Associations between social capital and depression: A study of adult twins

Prevalence of major depressive disorder and its determinants among young married women and unmarried girls: Findings from the second round of UDAYA survey

INTRODUCTION

Depression is a prevalent and debilitating mental illness affecting young women worldwide. This study aimed to identify psychosocial determinants of major depressive disorder (MDD) among young women in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India.

METHODS

Data from "Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults" (UDAYA) study (2018-19) for young women aged 12-23 years, both married and unmarried was used for this paper. MDD was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 with a cut-off score of ≤10. The determinants of MDD were identified through multilevel binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of MDD was 13.6% (95% CL 12.2-15.2) and 5.1% (95% CL 4.2-6.1) for young married women and unmarried girls, respectively. Among the young married women, community-level variables like dowry-related humiliation (1.74, 95% CI 1.15-2.64), and sexual assaults (2.15, 95% CI 1.24-3.73) were significantly associated with MDD. For unmarried girls, reporting of family violence <10% of participants (0.45, 95% CI 0.24-0.85), family violence (≥10% of participants) % (0.35 95% CI 0.19-0.68) and interpartner violence (>25% of participants) (0.42; 95% CI 0.23-0.74) remain significant predictors of MDD. At individual level, for both the groups, age, participation in decision making (on education), social capital (currently attending school/educational course and number of friends), self-efficacy, telephonic harassment, and physical activity were associated with MDD. Wealth index, job seeking, participation in decision making (on health-seeking), parental interactions and physical abuse (for unmarried girls only) and education, reported last sexual intercourse, pressure from the in-laws' to conceive (for young married women only) were associated with MDD.

CONCLUSIONS

For young married women, community level targeted interventions should focus on the social ecology to foster a sense of safe community environment. For unmarried girls, additionally, interventions should aim to optimize their family environment for effective mental health outcomes.

Community indicators for mental health in Europe: a scoping review

Background

Community indicators may predict and influence individuals` mental health, and support or impede mental health management. However, there is no consensus on which indicators should be included in predictions, prognostic algorithms, or management strategies for community-based mental health promotion and prevention approaches. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of relevant community-level indicators for mental health in the general as well as risk populations in a European context.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and PsycInfo. Eligible studies focused on context factors such as either the physical or social environment, reporting at least one mental health outcome and referring to a European population. Publications between 2012 and March 8, 2022 are considered.

Results

In total, the search yielded 12,200 identified records. After the removal of duplicates, 10,059 records were screened against the eligibility criteria. In total, 169 studies were included in the final analysis. Out of these included studies, 6% focused on pan-European datasets and 94% on a specific European country. Populations were either general or high-risk populations (56 vs. 44%, respectively) with depressive disorder as the main reported outcome (49%), followed by general mental health (33%) and anxiety (23%). Study designs were cross-sectional studies (59%), longitudinal (27%), and others (14%). The final set of indicators consisted of 53 indicators, which were grouped conceptually into 13 superordinate categories of community indicators. These were divided into the domains of the physical and social environment. The most commonly measured and reported categories of community indicators associated with mental health outcomes were social networks (n = 87), attitudinal factors toward vulnerable groups (n = 76), and the characteristics of the built environment (n = 56).

Conclusion

This review provides an evidence base of existing and novel community-level indicators that are associated with mental health. Community factors related to the physical and social environment should be routinely recorded and considered as influencing factors or potentially underestimated confounders. The relevance should be analyzed and included in clinical outcomes, data, monitoring and surveillance as they may reveal new trends and targets for public mental health interventions.

Perceived social cohesion and depressive symptoms among internal migrants in China: The mediating role of social adaptation

Background

Internal migrants are exposed to higher risks of depressive symptoms due to migration-related stress. It has been recognized that perceived neighborhood social cohesion has direct and indirect associations with depressive symptoms. However, the pathway from perceived social cohesion to internal migrants' depressive symptoms was less discussed.

Objectives

To assess mental health disparities among internal migrants. To investigate the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms among urban-to-urban and rural-to-urban migrants and to examine the mediating role of social adaptation.

