Acute exposure to violent neighborhood crime and depressive symptoms among older individuals in Colombia.

To assess the association between acute exposure to neighborhood violent crimes and depression we combined representative, individual-level and geo-coded data for individuals aged 60 years and above living in four major cities in Colombia from the 2010 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) with objective information on the timing and location of violent crimes. Exploiting spatial and temporal variation in the occurrence of crimes we find that being acutely exposed to a violent crime is positively associated with the number of depressive symptoms.

The invisible wounds of five decades of armed conflict: inequalities in mental health and their determinants in Colombia.

ABSTARCT: OBJECTIVES: We analyzed the relation between exposure to the armed conflict and violence with mental health disorders in Colombia and assessed the extent and determinants of socioeconomic inequalities in mental health related to differential exposure to the conflict and violence. METHODS: Regression and decomposition analyses were used in combination with the 2015 nationally representative Mental Health Survey (N = 10,853). Mental health disorders were assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ 20), and socioeconomic status by a Multidimensional Poverty Index. RESULTS: 3% of adults have been victim of a violent crime and 13% victim of the armed conflict. Victims of the armed conflict have 1.74 times higher odds (p < .05) of suffering mental health disorders compared to non-victims. Differential exposure to the armed conflict among lower socioeconomic groups explains 86% of total inequality in mental health disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions that increase quality and access of mental health treatments among victims of the conflict will not only lead to improvements in mental health among victims but also significantly reduce inequalities in mental health in Colombia.