Declaration of the Town Square: The Urgency of Speaking as One

Abstract

Ethics in biomedical research in mental health plays a central role. Historically the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice have been violated in individuals with mental disorders. This article aims to analyse the perceptions of individuals involved in research ethics advocacy in Aranzazu-Colombia, from the Declaration of the Town Square to current research practices and community empowerment initiatives. For this, a qualitative study was conducted in the municipality of Aranzazu as part of a Community-Based Rehabilitation strategy in Mental Health. Two focus groups were conducted with a total of 30 participants, including community representatives, institutional members, and healthcare personnel. The themes that emerged were ‘The urgency of speaking as one’, ‘Our research questions’ and ‘Human rights for recovery’. The process of adoption of community protection measures that guided the investigative processes with the town of Aranzazu is presented. A discussion is raised around the instrumentalization of people in the investigation and the claim of human rights by communities, as a mechanism to strengthen community recovery actions. It is concluded that mental health research should help to affirm dignity, reduce stigma, improve access to psychosocial recovery and achieve real participation in building the well-being of communities.