Do Resilience and Social Capital Modify the Association Between Bullying, Depression, and Anxiety Among Youth From Deprived Urban Areas in Latin America?

Abstract

Objective Explore the association between being a victim of bullying and the presence of symptoms of depression and anxiety, and evaluate if participants’ resilience and structural and cognitive social capital are effect modifiers. Methods In this case–control study, participants were adolescents and young adults from disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Bogotá, Buenos Aires, and Lima. We conducted logistic regressions to address the association between bullying and the presence of symptoms of depression (PHQ-8) and anxiety (GAD-7). We stratified the analysis by resilience (CD-RISC 10), cognitive social capital, and structural social capital (SASCAT) levels and obtained the predicted probabilities of having symptoms. Results Young people who were bullied more than a year ago had 2.39 and 2.06 times higher odds of having symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively, compared to participants who were never bullied. Those bullied in the last year had 3.58 and 4.01 times higher odds of having symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively, compared to young people who were never bullied. Having high levels of resilience and cognitive social capital reduced the probability of having symptoms of depression and anxiety, but structural social capital did not. Conclusions Bullying was linked to depression and anxiety in disadvantaged Latin American youth. Interventions should focus on preventing bullying and enhancing resilience and community resources to support mental well-being.