Depresion, ansiedad y sintomas somaticos en ninos que viven en comunidades rurales colombianas Abstract Introduction: In Colombia, children are frequently exposed to traumatic events; however, there are no data regarding the impact on depression, anxiety and somatic correlates of such exposure in children living in rural communities. Objective: To investigate the somatic complaints and symptoms of depression and anxiety among children exposed to traumatic events in a rural community of Colombia. Methods: Design: Cross-Sectional study. Participants: Two hundred and ninety-three Colombian children aged eight to 18 years. Main Outcome Measures: Standardized measures were administered to assess children’s depression, anxiety, physical symptoms and exposure to traumatic events. Depression: CDI (Children’s Depression Inventory); anxiety: SCARED (The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders); somatic complaints: CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist, Somatic Complaints scale) and reporting traumatic events during the K-SADS-PL (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents). Results: Ninety-one of the 293 children (31.1%) reported somatic complaints. The most common somatic complaint was in the gastrointestinal category (35/91). One hundred and seventy eight children (60.5%) had observed traumatic events, including homicides during the last month. Two hundred five (69.9%) of the children showed depressive symptom profiles above established norms, and 239 (81.6%) exhibited anxiety symptoms according to their own reports. The correlation between depression and traumatic events, anxiety and somatic complaints, and between anxiety and depression were statistically significant (p<0.005). Conclusions: As the first study of its kind in children living in rural communities in Colombia, it demonstrates a clear impact of traumatic events on mental health. Information that somatic complaints are commonly an expression of underlying depression and anxiety may facilitate the treatment and thereby help avoid unnecessary medical workups and sequelae from traumatized children. It is important for physicians to probe for “hidden” symptoms in traumatized children. Keywords: depression, somatization, traumatic events, anxiety Resumen Introduccion: En Colombia, los ninos estan expuestos con frecuencia a eventos traumaticos, sin embargo, no hay datos sobre el impacto de la depresion, la ansiedad y la correlacion somatica de dicha exposicion en ninos que viven en comunidades rurales. Objetivo: investigar las alteraciones somaticas, sintomas de depresion y ansiedad en los ninos expuestos a eventos traumaticos en una comunidad rural de Colombia. Metodologia: Diseno: Estudio transversal; Participantes: Doscientos noventa y tres ninos colombianos de ocho a 18 anos. Principales medidas de resultado: se aplicaron medidas estandarizadas para evaluar la depresion infantil, ansiedad, sintomas fisicos y la exposicion a eventos traumaticos. Depresion:CDI (Children’s Depression Inventory)). Ansiedad: SCARED (The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders), Enfermedades somaticas: CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist, Somatic Complaints scale) e informar los eventos traumaticos durante el K -SADS -PL (Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents). Resultados: Noventa y uno de los 293 ninos ( 31,1 % ) informaron de sintomas somaticos. La queja somatica mas comun estuvo en la categoria gastrointestinal (35/ 91). Ciento setenta y ocho ninos ( 60,5 % ) habian observado los acontecimientos traumaticos, incluyendo homicidios durante el ultimo mes. Doscientos cinco ( 69,9 % ) de los ninos mostraron perfiles de sintomas depresivos por encima de las normas establecidas, y 239 ( 81,6 % ) presentaban sintomas de ansiedad segun sus propios informes. La correlacion entre la depresion y los eventos traumaticos, la ansiedad y quejas somaticas, y entre la ansiedad y la depresion fueron estadisticamente significativas ( p < 0,005 ). Conclusiones: como el primer estudio de su tipo en los ninos que viven en comunidades rurales de Colombia , demuestra un claro impacto de eventos traumaticos en la salud mental. La afirmacion que las quejas somaticas son comunmente una expresion de la depresion y la ansiedad subyacente puede facilitar el tratamiento y de ese modo ayudar a evitar abordajes medicos innecesarios y secuelas en los ninos traumatizados . Es importante para los medicos explorar los sintomas “ocultos” en los ninos traumatizados. Palabras Clave: depresion, somatizacion, evento traumatico, ansiedad