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Abstract Background This study aims to explore the association between exposure to neighborhood violence and the presence of common mental disorders (CMDs) among Brazilian adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Additionally, we aim to analyze whether sex, age and race are modifiers of the effect of this association. Methods The study comprised 1,686 adolescents residing in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, situated in the Southeast region of Brazil. To measure exposure to community violence, we constructed three crime indicators using data from Civil Police of the State of Rio de Janeiro: crimes against property, nonlethal crimes, and lethal crimes. Employing geospatial analysis based on the adolescents’ residence location, logistic regression modeling was performed to measure the association between violence and CMDs. Results Adolescents living in regions with higher rates of the three types of violence studied herein were more likely to have CMDs, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 2.33 to 2.99. When stratified by sex, age and race, girls, older adolescents and blacks have a greater magnitude of effect on the measure of association, indicating a heightened risk for CMDs. Conclusion This study provides important contributions to the public health field, as it reveals new information on the influence of community violence on the mental health of adolescents. Given the elevated rates of violence globally, knowing the effects of such violence on adolescents becomes crucial for the prevention and treatment of CMDs within this population.

Abstract Purposes Mental disorders are responsible for 16% of the global burden of disease in adolescents. This review focuses on one contextual factor called community violence that can contribute to the development of mental disorders Objective To evaluate the impact of community violence on internalizing mental health symptoms in adolescents, to investigate whether different proximity to community violence (witness or victim) is associated with different risks and to identify whether gender, age, and race moderate this association. Methods systematic review of observational studies. The population includes adolescents (10-24 years), exposition involves individuals exposed to community violence and outcomes consist of internalizing mental health symptoms. Selection, extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers. Results A total of 2987 works were identified; after selection and extraction, 42 works remained. Higher exposure to community violence was positively associated with internalizing mental health symptoms. Being a witnessing is less harmful for mental health than being a victim. Age and race did not appear in the results as modifiers, but male gender and family support appear to be protective factors in some studies. Conclusion This review confirms the positive relationship between community violence and internalizing mental health symptoms in adolescents and provides relevant information that can direct public efforts to build policies in the prevention of both problems.