Methods

Data from the "2017 Urbanization and New Migrant Survey" was used, including 2,584 internal migrants age 18-65 from 10 cities in China. Social cohesion was measured by a six-item modified Community-level Cohesion Scale. Depressive symptoms was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and social adaptation was assessed by a single-item question of migrants' adaptation to local life. Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Baron and Kenny's mediation tests were conducted to examine the mediating role of social adaptation on the association. All analyses were adjusted using sampling weights to account for this survey's sampling design.

Results

Rural-to-urban migrants were found to have more clinically significant depressive symptoms, lower perceived social cohesion, and fair or low social adaptation than urban-to-urban migrants (all p < 0.001). Being rural-to-urban migrants as compared with urban-to-urban migrants [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.46, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.456, 1.461, p < 0.001], had lower perceived social cohesion (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.458, 1.463, p < 0.001), and poorer social adaptation (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.932, 1.941, p < 0.001), are associated with higher odds of having clinically significant depressive symptoms. Social adaptation partially mediated the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms by explaining 15.39% of its effect for urban-to-urban migrants and 18.97% for rural-to-urban migrants.

Conclusions

Findings from this study reveal mental health inequalities among internal migrants and demonstrate the importance of social adaption on the association between social cohesion and depressive symptoms. Social strategies and public policies are needed to build a more cohesive community that serves both local residents and internal migrants, especially rural-to-urban migrants.

Exploring potential for selection bias in using survey data to estimate the association between institutional trust and depression

PURPOSE

We tested the hypothesis that low institutional trust would be associated with depressive symptom elevation, with attention to potential selection bias.

METHODS

The District of Columbia Area Survey (DCAS) was conducted by mail in 2018. Invitations sent to 8800 households resulted in a sample of 1061 adults. Institutional trust questions referenced nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government. Depressive symptom elevation was assessed using PHQ-9. Logistic regression model estimates were compared with and without adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and neighborhood satisfaction; among complete cases and following multiple imputation of missing covariate data; and with and without survey weights or correction for collider selection bias.

RESULTS

Of 968 participants without missing depressive symptom or trust data, 24% reported low institutional trust. Low institutional trust was associated with elevated depressive symptoms (adjusted OR following multiple imputation: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.4), although the association was attenuated with use of survey weights (adjusted OR incorporating multiple imputation and survey weights: 1.6; 95% CI: 0.7, 3.2).

CONCLUSIONS

Under contrasting scenarios where low institutional trust and depressive symptoms jointly increase nonresponse, selection bias could lead to under- or overestimation of this association. Future research could explore posited selection bias scenarios that differ in direction of bias.

The Impact of Multidimensional Poverty on Rural Households' Health: From a Perspective of Social Capital and Family Care

Although absolute poverty has been eliminated in rural China, multidimensional poverty has an unstoppable impact on the self-rated health of rural households through multiple dimensions. This study constructed a moderated mediation model with multidimensional poverty as the independent variable to explore the impact on rural households' self-rated health, social capital as a mediating variable, and family care as a moderating variable. We used the survey data of 382 sample out-of-poverty rural households in Jiangxi, China, in 2020. Our results indicated that multidimensional poverty had a detrimental impact on the self-rated health and social capital of rural households, both of which were significant at the 1% level (β = -0.751, t = -4.775, and β = -0.197, t = -7.08). A test of the mediating effect of social capital using the mediation model found the mediating effect accounting for 84.95% of the entire effect of multidimensional poverty on rural households' self-rated health. Further, the interaction term between family care and multidimensional poverty and its beneficial effect on social capital as well as the interaction term between family care and social capital and its negative effect on rural household' self-rated health are both statistically significant at the 1% level (β = 0.558, t = -5.221 and β = -2.100, t = -3.304). It is revealed that multidimensional poverty affects rural households' self-rated health through social capital and that family care moderates the mediating pathway. Family care exacerbates the negative effect of multidimensional poverty on rural households' self-rated health and weakens the beneficial effect of social capital on rural households' self-rated health. The lower (higher) the level of family care, the more significant the positive (negative) effect of social capital on rural households' health. Therefore, rural households should prioritize building social capital and shifting the responsibility for family care. First, through enhancing housing infrastructure and establishing cultural and educational initiatives, households can improve their viability. Second, increasing engagement in group activities will enhance social networks and boost interpersonal connections. Finally, to lessen the stress on family caregivers, building socialized care services can cover the gap in family care.

