Beyond violence exposure: gender-specific psychological responses to violence in Ecuador – a propensity score analysis

Cintya Lanchimba (), Robert Courtois () and Víctor Lopez-Guerra
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Cintya Lanchimba: EPN - Escuela Politécnica Nacional
Robert Courtois: QualiPsy - Qualité de vie et Santé psychologique - UT - Université de Tours - NEOLAiA - NEOLAiA European University = Université Européenne NEOLAÏA, CHRU Tours - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours
Víctor Lopez-Guerra: Departamento de Psicología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja

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Abstract: The consequences of violence differ depending on gender. This study explores the associations between exposure to violence and mental health outcomes in Ecuador, a country with high levels of violence yet limited research on its psychological effects. Using a nationally representative dataset and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to reduce confounding bias, we examine gender-specific patterns of psychological outcomes. The analysis reveals that men exposed to violence are significantly more likely to display externalizing behaviors, including a near doubling of alcohol use (+93.6%) and heightened impulsivity, supporting theories of substance-based coping and behavioral dysregulation. In contrast, women exposed to violence show marked increases in internalizing symptoms, including depressive affect (+35.7%), perceived stress, and loneliness, reflecting emotion-focused coping strategies and affective vulnerability. While these findings support established gendered theories of violence, such as the selfmedication hypothesis and emotion-focused coping, they must be interpreted with caution. The associations observed reflect robust statistical links rather than definitive causal pathways. It remains possible that pre-existing psychological vulnerabilities or unmeasured third variables contribute to both the likelihood of experiencing violence and subsequent mental health outcomes. The results underscore the importance of gender-sensitive mental health interventions: substance use and impulsivity should be targeted among men, while women's care must be integrated with social and economic support systems. By focusing on a Latin American context, this study adds to global knowledge on the gendered psychological consequences of violence and highlights the need for longitudinal and interdisciplinary approaches.

Keywords: alcohol; depression; Ecuador; gender differences; propensity score matching; psychological distress; violence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-01-26
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Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026, 16, ⟨10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1716810⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05515799

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1716810

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