Common mental disorders in a young urban population in Colombia

BACKGROUND: There are few studies of mental ill health among young people in developing countries. AIMS: To measure the prevalence of common mental disorders among low-income young people in the city of Cali, Colombia and to examine associations with violence and social capital. METHOD: The Self-Reporting Questionnaire was administered to 1057 young people aged 15-25 years. Social capital, violence, alcoholism and socio-demographic variables were also measured. RESULTS: We found 255 young people (24%) with common mental disorders. Being a woman, having limited education and experiencing high levels of violence were the main risk factors for common mental disorders. Social capital did not emerge as a risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: A large burden of mental ill health among young people was found; this requires urgent interventions and more research on the mechanisms which link mental health and violence.