Implementing a Resilience and Compassion Program: Students’ Perceptions in Rural Colombia

In low- and middle-income countries such as Colombia, school-based mental health interventions that promote resilience and compassion have been consolidated as effective strategies to promote emotional well-being in adolescents, especially in contexts affected by the armed conflict. “Conmigo, Contigo y Con Todo” (3C) is a psychoeducational model designed to strengthen resilience, compassion and inclusion in school settings, through strategies based on cognitive-behavioral and third-generation approaches. This qualitative study aimed to explore children and adolescents’ perceptions of resilience, compassion and inclusion, and to understand how these were transformed after their participation in the 3C model and three months later, compared to their initial perceptions. A total of 335 focus groups were conducted with students aged 6 to 18 years before, during and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using a six-phase thematic analysis with inductive coding. Findings evidenced a dynamic process in which participants re-signified resilience as a proactive ability to cope with adversity, while compassion and empathy evolved into concrete actions of mutual support and care. This process reflected the practical integration of the model in their school and personal contexts. The results underscore the potential of culturally sensitive school-based interventions to promote psychosocial well-being, highlighting the importance of strategies that empower students as active agents in their emotional and social development.