Fortaleza Mexicana Study

Mexico is the second most populated country in Latin America with over 12.7 million rural indigenous people (World Population Review, 2019), however, there is a dearth of research examining Mexican rural families. This mixed methods study, Fortaleza Mexicana (Mexican Resilience) Study explored Mexican families' experiences with violence. Specifically, this research project focused on 200 parent-adolescent dyads residing in a low-income, rural neighborhood in Mexico and included 200 parent-adolescent surveys and 32 individual semi-structured interviews. 

The study aimed to:

(a) explore Mexican parents’ educational beliefs, aspirations, and expectations for their adolescents; 

(b) assess Mexican parent and adolescents’ mental health outcomes (i.e. perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms);

(c) explore Mexican parent and adolescents’ experiences with violence exposure, coping strategies, and their communication about violence, and;

(d) explore families’ determinants of and barriers to mental health service utilization.

Explore our newsletter featuring early insights from this groundbreaking study in rural Mexico. Created as a gesture of community engagement and giving back, we are thrilled by the positive response from the community. By spotlighting familial strengths, we offer practical recommendations for individuals, families, and schools. Join us in celebrating the impact of community-driven research and its meaningful contributions.

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