Barriers to access and unmet needs in mental health care for Venezuelan migrants in a southern border region of Colombia: The experiences of community workers

John Fitton, Julie Benavides-Melo and Christine Greenhalgh

PLOS Mental Health, 2026, vol. 3, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: This study investigates the experiences of community workers who support Venezuelan migrants to access mental health care in Nariño, Colombia, an important migratory site on the southern border with Ecuador. The Colombian state has done much to enable healthcare access for the 2.86 million Venezuelan migrants in the country, but major barriers to services remain. This qualitative study explores access to services and unmet needs in mental health for migrants in this region. A phenomenological approach was adopted. Participants were selected from a range of frontline community organisations. Semi-structured interviews were completed remotely and reflexive thematic analysis of the data was performed. The timing of this study - during a period of reduction of funding for humanitarian projects in the region – permits insights into the concerns of community workers facing a critical gap in mental health care for migrants with irregular status, particularly a striking lack of services for unaccompanied men in transit. This study identifies concerns about the pervasive nature of psychoactive substance use in unaccompanied men in transit, raising an urgent need for further research. We found that competing socioeconomic priorities prevent migrants from attending to their mental health and additionally reflect on specific challenges associated with the condition of transit in this border region. This study supports previous research, which has noted lack of knowledge by health providers of the legal rights of migrants to healthcare, and adds complexity by exploring conflicting viewpoints on allegations of institutional discrimination.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pmen00:0000597

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000597

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