Direct and Indirect Effects of Exposure to Violence on Post-Traumatic Stress and Substance Use among Young Mexican People

Abstract

Introduction: direct and indirect violence are significant risk factors for the mental health of young people, leading to posttraumatic stress disorder and increasing the likelihood of substance use. Much of the existing literature has focused on assessing the effects of direct violence, thereby overlooking the study of indirect violence despite its potential impact.

Objective: this study aimed to analyze the differential effects of direct and indirect violence on post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology and the use of legal and illegal substances.

Method: the Structural Equation Modeling approach was used to examine the relationships among the variables in a quota-based sample of 2,277 university students aged 18 to 25 from ten public universities across Mexico.

Results: the findings indicated that exposure to direct violence was directly associated with higher levels of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, as well as increased use of legal and illegal substances. In contrast, indirect violence revealed a direct association with legal substance use and an indirect association with illegal substance use, mediated by post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology.

Discussion and conclusions: these results highlight the importance of incorporating both direct and indirect violence into early assessment frameworks and psychological intervention strategies targeting youth. Implications for the design of public mental health and substance use prevention policies are discussed, emphasizing the need to consider the structural contexts of violence that significantly affect young population.