Prevalence of depression among adolescents in rural communities of Mexico

Rural communities face challenges to mental health care, including cultural barriers and lack of accessibility. There is a general scarcity of data on the mental health of adolescents in rural regions of Mexico. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of depression in adolescents and young adults in a rural Mexican community.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from April to September 2023, of individuals aged 15-25 of rural communities of San Luis Potosí, Mexico. Stratified sampling (n = 1057) ensured gender/age representation. Participants received two psychoeducation sessions, followed by a Spanish-language the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale to quantify depressive symptoms. Mann-Whitney U and Fisher Exact tests were used to compare continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Principal component analysis was used to identify the most important items associated with probable clinical depression.

Sixty-one percent of the participants exhibited depressive symptoms, 23% met criteria indicating a probable diagnosis of major depressive disorder, and 29% reported suicidal ideation. A probable diagnosis of major depressive disorder was significantly more frequent in female subjects, those with a personal history or familial antecedents of depression, and those that experienced suicidal ideation. Most endorsed PHQ-9 items were sleep disturbances and feeling tired or low on energy, and females had significantly higher PHQ-9 scores than males. Principal Component Analysis indicated a single factor that explained 55% of the variance and encompassed all nine items, while suicidal ideation was additionally associated with a second factor that accounted for an additional 10% of variance.

There is a significant depression burden among rural Mexican youth. Psychoeducation may help adolescents identify past and present episodes of depression in themselves as well as in their family and peers. Targeted mental health services in rural communities are necessary to confront disparities in mental health care.