Juntanza: Reimagining mental health and resistance through collective practices with trans activists in Colombia

Background Trans activists in Colombia face pervasive violence, systemic discrimination, and limited access to mental health services; conditions compounded by armed conflict and deep structural inequalities. Despite these challenges, they manage to provide essential care and advocacy within their communities. Dominant mental health models rooted in resilience and individualism fail to recognize the sociopolitical causes of distress, often reinforcing isolation and pathologization. Aims This project aimed to foster collective dialogue on mental health, to identify care strategies grounded in trans activists’ lived realities and find ways to strengthen community-based approaches that recognize the sociopolitical dimensions of healing. Methods A participatory approach included an online survey, a national workshop with trans activists from diverse regions, seven follow-up regional workshops, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups. Workshops critically engaged with evidence-based tools while centering existing community practices. Results The process created spaces for co-creation, adaptation, and mutual learning, allowing rigid existing mental health frameworks to be reshaped by participants’ needs. It fostered connections, validated lived experiences, and built a support network among trans activists, countering burnout and isolation. Participants reported deep mistrust of institutional mental health systems and highlighted how violence, economic instability, and NGO-driven competition fracture solidarity and deepens isolation. In response, they have developed creative, culturally grounded strategies of care. A key outcome was the concept of juntanza: a collective, relational practice of healing and organizing that resists the individualization of mental health. Conclusion Sustainable mental health support for trans activists relies on collective care, solidarity, and community wisdom. Future mental health interventions should complement existing strategies, increasing the creativity and flexibility of current tools and approaches.