Severe anxiety, stress and depression according to life satisfaction among residents of Latin America

Introduction: Severe anxiety, stress and depression can cause a significant problem, which affects the response to everyday situations and has an impact on life satisfaction; however, there are no published studies that evaluate this situation in Latin America. To evaluate the association between severe anxiety, stress and depression according to life satisfaction in Latin American residents. Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical, and multicenter study was conducted in Latin American countries, analyzing a database of people surveyed virtually. Anxiety, depression and stress were measured with the DASS-21 test (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.97) and life satisfaction with the SWLS test (Cronbach's Alpha: 0.89). Descriptive and analytical statistics were obtained. Results: Of 2002 respondents, 28% presented dissatisfaction with life, of which 34%, 25% and 19% suffered from anxiety, depression and anxiety in severe degrees, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, greater dissatisfaction with life was found in people with severe degrees of depression (PRa: 4.22; CI 95%: 3.14-5.67; p-value <0.001), anxiety (PRa: 2.25; CI 95%: 2.04-2.48; p-value <0.001) and stress (PRa: 2.77; CI 95%: 2.27-3.37; p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The three severe states showed significant statistical correlations with life dissatisfaction, a factor that had not been previously measured in such a large population following the pandemic a few years ago. Health institutions in each country must consider this.