Santiago Lucchetti

Background In deprived urban areas of South America, young people face heightened risks of mental disorders. Research suggests an association exists between social media engagement (SME), depression and anxiety. Objective This study explored the associations of SME with symptoms of depression, anxiety and subjective quality of life among young people from South American deprived urban areas. Methods Our cross-sectional survey study used an adapted version of the Multidimensional Facebook Intensity Scale to categorise 2399 participants into four SME groups: low, moderate, high and very high. Symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), anxiety (Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7) and quality of life (Manchester Short Assessment) were assessed and compared using F and Tukey tests. Findings Each step of increased SME was associated with more symptoms of depression and anxiety and poorer quality of life. Statistically significant differences were observed across all groups (pConclusions The findings suggest an association exists between SME, increased mental distress and lower quality of life in young people from deprived South American urban areas. This influence seems to apply across the spectrum of engagement levels, not only to extremes. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of the study, causal relationships cannot be established. Implications SME should be explored in clinical settings, as lower levels are associated with lower symptom levels and better quality of life. Policies addressing youth SME should be developed and evaluated in the challenging contexts of deprived urban areas.

Background: Involving people with lived experience in research has been increasingly recognised as a priority. This article details the development and implementation of three Lived Experience Advisory Panels (LEAP) and reports their evaluation of the experience. The LEAPs involved young people from Latin America with experiences of emotional distress, aimed at advising a youth mental health research programme. Methods: Online meetings were conducted within each LEAP in Bogotá, Lima and Buenos Aires to gather feedback at different stages of the programme. Additional activities included a Joint LEAP meeting and a focus group to explore the members’ experiences of LEAP participation. Results: During the LEAP meetings, 25 members (Bogotá n = 9, Lima n = 10, Buenos Aires n = 6) provided feedback on study data collection tools and materials, recruitment and dissemination strategies, and discussed preliminary results, which were significant in shaping study materials and processes. They valued the comfort and connection with researchers and peers during discussions about mental health topics, as well as the opportunity to inform a large-scale project with their lived experiences. However, challenges in the recruitment and engagement led to fluctuating participation, while socioeconomic and cultural barriers may have influenced access. Conclusions: The implementation of the LEAPs is an example of involving young Latin Americans with experiences of emotional distress in research. Future efforts should focus on overcoming structural limitations and fostering equitable collaboration, emphasising the need for youth perspectives in mental health research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Background Stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with increased risk of depression or anxiety. Coping mechanisms may moderate this relationship but little is known on this topic in young people or in Latin America. Aim To investigate whether coping strategies predict odds of depression and/or anxiety and moderate the relationship between SLEs and depression and/or anxiety in young people in Peru, Lima and Bogotá. Method Using case–control data from people aged 15–24, we used logistic regression to examine associations between coping mechanism, SLEs and caseness for depression or anxiety, adjusting for sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. We included interaction terms to model whether this association varied depending on coping mechanisms (positive cognitive restructuring, problem focused, support seeking, distraction, avoidant). Results We included 1437 cases and 965 controls. Cases reported less use of positive cognitive restructuring (OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.75) and problem-focused coping (OR 0.82; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.93), and more use of avoidance than controls (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.50) in adjusted models. They had greater odds of reporting lifetime (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.10) and past-year (OR 1.05; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.10) SLEs than controls. We found weak but consistent evidence of effect modification; the association between lifetime SLEs and case–control status was stronger in those who used less support seeking (p=0.09), problem-focused coping (p=0.08) or positive cognitive restructuring (p=0.09). Conclusions Relationships between SLEs, coping mechanisms and depression/anxiety appear similar in these Latin American cities to other contexts. Active coping strategies may ameliorate the impact of SLEs on mental health of young people.