Prevalence of mental disorder and associated factors in civilian Guatemalans with disabilities caused by the internal armed conflict.

Background: The 34-year-long, Guatemalan war left at least 1,841 persons disabled in the country. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of mental disorders in individuals who acquired their disability as a result of the war, and to identify probable risk factors.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted of a group of 99 civilians with a disability in Guatemala. Participants were selected from four civilian organizations serving disabled persons in the municipality of Nebaj, Quiche. The diagnostic instrument was the computerized version of the Composite International Diagnostic Instrument 2.1 (CIDI 2.1). Data were collected from 2002 to 2004.

Results: Of the 99 disabled persons who completed the interview, 44 had some type of lifetime psychiatric disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was the most prevalent, with 34.34% (34 cases), followed by dysthymia, with 10.10% (10 cases), and depression, with 6.06% (6 cases).

Conclusion: The traumatic events experienced during the conflict caused long-term psychological sequelae in people who were disabled as a result of the war. Increased exposure to traumatic events, being married, physical disability, illiteracy and advanced age were identified as probable risk factors for mental disorders .