[Relationship between social support and depression among older people from elderly care social organizations in Anhui Province, China]

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between absent social support and depression among older adults from elderly care social organizations in Anhui Province, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method was conducted in six selected cities of Anhui Province, China. A linear regression model was employed to estimate the association between absent social support and depression.

RESULTS

All in all, 1167 older people were included. Social support and the three dimensions studied were all negatively correlated with depression. These findings suggest that older people from elderly care organizations, who reported higher social support, were less likely to develop depression. This association also existed after stratified analysis in different areas: household (urban/rural), age and gender.

DISCUSSION

A higher level of social support was correlated with lower chances of experiencing depression. These findings are consistent with the majority of previous literature having reported on social support among elderly populations. However, some of our findings differ from those of other studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that improved social support could help to prevent depression among older adults.

Pandemic parenting: A pilot study of in-person versus internet-DOCS K-5 for caregivers of school-age children with disruptive behaviors

Behavioral parent training (BPT) programs are needed to address disruptive behavior disorders among school-aged children. Given the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and associated mental health consequences, adapting BPTs to telehealth modalities is necessary to ensure continued services to children and families. This pilot study evaluated the use of a telehealth vs in-person modality to deliver the Developing Our Children's Skills K-5 (DOCS K-5) BPT. Participants were caregivers of children enrolled in elementary school exhibiting disruptive behaviors who participated in either in-person DOCS K-5 (n = 21) or internet-DOCS K-5 (i-DOCS K-5; n = 34). Pre- and post-intervention outcome measures were collected for child disruptive behavior, parenting stress, and caregiver symptoms of depression while consumer satisfaction was assessed at post-test only. Multiple linear and Poisson regression models were performed to assess the effect of session modality on the outcomes. Child disruptive behavior, parenting stress and depression, and consumer satisfaction scores were not significantly different across groups, even after adjusting for baseline characteristics. The results of this study provide preliminary evidence that the i-DOCS K-5 modality is as effective as the in-person program. Study findings may be beneficial to practitioners treating school-age children and utilizing telehealth interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic and onward.

Effects of Stigma on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Sexual Satisfaction Among Breast Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND

Sexual satisfaction is one of the issues faced by breast cancer survivors (BCSs).

AIM

This study aims to explore the mediation of stigma in the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and sexual satisfaction among breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 918 BCSs in Shanghai Cancer Rehabilitation Club. Data were collected using an online questionnaire including questions on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, PSS, stigma and sexual satisfaction of participants. The bootstrap method was used to test the significance of the simple mediation model.

OUTCOMES

The simple mediation of stigma was found significant in the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction.

RESULTS

Stigma plays an intermediary role in the relationship between 2 dimensions of PSS (family and friends) and sexual satisfaction, but not in the relationship between the dimension of other significant people of PSS and sexual satisfaction.

CLINICAL TRANSLATION

It is important to reduce stigma when improving the sexual satisfaction of BCSs from the perspective of PSS.

STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS

The mediating role of stigma in the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction among BCSs has been shown for the first time. Study limitations include limitations in the representativeness of population by the study sample and the cross-sectional study design.

CONCLUSIONS

Stigma mediates the relationship between PSS and sexual satisfaction, which needs to be eliminated in intervention practice. Yuxin Zhang, Jie Zhao, Nan Jiang, et al. Effects of Stigma on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Sexual Satisfaction Among Breast Cancer Survivors. J Sex Med 2022;19:1002-1011.

Effects of Multifaceted Determinants on Individual Stress: The Mediating Role of Social Capital

Stress substantially results in various negative health outcomes. While there is a nexus between social capital and individual stress, previous studies have primarily explored the direct relationship between them. Social capital may potentially have an indirect effect on perceived stress via social networking pathways that provide accessible resources. This study addresses this research gap by exploring the mediating effect of social capital for associations between personal-level features, personal-level behaviors, physical environments, and perceived stress. A household drop-off survey of 600 respondents was collected from two neighborhoods in Korea and analyzed by structural equation models. Results showed that social capital acted as a mediator on perceived stress level. The frequency of community center use had both direct and indirect impacts on stress level through social capital. Those who were satisfied with the cleanliness of the neighborhood had a higher level of social capital and a lower level of stress indirectly through social capital. Households with more children had a lower level of social capital, while persons who had chronic disease and were more extroverted, agreeable, and open to others enjoyed a higher level of social capital. The results provide policy implications on how community revitalization affects social capital and perceived stress.

