Depression, Anxiety, Well-Being, and Life Satisfaction in Quechua Adults in Southern Peru: A Structural Equation Model

The objective of the research was to explore the relationship between depression, anxiety, well-being, and satisfaction with life in the Quechua population of southern Peru. Method: a predictive and cross-sectional study design was developed. There was voluntary participation of 428 Quechua speakers from southern Peru, of whom 57.7% were women whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years (M = 33.52 and SD = 12.66), and 47% indicated that they were single. Results: The study found higher levels of anxiety in women compared to men (t = −2.13, p < 0.05). Life satisfaction was positively correlated with general well-being (r = 0.36, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with anxiety (r = −0.17, p < 0.01) and depression (r = −0.23, p < 0.01), as well as a positive correlation between anxiety and depression (r = 0.61, p < 0.01). Regarding structural relationships, SEM analysis showed that general well-being is directly associated with life satisfaction (β = 0.446, p < 0.001), and depression was negatively associated with life satisfaction (β = −0.495, p = 0.026). No significant associations were observed between anxiety and life satisfaction (β = 0.159, p = 0.462). Overall, the model accounts for 35.4% of the variance in life satisfaction (R2 = 0.354). The goodness-of-fit indices were satisfactory (χ2 (71) = 147.441, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.982, RMSEA = 0.067 [IC 90%: 0.056–0.079], SRMR = 0.041). Conclusions: Depression is significantly associated with anxiety and life satisfaction in the Quechua population of southern Peru.