Resignifica�on of memory in the past, present, and future: public health, mental health, and death

Abstract

In 2022, the Health Services Center of Sena Regional Antioquia in coordination with the Government of Antioquia, within the framework of the 'Health for the Soul' program, carried out a field intervention. This intervention was supported by the training programs in public health and nursing from the municipalities of Andes, Ciudad Bolívar, and Hispania. During this process, various topics were addressed, including the resignification of memory: past, present, and future, as an approach to understanding the experience of death in the region through loss, mourning, symbolism, and its relationship with public health and mental health. This intervention took place in the municipality of Ciudad Bolívar, Antioquia, specifically in the San Gregorio district.

This article presents the findings of this experience, along with the theoretical, conceptual, and reflective elements explored. These are developed in four phases: the first involves a conceptual review of public health, mental health, and their relationship with the concept of death. The second phase approaches grief and the individual and collective expressions associated with death in the context of public health. The third phase addresses the assessment of life and death, symbols, and representations in the region. Lastly, the fourth phase delves into the concept of resilience as a tool for facing the past, present, and future.