Depression and Anxiety in Adolescents: Social wellness impact

Abstract

Introduction. Adolescence constitutes a period of growth, but due to these characteristics it may also be conceived as a stage exposed to multiple risk factors and possible risky behaviors (García et al., 2020). Aim. To determine the existence of symptoms of anxiety and depression in adolescents and the influence that social well-being exerts on them. The hypothesis proposes that the greater the social well-being, the lower the indicators of anxiety and depression in adolescents. Method. It was based on a quantitative methodology, a non-experimental design with a descriptive-correlational scope. The sample chosen under an intentional non-random sampling was 337 adolescents; The instruments used were: Beck Anxiety Inventory, Kutcher Depression Scale and the Social Well-Being Scale (Keyes, 1998; Blanco & Díaz, 2005), which were applied with prior informed consent from the parents. Data were analyzed using measures of central tendency, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, and Linear Regression. Results. The findings show a dominance of high levels, which demonstrates traits of depression in adolescents. Regarding anxiety, in somatic the medium level predominates and in the cognitive component the high levels dominate. Correlational analysis showed an inverse relationship between social well-being and anxiety along with depression. Linear regression analysis revealed that social integration and social coherence mainly predict between 17 and 23% of anxiety variability, and 30% of depression. conclusions. It is concluded that there are indicators of depression and anxiety in the study sample, which is a risk. The more social well-being the younger adolescents experience, the more depressive and anxiety traits are in them, thus confirming the hypothesis. In this way, it acts as a protective factor against mental health problems.