Archives of General Psychiatry
Volume 55, Issue 9, 1998, Pages 771-778

Lifetime prevalence of DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders among urban and rural Mexican Americans in California (Article) (Open Access)

Vega W.A.* , Kolody B. , Aguilar-Gaxiola S. , Alderete E. , Catalano R. , Caraveo-Anduaga J.
  • a School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
  • b Department of Sociology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
  • c Department of Psychology, California State University, Fresno, CA, United States
  • d School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
  • e School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
  • f Mexican Institute of Psychiatry, Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract

Background: The Mexican American Prevalence and Services Survey presents lifetime prevalence rates for 12 DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders in a sample of 3012 adults of Mexican origin by place of residence and nativity, and compares these results with those of population surveys conducted in the United States and Mexico. Methods: The stratified random sample included noninstitutionalized persons aged 18 to 59 years of Mexican origin, who were residents of Fresno County, California. Psychiatric disorders were assessed using a modified version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview in face-to-face interviews. Results: Mexican immigrants had lifetime rates similar to those of Mexican citizens, while rates for Mexican Americans were similar to those of the national population of the United States. This difference is attributable to a prevalence rate for any disorder among immigrants of 24.9%, compared with 48.1% among US-born respondents. A higher prevalence for any disorder was reported in urban (35.7%) compared with town (32.1%) or rural (29.8%) areas. Multivariate analyses showed an adjusted effect of country of birth, but not of urban residence. Conclusions: Despite very low education and income levels, Mexican Americans had lower rates of lifetime psychiatric disorders compared with rates reported for the US population by the National Comorbidity Survey. Psychiatric morbidity among Mexican Americans is primarily influenced by cultural variance rather than socioeconomic status or urban vs rural residence.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

urban population rating scale cultural anthropology statistical analysis educational status demography human comorbidity middle aged rural population ethnic group Marital Status morbidity Mexico Mental Disorders Residence Characteristics mental disease United States Humans Adolescent California male female Socioeconomic Factors Multivariate Analysis diagnostic approach route prevalence Article major clinical study adult world health organization Emigration and Immigration Mexican Americans
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0031709257&doi=10.1001%2farchpsyc.55.9.771&partnerID=40&md5=b25773910283bb84dee6c81975c2d233
DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.55.9.771
ISSN: 0003990X
Cited by: 685
Original Language: English