Resilience to Depression Among Emerging Adults in South Africa: Insights From Digital Diaries

Diane Thembekile Levine, Linda Theron, Sadiyya Haffejee, Michael Ungar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Emerging adults facing chronic socioeconomic stress, especially depression, lack comprehensive research on resilience factors. This study analyzed digital diary entries (n = 338) from 57 individuals aged 18–24 in a South African township from July 2021 to April 2022. Participants highlighted relational, community, and cultural supports regardless of risk levels. Both high and low-risk groups faced challenges like financial instability, limited education, health threats, and lawlessness. However, institutional resource scarcity disproportionately affected higher-risk individuals, worsening issues like infrastructure deficits and violence exposure. Family and peer support emerged as crucial, especially for higher-risk participants. Individuals living in higher risk emphasized collective action and stranger support during infrastructure failures. These findings suggest that greater risk exposure may reinforce reliance on traditional, community-focused coping mechanisms, indicating the importance of studying differential resilience factors among young adults.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)694-709
Number of pages16
JournalEmerging Adulthood
Volume12
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024

Keywords

  • depression
  • digital
  • emerging adult
  • protective
  • resilience
  • stressor

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Life-span and Life-course Studies

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