Depression, Anxiety and Comorbid Anxiety–Depression and its Relation to Social Capital and Resilience in Young People From Deprived Urban Areas: A Cross-sectional Study in South America

Introduction Youth is a critical period for the development of anxiety and depression, contributing to the disease burden in this population. Psychosocial resources (resilience and social capital) are important in coping with this burden but are under-researched in urban areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study describes the sociodemographic characteristics, psychosocial resources, psychopathological symptoms and quality of life, and examines the relationship between psychopathological symptoms with psychosocial resources in a multi-country Latin American sample. Methods Using data from the OLA research program, this cross-sectional study involved youth aged 15–16 and 20–24 years from vulnerable urban areas in Latin America. Participants completed sociodemographic questionnaires and assessments for anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-8), social capital (ASCAT), and resilience (CD-RISC 10). Multinomial regression analyzed the relationships between psychopathology and psychosocial resources. Results Out of 2402 participants, 59.8% reported psychopathology: 6.8% with only anxiety, 18.9% with only depression, and 34.1% with comorbid anxiety–depression. Participants with comorbid anxiety–depression had the highest percentage of low cognitive social capital (92.4%) and the lowest resilience scores (median = 21, IQR = 11). Resilience showed a protective role across all psychopathological groups. High cognitive social capital was protective for those with depression and comorbid anxiety–depression. Conclusion Comorbidity was most prevalent and associated with lower resilience and quality of life. Resilience and cognitive social capital emerged as protective factors, suggesting potential targets for interventions in the population studied. These findings highlight the need for further research.