Freedoms, Rights, Institutions (FRI): A Tool for Human Rights in Mental Health

Purpose This community-based, population-level study aimed to validate an instrument for assessing knowledge of human rights and mechanisms for exercising them, and to explore its relationship with subjective well-being and depressive symptoms in Colombia. Methods A total of 622 adults participated in an analytical cross-sectional and population study. Participants completed the Freedoms, Rights, Institutions (FRI): A Tool for Human Rights in Mental Health, alongside validated scales for subjective well-being, resilience, depressive symptoms, loneliness, psychosocial disability, and continuity of care. Results The FRI instrument demonstrated excellent content validity (IVC = 1), high internal consistency (α = 0.987; ω = 0.922), and a robust factorial structure (KMO = 0.968; Bartlett p < .001), revealing two components: recognition of personal rights and freedoms, and institutional participation. Significant correlations were found between human rights knowledge and lower depressive symptoms (ρ = − 0.167; OR = 0.82; p = .030), as well as higher subjective well-being (ρ = 0.088; p < .05). A linear regression model explained 49.4% of the variance in depression, underscoring the protective role of institutional participation. Conclusion These findings support the validity of the FRI instrument and its relevance for designing rights-based mental health interventions. By strengthening individual agency and promoting dignified, participatory environments, this tool offers a pathway for advancing psychosocial recovery and equity in mental health at the population level.