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.