Understanding Mental Health Conceptions in Claverito, a Floating Community in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract

Background. The Peruvian Amazon, home to most of the country’s Indigenous populations, remains marginalized in research and policy despite its ecological and cultural importance. Urban migration from rural Amazonian communities has intensified, driven by the search for services and opportunity. Claverito, a floating settlement in Iquitos, reflects this shift, where residents face exclusion from basic infrastructure and formal health systems. Conventional mental health models often lack resonance in such contexts, necessitating culturally grounded, emic approaches.Objectives. This study aimed to understand how Claverito residents conceptualize mental health and well-being, identify local coping strategies to mental discomfort, and identify structural and cultural barriers influencing access to mental health care. Methods. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, data were collected over eight weeks through 32 semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, participant observation, and a demographic survey. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and meanings in residents’ narratives. Results. Residents articulate well-being as a balance of emotional calm, bodily health, spiritual protection, and social harmony. Distress was commonly expressed through idioms such as pensar mucho (“thinking too much”) and daño (spiritual harm). Healing practices prioritized rest, nature, traditional spiritual cleansing (limpia), and relational care. Barriers to formal care included a lack of knowledge, mistrust, gender-based violence, and limited community cohesion. Conclusion. Claverito’s inhabitants navigate distress through culturally embedded frameworks that challenge the applicability of standardized mental health models. These findings advocate for decolonial approaches to mental health care that value local epistemologies, spiritual ontologies, and community-based strategies of resilience.