Psychosocial diagnosis of a post-conflict territory: the case of Apartadó, Antioquia

Abstract

Background: The article presents a part of the results of the research project: Therapeutic Mediation of the Social Network in a Post-Conflict Context, which developed a collaborative work between University, State, and society on the actions prioritized by the post-conflict ministry in its peace-building axis, in order to guide the meaning of public policies and the relevance of programs and projects of Social Welfare. Objective: To recognize the psychosocial problems present in the territory of Apartadó through a social diagnosis. Methodology: The type of research was community participatory, which seeks to empower and put people into action as actors and supervisors of their own process, being the first unit of observation on the social perception of the problem: magnitude, perceived degree of affectation, needs for future intervention, and affected population groups. The research was carried out with mixed methods of data collection: surveys, interviews, and social mapping. The social actors were 149 people who voluntarily participated in the project through an open call to families, social leaders, community, public, and private institutions. Results and conclusions: The social impact is translated into collective and individual exercises of analysis of social problems, allowing the formulation and prioritization of basic psychosocial care needs from the multidimensional viewpoint of the professionals who lead social development projects.