Association between neighborhood environments and suicidal ideation among Korean adults

BACKGROUND

The relationship between neighborhood environments and suicide has not been well studied. In the present study, relations between suicidal ideation and social and physical environments were investigated in Korean adults.

METHODS

This nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the 2013 Korea Community Health Survey. The final analysis included 221,038 individuals aged ≥ 19 years. A multivariate regression model was used to examine the independent effects of environments on suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

Approximately 9.4% of participants had experienced suicidal ideation. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed that trusting neighbors and all five physical environments were independently associated with suicidal ideation. As regards physical environments, relations with suicidal ideation varied across subgroups: satisfaction with overall safety was to be strongly and consistently related to less suicidal ideation.

LIMITATIONS

Causality and the impact of unmeasured confounders were not addressed.

CONCLUSION

Neighborhood environments may reduce suicidal ideation.

Neighborhood-Based Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms among Adults: Evidence from Guangzhou, China

This study examined the association between neighborhood-based social capital (NSC) and depressive symptoms in the context of urban neighborhoods in China, with special attention given to the association heterogeneity across socioeconomic groups. Drawing on cross-sectional data collected from 39 neighborhoods in Guangzhou, this research demonstrated that adults’ depressive symptoms were higher among those with lower cognitive (trustworthiness, reciprocity, and cohesion within a neighborhood) and structural (social network and participation) dimensions of NSC. Further analysis showed that the negative association between NSC and depressive symptoms was significantly heterogeneous across socioeconomic groups. Specifically, this negative relationship was more prominent in the lower socioeconomic classes than in the upper socioeconomic classes, indicating that the lower accumulation of NSC among disadvantaged groups may aggravate depression unequally across social classes. In addition, the negative association between social participation and depressive symptoms was stronger for people who are older or unemployed. The findings of this study not only provide new evidence concerning the significance of the beneficial effects of NSC in the Chinese context, but also, more importantly, highlight that NSC plays a crucial role in creating mental health inequality across social classes. Thus, the relevant social interventions including fostering neighborhood relationships and social activities should be carefully tailored against the backdrop of community building during the urbanization process. The implications of our study for urban governance to promote healthy cities are discussed.

Social Capital and Self-Rated Health: Empirical Evidence from China

This study assesses the relationship between social capital and self-reported health (SRH) by comparing different genders and ages. It utilizes data from the 2016 China Family Panel Study data with a sample of 30,657 adult individuals from 25 provincial-level administrative regions in China. This was a cross-sectional study conducted with computer-assisted face-to-face interviews to assess social capital and self-rated health among Chinese adults. A multi-level Poisson regression model is employed to model social capital-related dependent variables using the independent variable of fair/poor health status. In terms of social relations, mobile phone use can improve men's health. However, this effect is insignificant for women. Moreover, gender and age interact with the relationship between social capital and individual health. The relationship between trust and self-rated health is not significantly different between men and women. The frequency of feeling lonely and the lack of feelings for the community in which they live have a negative impact on self-rated health, but there are no obvious differences in terms of gender. The number of meals per week with family members is negatively correlated with men's SRH, but there is no correlation with adult women 41 and above. Lack of help from neighbors is negatively correlated with men's health, but not with that of adult women 40 and below. Being a member of the Chinese Communist Party or a member of the Chinese Communist Youth League is positively correlated with SRH for women 60 and above.

Social Capital, Income Loss, and Psychobehavioral Responses amid COVID-19: A Population-Based Analysis

This study examined the associations of perceived social capital and income change since the outbreak with probable depression and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong. Random digit dialing recruited a population-representative sample of 3011 Hong Kong Chinese aged ≥ 15 years (mean = 44, 55% females) between February 25 and April 29 2020. Respondents reported social capital (perceived interpersonal trust, social harmony, and sense of belonging), income change since the outbreak (loss vs. gain/no change), depressive symptoms, preventive behaviors, and demographics. Controlling for sociodemographics, lack of perceived interpersonal trust was associated with probable depression and avoiding contact with people with respiratory symptoms. Lack of perceived sense of belonging was associated with probable depression and decreased odds of adopting preventive behaviors. Lack of perceived social harmony was associated with probable depression and increased odds of used face masks among respondents with income loss only. Our results suggest that social capital is related to lower risk of depression and to higher chance of used face masks particularly among those experiencing income loss related to COVID-19. Prevention of mental health problems and promotion of effective preventive behaviors could be implemented by focusing on support for those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Effects of physical activity and stress on the relationship between social capital and quality of life among breast cancer survivors

