Introduction:

The World Health Organization declared the importance of mental health and established the need to promote the welfare, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders. Although these guidelines were adopted in Colombia, the health crisis of recent years affected the care of patients with mental illness. This study seeks to investigate historical aspects of mental health in Colombia, the main limitations to the current system and the strategies that could be implemented.

Method:

Search in bibliographic databases of articles focused on the regulation and implementation of public mental health policies in Colombia.

Results:

In Colombia, significant efforts have been made to enact mental health laws and policies that overcome the gaps in diagnosis and treatment and transform the reality of Colombians suffering from mental disorders.

Conclusion:

Despite the attempts, mental health continues to be ashen in public policies. It is evident the lack of coherence between what is proposed and what happens due to the inadequate implementation and interpretation of the norms. Mental health regulations have not met their objectives, which means that mental health care in Colombia is still very poor.

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