Depression, anxiety, burnout, and substance use disorders among auto workers and Covid-19 as a stressor in Mexico

Bibliographic Data

ID22067231
AuthorsRaúl A Gutiérrez García (Universidad La Salle Bajío), Abraham Sánchez Ruiz (0000-0001-9343-4454, Universidad La Salle Bajío), Antonio de Jesús Serrano Carrera (Watching Over Mothers & Babies), Nancy Alejandra Vaca Rico (0000-0002-1185-0110, Watching Over Mothers & Babies), Mónica Natalia Arteaga Tovar (Watching Over Mothers & Babies), María Alicia Zavala Berbena (0000-0002-9954-4539, Universidad La Salle Bajío), Marco Antonio Escobar Acevedo (Universidad La Salle Bajío), María Abigail Paz Pérez (0000-0002-5623-0441, Universidad La Salle Bajío), Kalina Isela Martínez Martínez (0000-0002-3250-1809, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes)
Year2026
Volume13
Pages1723282-1723282
Publication date2026-02-06
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1723282
PMID41743680
OpenAlexW7128526043
LanguageEN
References cited46

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic intensified psychosocial risks, exposing vulnerabilities in labor conditions. Findings aim to inform mental health interventions and workplace policies tailored to industrial workers in post-pandemic settings. Methods: = 1,020) from two manufacturing plants in Guanajuato, Mexico. We assessed four mental health outcomes: depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and burnout, using validated instruments. Results: Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the associations between COVID-19 stressors and mental health symptoms, while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Prevalence rates were 311 (30.5%) for burnout, 299 (29.3%) for anxiety symptoms, 248 (24.3%) for depressive symptoms, and 142 (13.9%) for substance use problems. Experiencing COVID-19 stressors (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.65, 95% CI: 1.26-3.26) and feeling vulnerable to infection (AOR: 3.34, 95% CI: 2.17-4.06) significantly increased the odds of having comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as burnout, compared to workers without these stressors. Despite 763 (74.8%) of workers reporting feeling supported by their company to seek psychological help, only 259 (25.3%) had received mental health treatment in the past year. Discussions: These findings demonstrate that COVID-19-related stressors significantly impacted automotive workers' mental health. The substantial gap between symptom prevalence and treatment-seeking, despite perceived workplace support, highlights the need for proactive mental health interventions

Mental health · Mental stress · Occupational safety and health · Stressor · Substance use · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Employment and Welfare Studies · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Workplace Health and Well-being · Epidemiology