Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author: Gerda G. Preparation of manuscript: GGF and SLB drafted the paper and all authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript. We examine the sociodemographic and personality characteristics specifically resilience , associated with use of mental health services in a violence-prone city by those with anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity.
Resilience was determined by the Wagnild and Young scale. Analyses, using weighted, design-corrected statistical tests, included frequency measures and multivariable logistic regression.
Psychiatrists, general practitioners, and psychologists were the primary providers. Contrary to expectation, use was greater among residents of lower homicide areas, and was not associated with personal traumatic experience. This may reflect increased immunity to violence in higher homicidal rate areas, lower resilience, and poorer access to services. Increased access to mental health services is needed. Keywords: Violence, anxiety, depression, mental health services, resilience, minority group.
Violence-prone areas are associated with a high prevalence of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety, depression, and their comorbidity Cerda et al. Four types of reaction to such events have been suggested — severe, continuing, chronic disruption in normal functioning; delayed disruption; initial disruption followed by recovery; and resilience minimal disruption , which is the majority type Bonanno, Thus, under conditions of stress due to violence, personal resilience may determine whether anxiety or depression develop, and whether to seek mental health services.
Depression, anxiety, and their comorbidity have serious personal and social consequences. Major depression is a frequent, recurrent, disorder associated with diminished role functioning and quality of life, medical morbidity, and mortality Charlson et al.
