Paradoxical effects of community social cohesion on mental health and help-seeking among older adults: The role of reputation concern and socioeconomic status

There is no consensus on whether community social cohesion has positive or negative impacts on mental health. In this study, we hypothesized that strong social norms in highly cohesive communities might increase concerns about reputation, which could negatively affect mental health and help-seeking. We analyzed data from 23,672 adults aged 65 years or older from the 2019 wave of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Cross-sectional multilevel analyses revealed that individual-level social cohesion—measured by community trust, reciprocity, and place attachment—predicted fewer depressive symptoms and lower reluctance to seek help. However, at the community level, social cohesion predicted higher concerns about reputation, which in turn predicted more depressive symptoms. Notably, this association was stronger among individuals with lower educational attainment, suggesting that they may experience greater reputational pressure within highly cohesive communities. These findings support our hypothesis that community social cohesion may be linked to negative outcomes due to reputational concern and highlight the paradoxical nature of social cohesion.