Introduction:

The Bojayá Massacre is one of the most visible events of the armed conflict in Colombia. The death of approximately 119 people and the effects on survivors remain as important subjects of analysis and study.

Objective:

To characterize the mental and psychosocial health of the victims of the Bojayá massacre based on the narratives provided by the survivors.

Methodology:

Qualitative narrative study of topics. Records of 66 survivors located in the municipality of Bojayá and the city of Quibdó were analyzed.

Results:

The mental health of the massacre's survivors continues to be mainly affected by persistent symptoms of sadness, fear and hopelessness. Regarding to psychosocial health, family is considered the main support network and a fundamental resource for well-being, alongside other community networks. Family and community networks were modified, associating family fragmentation with migration and forced displacement.

Discussion:

The profile of signs and symptoms and the coping strategies and forms of resilience used by the survivors coincide with findings of other studies involving survivors of massacres. However, in a framework of continuous exposure to non-normative life events, the effects on mental and psychosocial health persist over time.

Conclusions:

The narratives of the survivors about mental health show unresolved symptoms that warrant further studies. Mood disorders predominated, and multiple individual and collective adaptive strategies were also exhibited, especially based on primary support networks.