Imagine a world where storytelling meets science-based mental health tools, and healing goes viral.

Quitapenas is a telenovela-style video series created to support the mental wellbeing Spanish-speaking communities navigating major life transitions, adversity, or displacement. Inspired by real-life struggles and grounded in science, Quitapenas transforms mental health tools developed by the World Health Organization, into heartfelt, relatable stories.

Through eight short episodes, viewers follow a journey of migration, resilience, loss, love, and strength; all while learning techniques to reduce stress, manage problems, and reconnect with others.

Behind

Addressing An Urgent Need.

Latin American displacement is a global crisis. Communities often carry the weight incredibly high stress from fleeing violence or sociopolitical instability, to navigating uncertain life circumstances, separation from loved ones, isolation and loss.

Displaced communities experience high rates of trauma and chronic stress, yet access to mental health services remains severely limited.

Quitapenas aims to address these challenges offering accessible, culturally-relevant care delivered through the globally acclaimed telenovela genre.

60%

Hispanic adults were 60% less likely to have received mental health treatment than non-Hispanic white adults (OMH, 2023).

The Tools Woven Into The Story

Quitapenas is based on two evidence-supported mental health programs developed by the World Health Organization for communities globally exposed to adversity:

Problem Management Plus (PM+)

Managing Stress

Practicing deep slow breathing

Managing Problems

Breaking down big problems into small actionable steps

Get Going, Keep Doing

Breaking cycles of inactivity and staying active

Strengthening Social Support

Connecting to others in difficult times

Self-Help Plus (SH+)

Unhooking

From negative thoughts

Grounding

Bringing your focus back to the present

Making Space

For difficult emotions

Being Kind

To yourself and others

Acting on values

Prioritizing what matters

The Framework Explained: Entertainment-Education

  • Engage.

    Uses powerful, culturally resonant stories to reflect real struggles, drawing audiences into conversations they might otherwise avoid.

  • Educate.

    By weaving evidence-based strategies and psychoeducation into relatable scenarios, it helps people understand emotions, normalize help-seeking, modeling healthier coping,

  • Empower.

    Drives change by showing characters building resilience and seeking support, encouraging viewers to imagine and feel empowered to pursue these avenues in their own lives.

Not just entertainment; education that empowers.

Entertainment education (EE) uses the power of storytelling to inform, inspire, and spark change. Through relatable characters and emotionally engaging plots, we deliver mental health strategies from evidence-based manualized programs developed by the World Health Organization, in ways that feel authentic and accessible.

It's more than a show or a manual: it’s a tool for support, learning, and connection.

This approach has been successfully used by organizations around the world to drive public health outcomes and social change. From UNICEF and UNESCO to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University, and the World Bank, EE has been recognized as an evidence-supported method for improving well-being, shifting attitudes, and encouraging behavior change across diverse populations.

Research & Global Scope

Our goal? Improving mental health access and outcome via media-based scalable interventions.

Research will explore the program’s impact, engagement, and long-term benefits. Our research is guided by frameworks in global mental health, cultural adaptation, implementation science, and community-based participatory research.

    • Evaluate engagement and cultural resonance of the telenovela-based format.

    • Measure retention and application of strategies from PM+ and SH+

    • Assess short- and long-term outcomes, including reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms

    • Explore mechanisms of impact, such as identification with characters, stigma reduction, and behavioral change.

    • Examine feasibility and scalability of EE-based delivery models in low-resource, high-barrier contexts.

    • Pilot implementation in community settings.

    • Mixed-method evaluations, including randomized control clinical trials.

    • Cost-effectiveness analysis and assessment of lay facilitator and self delivery models

    • Dissemination through open-access publications, conference presentations, and local and global partnerships.

If you are interested in integrating Quitapenas in your organization or programs, learning more about the research initiatives, collaborating or contributing to our mission, please reach out to us!

We need your voice to multiply the science.

Behind The Scenes

“By working closely with artists, scientists and community members, we transformed one scene into a living space that reflects real experiences, making the story feel like home for everyone who watches.”

– The Quitapenas Team

“It all started by listening—to the stories of migration, to the impact of the arts, and to the scientific research calling for scalable mental health solutions.”

– Alesha Cid Vega