Associations between personal social capital and depressive symptoms: Evidence from a probability sample of urban residents in China

Individual-level social capital is associated with depressive symptoms among middle-aged community dwellers in rural Vietnam: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

There has been comparatively little research on the association between social capital and depressive symptoms in low- and middle-income countries. To address this deficit this study examined the association among middle-aged adults in rural Vietnam.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Data came from the baseline survey of the Khánh Hòa Cardiovascular Study, which is an ongoing prospective cohort study aiming to elucidate the determinants of cardiovascular diseases.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 3000 people aged 40-60 years old residing in rural communes in Khánh Hòa province, Vietnam.

EXPOSURE OF INTEREST

Cognitive social capital (ie, low, middle and high) and structural social capital (in terms of social participation; yes or no) were assessed via a questionnaire.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.

RESULTS

A robust Poisson regression model revealed that adults in the highest versus lowest cognitive social capital tertile had a 61% lower prevalence of depressive symptoms (prevalence ratio (PR)=0.39, 95% CI=0.31 to 0.49). Individuals with higher structural social capital were also significantly less likely to experience depressive symptoms (PR=0.74, 95% CI=0.61 to 0.90).

CONCLUSION

In a cohort of 3000 middle-aged rural residents in Vietnam, both cognitive and structural social capital assessed at the individual level were inversely associated with the prevalence of depressive symptoms.

Serial Mediation Model of Social Capital Effects over Academic Stress in University Students

Background: Although several studies have shown that social capital and social support decreases academic stress (AS), there has been lack of atheoretical model to explain how this occurs. This study aims to verify a model that explains the effect of bonding social capital (BSC) over academic stress psychological symptoms (PsyS), considering the multiple sequential mediation of socio-emotional support (SES), self-efficacy (sEffic) and self-esteem (sEstee). Methods: In a transversal study, 150 undergraduate volunteer students were recruited using non-probabilistic purposive sampling. Data were collected using psychological questionnaires and were processed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: Goodness of fit of the models (SRMR = 0.056, 0.057, <HI95) (dULS, dG < HI95), reliability and validity are adequate. The indirect effect of BSC over PsyS (β = −0.196; IC 95% [−0.297, −0.098]) is relevant and significant and is serial mediated by SES and sEffic. Conclusions: From a very precise conceptual definition, a model is generated, within which empirical evidence explains the relationship between BSC and PsyS, emphasizing the role of BSC in the development of personal resources to cope with AS. This can be applied to policies and public health programs that affect these variables.

Formal volunteering and depressive symptoms among Community-Dwelling older adults in China: A longitudinal cross-level analysis

The role of formal volunteering in mental health promotion among older adults in China has been widely discussed during recent decades. However, the relationship connecting mental health with cross-level interaction (i.e., average levels of participation in the community vs. individual participation) is still unclear. This paper examined the effects of cross-level formal volunteering on depressive symptoms among older adults living in China. Using two waves of the China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey, a sample of 3128 Chinese older adults was surveyed in 2014 and 2016. Depressive symptoms were measured using the abbreviated CES-D-9. Individual fixed-effects ordinary least squares regression models assessed the associations between individual- and community-level formal volunteering and depressive symptoms in urban and rural areas separately. We found that in the urban sample, formal volunteering activities were negatively associated with depressive symptoms at the individual level (β = -0.49, SE = 0.22, p < 0.05). Higher community-level formal volunteering was positively associated with depressive symptoms (β = 2.82, SE = 1.42, p < 0.05). When adding interactions between individual and community levels, engagement in individual-level formal volunteering was associated with lower rates of depressive symptoms as community volunteering participation levels increased (β = -3.07, SE = 1.07, p < 0.01). High community-level volunteering participation was detrimental for non-volunteers. In rural areas, neither community- nor individual-level formal volunteering was associated with changes in depressive symptoms. The current findings demonstrate formal volunteering may not always benefit mental health for all. The effects may depend on the community context and individual choices. Social policies aimed to promote mental health through formal volunteering need to be tailored according to the specific community social environment.

'It's Easily the Lowest I've Ever, Ever Got to': A Qualitative Study of Young Adults' Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Lockdowns in the UK

(1) Background: Social connectivity is key to young people's mental health. Local assets facilitate social connection, but were largely inaccessible during the pandemic. This study consequently investigates the social isolation of young adults and their use of local assets during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK. (2) Methods: Fifteen semi-structured Zoom interviews were undertaken with adults aged 18-24 in the UK. Recruitment took place remotely, and transcripts were coded and analysed thematically. (3) Results: Digital assets were key to young people's social connectivity, but their use was associated with stress, increased screen time and negative mental health outcomes. The lockdowns impacted social capital, with young people's key peripheral networks being lost, yet close friendships being strengthened. Finally, young people's mental health was greatly affected by the isolation, but few sought help, mostly out of a desire to not overburden the NHS. (4) Conclusions: This study highlights the extent of the impact of the pandemic isolation on young people's social capital and mental health. Post-pandemic strategies targeting mental health system strengthening, social isolation and help-seeking behaviours are recommended.

Does Young Adults' Neighborhood Environment Affect Their Depressive Mood? Insights from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey

The rates of depression among young adults have been increasing in high-income countries and have emerged as a social problem in South Koreans aged 19–34. However, the literature is unclear on whether the neighborhood environment that young adults live in affects the onset and severity of their depressive symptoms. This study analyzed data from the 2019 Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS) using the Tobit model to identify the effect of the neighborhood environment on young adults’ depressive moods. Controlling for other corresponding factors, young adults’ neighborhood environment satisfaction affected their depression, and natural environment satisfaction (32.5%), safety level satisfaction (31.0%), social overhead capital (SOC), environment satisfaction (30.2%), trust between neighbors satisfaction (20.1%), and public transportation environmental satisfaction (12.2%) affected young adults’ depressive moods. Of these, natural environment satisfaction (32.5%), safety level environment satisfaction (31.0%), and SOC environment satisfaction (30.2%) affected young adults’ depressive mood to a similar extent. This implies that many young adults in South Korea live in inadequate neighborhood conditions. This research contributes to the literature by identifying the specific environmental factors that affect young adults’ depressive moods.

Gender Difference in Social Capital, Common Mental Disorders and Depression: ELSA-Brasil Study

Association studies between social capital and health point out that a high level of social capital can act as a protector for mental health. The growing interest in social risk factors for mental health coincides with the development of social capital research. Higher levels of social capital available through social networks can act as a protector for mental health. This study investigates gender differences in the association between social capital and common mental disorders (CMD) and depression. We analyzed 15,052 participants in the baseline of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). CMD and depression were assessed by Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) and social capital by the Resource Generator scale. We used Logistic regression models stratified by sex. Women with lower social capital in the social support dimension had a greater chance of presenting CMD (OR = 1.36; CI 95%: 1.16–1.60) and depression (OR = 2.07; CI 95%: 1.57–2.72) when compared to women with higher social capital. No association was identified among men, or among women in the “prestige and education” dimension. The differences found between the dimensions of social capital support its multidimensionality, as well as the differences found between sexes, confirm the need to approach gender in its association with mental health.