Abstract—Attention, comprehension and solution of poverty can be worked considering a socioeconomic approach; but it also can be attended from a multidimensional perspective that allows considering other dimensions including psychological variables manifested in behaviors, thoughts and feelings concerning this phenomenon. Considering the importance of research regarding psychology and poverty, this paper presents results about psychosocial impacts of poverty on young people related to mental health issues and its relation to fatalism. These results are part of a bigger transcultural study done in collaboration with the Federal University of Ceará, in Brazil. Participants were 101 young men and women, between 12 and 29 years old, living in two emarginated suburbs in Mérida, Mexico, located in the southeastern zone of the country. Participants responded the Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ- 20), with 20 items dichotomous presence/absence that assess anxious and depressive issues and the Fatalism Scale, with 30 items Likert five-point spread over five factors. Results show that one third of participants mentioned to get easily frightened, feeling nervous, tense or worried as well as unhappy, difficulty on making decisions, and troubles in thinking clearly. About 20% mentioned to have headaches, to sleep badly, to cry more than usual and to feel tired all the time. Regarding Fatalism, results show there is a greater internal allocation and lower external attribution in young participants, but they have some symptoms regarding poor mental health. Discussion is in terms of possible explanations about the results and emphasizes the importance of holistic approaches for a better understanding of the psychosocial impacts of poverty on young people and strengthening the resilience to increase positive mental health in emarginated contexts, where Community Psychology could have an important duty in community health promotion. Keywords—Fatalism, mental health, poverty, youth. I. INTRODUCTION EVERAL current trends favor a unitary conception of poverty based on an economic approach for the measurement and approach in which individual welfare bases on consumption [1] [2]. This scientific approach to study poverty, based solely on factor based in needs-resources or income, is a one-dimensional perspective [3]. In contrast, other approaches focus on a multidimensional perspective where definitions and approaches consider not only economic but also social and cultural aspects. A multidimensional Teresita Castillo, full time professor at the Autonomous University of Yucatán in Mérida, México, 97310 (phone: 52 999 955 1895; fax: 52 999 943 2098; e-mail: tete.castillo@correo.uady.mx). Carlos D. Carrillo, full time professor at the Autonomous University of Yucatán in Mérida, México, 97310 (phone: 52 999 152 6877; fax: 52 999 943 2098; e-mail: cartruji@correo.uady.mx). Teresita C. Campo, full time professor at the Autonomous University of Yucatán in Mérida, México, 97310 (phone: 52 999 215 9617; fax: 52 999 943 2098; e-mail: teresita.campo@correo.uady.mx). approach to poverty helps analyze dimensions of health, education, work and standard of living and human development [4]; however, not always deeply analyses subjective aspects of life of people living in poverty, which are manifested in behaviors, thoughts and feelings concerning this phenomenon, and which can contribute to a greater and better understanding of it. That is why, it is important to consider psychological and psychosocial variables when working with people in poverty because it requires actions between the micro and macro systems [5]. Psychology should work for a better understanding of poverty in terms of what it means and represents to people who lives it, which are their major resources and obstacles, as well as the consequences and impacts that arise from living in this condition. Studies about this social problem is justified since in 2014, 167 million (28%) people lived in poverty conditions in Latin America and from them 71 million lived in extreme poverty [6]. Inside México, poverty stills as a serious problem since between 2012 and 2014, the percentage of population living in poverty raised from 53.3 million (45.5%) to 53.3 million (46.2%), even the percentage of extreme poverty fell from 11.5 million (9.8%) to 11.4 million (9.5%) [7]. More particularly, Yucatan is localized in the poorest zone of the country, and 957.9 thousands (45.9%) of its population lives in poverty and 223.2 thousands (10.7%) lives in extreme poverty [8]. However, it is particularly important to develop research in this matter because, from an economic approach, extreme poverty is getting down all over the world: 12.8% in 2012 to 9.6% in 2015 (6.2% to 5.6% in Latin America), if we consider income (US 1.90 a day/US 1.25 a day, depending on country) [9]. Unfortunately, these digits do not mean that people is living really better, they still are in poverty conditions. Having this income does not mean they have a better life and real opportunities to develop as human beings in all their potential. Particularly in Latin America, there is research regarding psychological and psychosocial aspects related to poverty contexts. Different studies present results on psychosocial dimensions of poverty [10], relation between psychological aspects and poverty [11], low self-esteem, fear and rejection to change [12], locus of control, self-efficacy and learned helplessness [13] (all of them as characteristics of poor people); poverty and well-being [14] and poverty, psychological resources and social mobility [15]), mental health [16]. Nevertheless, there are not many studies focusing strictly in mental health considering its importance. To give an idea of the dimension of the problem, almost 25% of Latin American and Caribbean population present mental and/or Mental Health in Young People Living Poverty in Southeastern Mexico Teresita Castillo, Concepción Campo, Carlos Carrillo S World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology International Journal of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences Vol:10, No:5, 2016 1767 International Scholarly and Scientific Research & Innovation 10(5) 2016 ISNI:0000000091950263 Open Science Index, Psychological and Behavioral Sciences Vol:10, No:5, 2016 publications.waset.org/10004835/pdf