Poetry in youth mutual aid groups for recovery in rural and semi-urban environments

Background: For mental disorders Mutual Aid Groups (MAG) have been proposed, however, these have lack of methodologies that approach the needs of young people. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of MAG in rural and semi-urban environments, developed through poetry, on the improvement of mental health.Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in Caldas, Colombia. 171 adolescents participated, divided into 10 MAG. Child Behavior Checklist 4-18 (CBCL/4-18) was used and the nuclear components of the MAG were applied, adding elements of introduction to poetry, creation and group rituals.Results: Statistically significant associations (P < .001) were found between the number of sessions and the reduction of symptoms, as well as a decrease in Internalizing Problems and Social problems, after participating in the groups.Conclusion: Poetry applied to the core components of the MAG can improve psychiatric symptoms in adolescents.