Introduction Social inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the highest in the world. The mental health of adolescents might be notably affected by it. To understand this problem in depth, it is important to synthesise the available literature on it. Thus, this study aims to explore the available knowledge on the mental health of adolescents in LAC exposed to social inequality.
Method With the aim of performing a systematic scoping review, a literature search was conducted in the databases Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, and LILACS in June 2022. The focus of the search strategy was on Latin American adolescents and their mental health as well as social inequality. Articles published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish were included with no time limit. After screening, relevant data were extracted and qualitatively synthesised.
Results Out of 5,077 retrieved records, 42 papers were included in the final review. The large number of articles alone demonstrates an association between social inequality and mental health. Family conflicts, low education, unemployment, low quality of local services, and high levels of insecurity put the adolescents’ well-being at constant risk. Besides, socio-economic adversities are strong predictors for psychological disorders and/or suicidal behaviour.
Conclusion The scientific literature on adolescent mental health in LAC reveals that the social, political, and economic context of inequality produces problems ranging from reduced well-being to psychological illness. Structural interventions addressing the conditions of social inequality are essential.
