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Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública

2026, Number 4

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salud publica mex 2026; 68 (4)

Psychological distress and access to treatment in Mexico: a comparative analysis between rural and urban settings

Berenzon-Gorn S, Orozco-Zavala R, Bustos-Gamiño MN, Vázquez-Quiroz F, Madrigal-de León EÁ, Allen-Leigh B, Peña-Ordieres G

Language: Spanish
References: 35
Page: 425-436
PDF size: 328.15 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Objective.To analyze the prevalence and severity of psychological distress, as well as access to treatment, in adolescents and adults in Mexico, comparing rural and urban settings. Materials and methods. Data from Encodat 2025, a national probabilistic household survey (n= 19 200; aged 12 to 65 years), were analyzed. Adjusted prevalence ratios were estimated using generalized linear models accounting for the complex survey design and are presented with 95% confidence intervals. Results. The prevalence of moderate/ severe psychological distress was 8.1%, equivalent to approximately 7.5 million people. Prevalence was significantly higher among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (10%) than among adults aged 18 to 65 years (7.8%), and among women compared to men across all age groups. Being female, being an adolescent, and residing in Mexico City were significantly associated with higher distress; no differences were found between rural and urban settings. Only 23.8% of urban and 18.2% of rural individuals with distress accessed professional treatment; rural residents had significantly lower access to mental health specialists (62.9 vs 93.4%, p ‹0.001). Educational attainment was the only significant predictor of treatment access. Conclusion. The findings establish an epidemiological baseline for the surveillance of psychological distress in Mexico and identify educational attainment as the primary structural determinant of access to care, which should guide the design of more equitable mental health policies.


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