Ley 1616 de 2013: Análisis desde el Fenómeno del Suicidio de Menores entre 2019-2022

Abstract

This article presents a reflection on Law 1616 of 2013 in Colombia, from the impact it had on the mental health of children and adolescents, the pre- and post-pandemic period with events that deepened countless pathologies and cases of suicide. revealing, in turn, the debt of the government and authorities with this area of health. The central objective is the analysis of this norm from the point of view of child and adolescent suicide, as a public health problem that requires special attention, based on the review of the increase rates of this event in the last four years; the mental health needs generated by the quarantine and the limitations that may exist in the Colombian regulations contained in the Law, in order to propose alternatives that put the issue on the legislative agenda, at a time, where its reformulation is proposed. For this research process, a qualitative methodology was used in which a review of the standard and bibliographic material was carried out, in an exercise that involved the consolidation of the official national figures of the four-year period on the occurrence of suicides in this stage of life and interviews with different actors in the health sector to evaluate the impact of the problem and discover what exists with what is proposed, from different positions. As a result, it is possible to conclude that, within the framework of the update of Law 1616 that is being processed in the Congress of the Republic, reevaluation is required to achieve effective comprehensive and integrated care for the mental health of the youngest Colombians, in a proposal that involves citizens, those responsible for making decisions and prioritizing tangible and accessible actions for the minor population.