Levine, Diane T.Theron, Linda C.Haffejee, SadiyyaUngar, Michael2025-01-172025-01-172024-10Levine, D.T., Theron, L.C., Haffejee, S. et al. 2024, 'Resilience to depression among emerging adults in South Africa : insights from digital diaries', Emerging Adulthood, vol. 12, no. 5, pp. 663-945, doi : 10.1177/21676968241273319.2167-6968 (print)2167-6984 (online)10.1177/21676968241273319http://hdl.handle.net/2263/100155Emerging 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.en©The Author(s) 2024. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.DigitalDepressionEmerging adultProtectiveResilienceStressorSDG-03: Good health and well-beingSDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesArticle