# Estudio De La Vida Bajo Estres: Methodological Overview and Baseline Data Analysis of a Case-Control Investigation of Risk and Resiliency Factors for Traumatic Stress in Colombia

## TL;DR

This study examines PTSD risk and resilience factors in over 500 Colombians affected by armed conflict, reporting high rates of trauma and mental health issues.

## Contribution

The study provides baseline data and methodological insights from a longitudinal case-control investigation in a conflict-affected Latin American population.

## Key findings

- 34.88% of the trauma-exposed sample screened positive for PTSD.
- High rates of traumatic experiences like forced displacement and combat exposure were reported.
- Participants showed elevated levels of depression and anxiety, with higher comorbidities among those with PTSD.

## Abstract

The Estudio de la Vida Bajo Estres (My Life Under Stress [MI-VIDA] Study) aims to investigate risk and resilience factors associated with the development of PTSD in a trauma-exposed sample of more than 500 Colombian residents exposed to this country’s armed conflict. The study utilised a longitudinal case-control design capturing psychosocial data over 18 months, in addition to baseline DNA samples for a parallel genomic analysis. This paper specifically provides an overview of the design and methodology of the wider investigation, and reports baseline characteristics including sociodemographic information and mental health outcome prevalences from this hard-to-reach and under-researched population. Results of baseline analysis suggested that one third (34.88%) of this trauma-exposed sample screened positively for PTSD. Participants endorsed high numbers of potentially traumatic experiences including Forced Displacement (88.61%), Exposure to Severe Human Suffering (53.91%), Combat Exposure (53.02%), and Physical Assault (51.78%). Participants also reported relatively high levels of mental ill-health including depression (29.90%) and anxiety (27.56%). The number of traumas experienced, and the reported comorbid difficulties were generally higher among those who screened positive for PTSD. These preliminary analyses detail the baseline characteristics, and the relative burden of mental ill-health in this trauma-exposed sample. The wider study comprising longitudinal measurement of these conditions has the potential to make a significant contribution to the understanding of risk and resiliency factors for posttraumatic stress in this unique Latin American context.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10862-025-10203-1.