[The relationship among depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms in a sample of university students in northern Mexico].
OBJECTIVE
To determine how anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms are related in a sample of university students in northern Mexico.


METHODS
An exploratory study was conducted through self-administered questionnaires applied to a convenience sample of 506 psychology students at two universities in Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. To evaluate somatic symptoms, the Patient Health Questionnaire was used; for depression, the Beck Depression Inventory; and for anxiety, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents. Spearman's correlation was used to determine to what extent the associations among the variables were significant. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare anxiety and depression levels between groups of students organized by severity of somatic symptoms.


RESULTS
Of the participants, 129 (25.5%) presented somatic symptoms that were of medium intensity or severe; just 4 (0.8%) had severe depression; and only 2 (0.4%) students presented anxiety levels over 75% of the scale maximum. The severity of somatic symptoms increased in step with anxiety and depression levels. The somatic symptoms occurring most frequently and of greatest concern among the study sample were: headache, menstrual pain, and backache, as well as feeling tired and having difficulty sleeping.


CONCLUSIONS
The direct association between the severity of somatic symptoms and depression and anxiety was confirmed. It is recommended that all treatment and/or prevention programs addressing one of these conditions, include the other two as well. Programs specifically aimed at university youth should be implemented.
González Ramírez
Mónica Teresa
MT
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. monygzz77@yahoo.com
Landero Hernández
René
R
García-Campayo
Javier
J
D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult