Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
[Prevalence of violent events and post-traumatic stress disorder in the Mexican population]
Maria Elena Medina-Mora Icaza1, Guilherme Borges-Guimaraes, Carmen Lara
1Dirección de Investigación Epidemiológica y Psicosocial, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente, México, DF, México. medinam@imp.edu.mx
Objective:
To report the rate of exposure to different violent events, their demographic correlates, the prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the impact on quality of life.
Material And Methods:
The National Survey of Psychiatric Epidemiology is representative of the Mexican urban population aged 18 to 65. The survey was undertaken in 2001 and 2002 using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI- 15) computerized version. The statistical analyses take into account the multistage, stratified, and weighted sample design. Kaplan-Meier and logistic regressions were performed.
Results:
Sixty-eight percent of the population has been exposed to at least one stressful life event. Exposure varies by sex (rape, harassment, and sexual abuse are more frequent in women; accidents and being a victim of burglary among men) and by age (more frequent in children, adolescents, young adult women, and the elderly). By sex, 2.3% of women and 0.49% of men present PTSD. Rape, harassment, kidnapping, and sexual abuse are the events most associated with PTSD.
Conclusions:
The results suggest the need to increase treatment coverage to attend the consequences of violence, taking into consideration the important gender and age variations.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Introduction to Stress and Lifestyle
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Traumatic Memory
Stress and Mental Health
Individuals with depression often experience challenges in both their personal and professional...

