Resilience to depression among emerging adults in South Africa : insights from digital diaries

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.