This study aims to investigate the serial multiple mediation of physical activity and perceived stress in the relationship between individual social capital and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors (BCSs). This study was conducted among 520 BCSs between March and April 2017 in Shanghai, China. Data were collected using the Individual Social Capital Scale, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, the Perceived Stress Scale-14 and the EORTC QLQ-C30. Ordinary least-squares regression and the bootstrap method was used to test the significance of the serial multiple mediation model. The serial-multiple mediations of physical activity and perceived stress were found significant in the relationship of QOL with all five dimensions of individual social capital. The separate mediations of two single mediating variables were found significant in the relationship of QOL with control over life and feeling about the community. In the relationship of QOL with social participation, social network and social support, the separate mediation of physical activity was significant, while the separate mediation of perceived stress was not significant. A multidisciplinary team approach and a variety of delivery systems are needed to address the social, physical and psychological issues for improving QOL among BCSs.

Association between social capital and depression among older people: evidence from Anhui Province, China

BACKGROUND

To examine the relationship between social capital and depression among community-dwelling older adults in Anhui Province, China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among older people selected from three cities of Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method. Data were collected through questionnaire interviews and information on demographic characteristics, social capital, and depression was collected. The generalized linear model and classification and regression tree model were employed to assess the association between social capital and depression.

RESULTS

Totally, 1810 older people aged ≥60 years were included in the final analysis. Overall, all of the social capital dimensions were positively associated with depression: social participation (coefficient: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.22-0.48), social support (coefficient:0.18, 95% CI:0.07-0.28), social connection (coefficient: 0.76, 95% CI:0.53-1.00), trust (coefficient:0.62, 95% CI:0.33-0.92), cohesion (coefficient:0.31, 95% CI:0.17-0.44) and reciprocity (coefficient:0.30, 95% CI:0.11-0.48), which suggested that older people with higher social capital had a smaller chance to develop depression. A complex joint effect of certain social capital dimensions on depression was also observed. The association with depression and the combinative effect of social capital varied among older adults across the cities.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that improving social capital could aid in the prevention of depression among older adults.

Association between Social Trust and Metabolic Syndrome in a Previously Healthy Population-A Longitudinal Cohort Study in South Korea

Background: Social trust, assessed by the trustworthiness of one another in a community, is known to have beneficial effects on health outcomes. However, the impact of social trust on metabolic syndrome (MetS) is unclear. Methods: The study subjects were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, and social trust was obtained from the Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS). Previously healthy participants were followed up from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011, and again from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2013 for waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for newly developed MetS according to social trust quintiles. Stratified analyses were performed to determine the relationship between lifestyle behaviors and social trust. Results: Compared to the participants within the first quintile of social trust, those in the remaining quintiles had lower risks of developing MetS. The aOR with the 95% CI was 0.88 (0.79–0.98) in the 5th quintile group of social trust. Among the diagnostic criteria for MetS, waist circumference and HDL-C were statistically significant with aORs of 0.91 (0.84–0.99) and 0.88 (0.80–0.95) in the 5th quintile group. The stratified analyses showed protective effects of positive lifestyle behaviors. The aORs with 95% CIs were 0.85 (0.74–0.99) in never smokers, 0.82 (0.70–0.95) in non-drinkers and 0.87 (0.76–1.00) in the physically active in the highest level of social trust. Conclusions: Higher social trust was associated with a lower incidence of MetS. Therefore, building community with psychosocial support may be helpful in improving public health.

Place, social capital, and mental health: A mixed-methods case study of a community-based intervention

This study collaborated with the "Neighbourhoods in Solidarity" (NS) action research intervention to understand place, social capital, and mental health for older adults in one Swiss town. It used a longitudinal mixed-methods design, combing a pre/post survey with ethnographic observations. It found that place was a recurring theme throughout the NS intervention and how the NS were able to build social capital. Older adults who participated in the NS experienced an increase in structural social capital, but many participants already had high levels of structural social capital before the intervention. Participants did not experience a significant change in cognitive social capital, but this may have been due to a general decline in cognitive social capital in the area. Neither changes in cognitive nor structural social capital predicted depressive symptoms after one year.

