Traumatic life events and posttraumatic stress disorder among Mexican adolescents: results from a survey

Objective. To estimate the prevalence and the association ofTraumatic Life Events (LEs) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD) among the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA)adolescent population. Material and Methods. Adolescentsaged 12 to 17 were administered the adolescent version ofthe World Mental Health Composite International DiagnosticInterview (n=3 005). Data were collected using a stratified,multistage and probability sample. Prevalence, odds ratios and95% confidence intervals for LEs and PTSD (assessed withDSM-IV criteria) were obtained. Results. The percentage ofadolescents reporting at least one traumatic event in theirlifetimes was 68.9%, with differences by sex. Prevalence forPTSD were 1.8% (2.4% females and 1.2% males), and sexualrelatedtraumas were the LEs most associated with PTSD[OR=3.9 (CI95%=1.8-8.2)], adjusted by sex, education andage. Conclusions. Exposure to traumatic life events is notuncommon among Mexico City adolescents. Effort shouldbe made to reduce child and adolescent sexual abuse, a verytraumatic event highly associated with PTSD