Percepción de Soledad y Autoestima como Predictores de la Salud Mental en Adultos: Un Estudio en un País Sudamericano

Introduction: The presence of mental health problems among adults in Ecuador underscores the need to identify potential predictors of their occurrence. Objective: This study aimed to examine the impact of loneliness perception and self-esteem as potential predictors of mental health problems in a sample of Ecuadorian adults. Methodology: A descriptive, correlational, predictive, and cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 1,293 Ecuadorian adults aged 18 to 63 years, of whom 42.3% were men and 57.7% were women. Results: Loneliness and self-esteem levels were found to be moderate, while the prevalence of mental health problems was low. Loneliness showed a positive moderate correlation with somatization, whereas self-esteem displayed a slight negative correlation with depression. Both loneliness and self-esteem emerged as significant predictors of these conditions. Conclusion: Loneliness and self-esteem influence the development and progression of specific mental health problems, such as somatization and depression, highlighting their relevance in interventions aimed at promoting mental health.