The impact of social capital on patients with multiple sclerosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between social capital (SC) and the physical and psychological impact of multiple sclerosis (MS).

MATERIALS & METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among people with MS (pwMS) at The Royal London Hospital, London, UK. Participants completed a survey including the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale-29 (MSIS-29), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the self-reported EDSS and a SC questionnaire (SCQ). The SCQ assessed personal relationships, social support networks, civic engagement, and trust and cooperative norms. Kendall's tau correlation test was performed to measure the correlation between SC and MSIS-29 scores, and multiple linear regressions were conducted to find the best outcome prediction model.

RESULTS

236 pwMS participated in the study. Median age was 43.5 years (IQR 35-52). Of the total, 168 (71.2%) were female and 180 (76.3%) had relapsing-remitting MS. Median MSIS-29 scores were 23.7 (IQR 8.8-57.5) for the physical scale and 38.9 (IQR 16.7-55.6) for the psychological scales. Total SC scores were significantly correlated with the MSIS-29 physical (τb = -0.09, P = .02) and psychological scores (τb = -0.23, P < .001). After adjusting for possible confounders, the "personal relationships" domain had a significant effect on the MSIS-29 physical scores (β = -2.70, SE = 1.34; P = .045). Total SC (β = -1.08, SE = 0.33; P = .001) and the "personal relationships" (β = -2.60, SE = 1.20; P = .031) and "trust and cooperative norms" (β = -1.40, SE = 0.61; P = .024) domains had a significant effect on the MSIS-29 psychological scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher levels of SC were associated with lower physical and psychological impact of MS. Emerging evidence on SC and its effects on MS should be translated into interventions designed to promote the health and well-being of pwMS.

Social Capital as a Mediator through the Effect of Education on Depression and Obesity among the Elderly in China

Objectives: Global aging is an increasingly serious problem. The health problems faced by the elderly, such as depression and obesity, require serious consideration. Education, depression and obesity are inextricably linked; for the elderly, education is constant, and the factors which can mediate the relationship between education, depression and obesity are still being discussed by scholars. The mediating effect of social capital is rarely studied. The objective of this study was to assess the mediating role of cognitive social capital and structural social capital, as well as the effect of education on depression and obesity among the elderly using China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data. Methods: In total, 4919 respondents were included in the final analysis. Education was measured by years of schooling. Trust and participation were used as measures of cognitive social capital and structural social capital. Depression symptoms and BMI were used as outcomes. Structural equation models were developed to examine the direct and indirect effect of social capital and education on health outcomes. Results: Education was negatively correlated with depression symptom (r = −0.15, p < 0.001), while education was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.08, p < 0.001). Older adults with a higher education level have higher cognitive social capital (r = 0.11, p < 0.001) and structural social capital (r = 0.20, p < 0.001). Social capital plays a mediatory role. Older adults with higher social capital have a lower risk of depression (cognitive: r = −0.23, p < 0.001; structural: r = −0.03, p < 0.01) but a higher risk of obesity (cognitive: r = 0.06, p < 0.01; structural: r = 0.03, p < 0.01). For depression, the mediating function of cognitive social capital (a1b1= −0.025) is stronger than that of structural social capital (a2b2 = −0.006). While, for obesity, the effects of both cognitive and structural social capital are the same (a1c1 = a2c2 = 0.005). Conclusions: Social capital as a mediator through the effect of education on depression and obesity among the elderly in China. Meanwhile, using the positive effects of social capital to avoid negative effects should also be seriously considered.

