Intercultural Bridges: Reflections on Navigating Both Sides Comment on "Routes of Well-Being, Spiritual Harmony and Recovery in Mental Health: The Community as a Policy-Maker"

The mental health of Indigenous populations in Latin America is a public health issue that has received little attention, which serves to perpetuate discrimination against these peoples. Governments address these gaps and work to reduce health inequalities through public policy and an intercultural approach. Interculturalism generally acknowledges cultural differences but fails to address the root causes of inequality—namely, social structures underpinned by ideologies of discrimination and racism, which have historically relegated Indigenous populations to the lowest levels of the social structure. The concept of "intercultural bridges" is invoked to illustrate the scope of the classical perspective on interculturality and, ultimately, to reflect on the extent to which integrating the traditional medicine model with the Western biomedical model can promote the well-being of these populations.