AUTHOR=Mejia Christian R. , Serna-Alarcón Víctor , Vilela-Estrada Martín A. , Armada Jose , Ubillus Milward , Beraún-Barrantes Jose , Álvarez-Risco Aldo , Del-Aguila-Arcentales Shyla , Davies Neal M. , Yáñez Jaime A. 

TITLE=Prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder risk post-COVID-19 in 12 countries in Latin America: a cross-sectional survey

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1302694

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1302694

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Latin America was the region most affected by COVID-19 in the second quarter of 2020, and consequently, the impact on mental health requires evaluation. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by bereavement due to COVID-19 in 12 countries in Latin America.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The current study was an analytical cross-sectional study. Validated tests were applied for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), questions about the respondent’s condition or their environment, and demographic questions, as well as the length of the mourning period of suffering.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>The outcomes demonstrated that the PTSD risk increased for women (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), when a friend or acquaintance had COVID-19 (<italic>p</italic> = 0.002), when a close relative died from COVID-19 (<italic>p</italic> = 0.010), having severe depression (<italic>p</italic> &lt;0.001), severe anxiety (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), severe stress (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), residing in Chile (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), Paraguay (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), Bolivia (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), Costa Rica (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001) or El Salvador (<italic>p</italic>  = 0.005). On the other hand, there was less risk of PTSD at an older age (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001) or if respondents had a sentimental partner (<italic>p</italic>  = 0.025). In the case of severe PTSD, there was a greater gender risk for women (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), a close relative dying from COVID-19 (<italic>p</italic>  = 0.017), having severe depression (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), severe anxiety (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), severe stress (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), residing in Chile (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), Paraguay (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001), Bolivia (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001) and Costa Rica (<italic>p</italic>  = 0.002). It was also observed that there was less risk of severe PTSD at an older age demographic (<italic>p</italic>  &lt;0.001).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>It can be concluded that the percentages of PTSD are high in its clinical presentation as severe, especially among Latin American women.</p></sec>