Using socially-sensed data to infer ZIP level characteristics for the spatiotemporal analysis of drug-related health problems in Maryland

This research investigated how socially sensed data can be used to detect ZIP level characteristics that are associated with spatial and temporal patterns of Emergency Department patients with a chief complaint and/or diagnosis of overdose or drug-related health problems for four hospitals in Baltimore and Anne Arundel County, MD during 2016-2018. Dynamic characteristics were identified using socially-sensed data (i.e., geo-tagged Twitter data) at ZIP code level over varying temporal resolutions. Data about three place-based variables including comments and concerns about crime, drug use, and negative or depressed sentiments, were extracted from tweets, along with data from four socio-environmental variables from the American Community Survey were collected to explore socio-environmental characteristics during the same period. Our study showed a statistically significant increase in adjusted rates of Emergency Department (ED) visits occurred between June and November 2017 for patients residing in ZIP codes in western Baltimore and northeastern Anne Arundel County. During this period, the three topics extracted from Twitter data were highly correlated with the ZIP codes where the patients were residing. Exploring the dynamic spatial associations between socio-environmental variables and ED visits for acute overdose assists local health officials in optimizing interventions for vulnerable locations.

Associations Between Social Capital and Depressive Symptoms Among College Students in 12 Countries: Results of a Cross-National Study

Introduction

A mental health crisis has hit university campuses across the world. This study sought to determine the prevalence and social determinants of depressive symptoms among university students in twelve countries. Particular focus was placed on the association between social capital and depressive symptoms.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among students at their first year at university in Europe, Asia, the Western Pacific, and Latin and North America. Data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire, including questions on sociodemographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, and social capital. The simplified Beck's Depression Inventory was used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. Social capital was assessed using items drawn from the World Bank Integrated Questionnaire to Measure Social Capital. Multilevel analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between social capital and depressive symptoms, adjusting for individual covariates (e.g., perceived stress) and country-level characteristics (e.g., economic development).

Results

Among 4228 students, 48% presented clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Lower levels of cognitive (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.44-2.29) and behavioral social capital (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.29-1.76) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms. The likelihood of having depressive symptoms was also significantly higher among those living in regions with lower levels of social capital.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that lower levels of individual and macro-level social capital contribute to clinically relevant depressive symptoms among university students. Increasing social capital may mitigate depressive symptoms in college students.

A cohort longitudinal study of individual level social capital and depressive symptoms in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study

This study examined the association between two dimensions of social capital, structural and cognitive, and depression, as well as investigating their within- and between-effects. Using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, I applied a multi-level 2-wave longitudinal analysis, over a 7-year period, to examine these two dimensions of social capital influence on individual's depressive symptoms at both the between- and within-person levels. Results suggest both dimensions of social capital are negatively related with levels of depressive symptoms. The within-person changes for both self-efficacy and sense of belonging were larger than the estimates of between-effects, while trust and structural social capital effects were equal. These findings add to the growing body of literature examining depressive symptoms in late life, while also providing evidence for policymakers to hone in on key areas that can address depressive symptoms with social capital interventions.

Owners' Attitudes toward Their Companion Dogs Are Associated with the Owners' Depression Symptoms-An Exploratory Study in South Korea

Background: Various health benefits from the ownership of companion dogs have been studied from a One Health perspective. However, the preventive effects on depression are unclear, with inconsistent results across studies. We hypothesized that heterogeneity among owners would be related to the mixed results. Specifically, the difference in the strength of the bond between the owners and their companion dogs would modify the effect of dog ownership. As an exploratory study, we compared the depression symptoms of the owners with favorable attitudes toward their dogs, with those of the owners with unfavorable attitudes, to investigate the potential effect modification of owners' attitudes on the association between the ownership and depression symptom. Methods: We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey of 654 19- to 39-year-old adults who had companion dogs in Seoul, South Korea, where a major health burden is depression among young adults. We measured the owners' attitudes toward their dogs using the modified Pet Attitude Scale (PAS-M) and their depression symptoms using the short version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale (CESD-10). Demographic and socioeconomic factors were measured to adjust for the association between attitude and depression symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression models were used in this study. Results: The owners who had less favorable attitudes toward their dogs (lower PAS-M scores) tended to have depression symptoms. The direction and significance were maintained either when the PAS-M variable was used as a continuous variable (odds ratio (OR) for one score increase in PAS-M was 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.94-0.96)) or as a categorical variable (OR for lower PAS-M was 3.19 (95% CI = 2.28 -4.47)). Conclusion: We found a positive significant association between owners' depression symptoms and unfavorable attitudes toward their dogs, although causal direction could not be determined. Future studies should investigate the potential causal link.