticos. El objetivo de este artículo es abordar, de manera sencilla y clara, los conceptos de número necesario a tratar (NNT) y número necesario para producir daño (NNH), explic...

Introducción: La neuropatía diabética es una complicación microvascular de la diabetes mellitus. Se caracteriza por una afectación en los nervios que produce un dolor tipo corrientazo, quemadura o punzada. Este dolor neuropático se ha asociado con alto riesgo de síntomas ansiosos en los pacientes que la padecen, lo que genera así una carga económic...

Resumen Introducción Esta revisión sistemática resume la evidencia existente sobre los modelos de implementación basados en tecnologías para el abordaje de la salud mental en el contexto de la atención primaria. Métodos Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática en las principales bases de datos electrónicas (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL) en agosto del 2019...

Resumen Este artículo explora la estructura de una red de actores involucrados en el cuidado de individuos con consumo no saludable de alcohol (CNA) en cinco centros de atención primaria en Colombia entre los años 2017 y 2018. Se utilizó el Actor-Network Theory Framework (ANT), marco teórico que propone que los resultados en salud son producto de u...

Resumen Objetivo Evaluar la relación entre las características sociodemográficas de los participantes del proyecto DIADA y su tasa de cumplimiento al seguimiento en la fase inicial de la intervención en atención primaria para depresión y consumo riesgoso del alcohol. Métodos Se llevó a cabo un análisis cuantitativo no experimental. Se utilizaron...

Resumen El proyecto DIADA, entendido como una experiencia de implementación de un modelo de atención en salud mental, en el contexto de un país de medianos ingresos como Colombia, incentiva la necesaria discusión acerca de su papel en el marco de la salud mental global. El siguiente artículo expone los puntos principales en los que ocurre esta rela...

Resumen Introducción El uso de las redes sociales está creciendo en América Latina y de manera cada vez más innovadora. Este estudio busca caracterizar el perfil de los usuarios de las redes sociales entre los pacientes de atención primaria en Colombia y evaluar los predictores de utilización de las redes sociales para buscar información de salud...

Resumen Introducción La depresión representa una importante carga de enfermedad en Colombia. Para comprender mejor las oportunidades para mejorar el acceso a la atención de la salud mental en Colombia, un equipo de investigación de la Universidad Javeriana realizó una investigación cualitativa formativa para explorar las experiencias de las partes...

Introduction Mental problems and disorders are prevalent in the adolescent population. It is estimated that around 10% of adolescents have mental disorders that require attention and are generally not recognised as such. The aim was to determine potential factors associated with whether or not mental disorders and problems are recognised in the Col...

Resumen Contexto Colombia emitió la Ley 100 en 1993, con el objetivo de proveer un cubrimiento de salud para toda la población, y para el año 2013, más del 96% de la población colombiana tenía cubrimiento en salud. No obstante, es poca la evidencia sobre cómo la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) y la alfabetización en salud se relaci...