Psychiatric disorders in Mexico: lifetime prevalence in a nationally representative sample.
BACKGROUND
No national data on lifetime prevalence and risk factors for DSM-IV psychiatric disorders are available in Mexico.


OBJECTIVE
To present data on lifetime prevalence and projected lifetime risk, age at onset and demographic correlates of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders assessed in the Mexican National Comorbidity Survey.


METHODS
The survey was based on a multistage area probability sample of non-institutionalised people aged 18-65 years in urban Mexico. The World Mental Health Survey version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview was administered by lay interviewers.


RESULTS
Of those surveyed, 26.1% had experienced at least one psychiatric disorder in their life and 36.4% of Mexicans will eventually experience one of these disorders. Half of the population who present with a psychiatric disorder do so by the age of 21 and younger cohorts are at greater risk for most disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest an urgent need to re-evaluate the resources allocated for the detection and treatment of psychiatric illnesses in Mexico.
Medina-Mora
Maria Elena
ME
Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente, 101, México.
Borges
Guilherme
G
Benjet
Corina
C
Lara
Carmen
C
Berglund
Patricia
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors