IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v64y2018i7p668-678.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Xinguang Chen
  • Mengting Gao
  • Yayun Xu
  • Yan Wang
  • Shiyue Li

Abstract

Background: Rapid socioeconomic changes in China present a mental health challenge and also an opportunity to investigate the relationship between social capital and depression. Materials and methods: Participants (18–45 years old, N  = 1,250) were selected using a probability sampling method. The relationship between social capital (measured using the Personal Social Capital Scale) and depression (measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory Depression Subscale) was examined using bivariate analysis, followed by multiple regression to control for covariates. Results: Of the total sample, 54.64% were female with mean age = 35.1 (standard deviation ( SD ) = 7.5) years old. Depression score was 10.40 ( SD  = 3.62) for males and 10.36 ( SD ) = 3.30) for females. The social capital measures (including the total, bonding and bridging) were all negatively associated with depression scores, while the negative social capital was positively associated, after controlling for covariates. Subgroup analysis revealed some differences in the social capital–depression associations. Conclusion: The protective effect of social capital for mental health reported in other countries is also evident in this study. In addition, we found a positive association between negative social capital and depression. In addition to adding new knowledge, findings of this study, if verified with longitudinal design, can be used to support social and behavioral interventions in China to promote mental health by social capital enhancement.

Suggested Citation

  • Xinguang Chen & Mengting Gao & Yayun Xu & Yan Wang & Shiyue Li, 2018. "Associations between personal social capital and depressive symptoms: Evidence from a probability sample of urban residents in China," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(7), pages 668-678, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:64:y:2018:i:7:p:668-678
    DOI: 10.1177/0020764018803123
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0020764018803123
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0020764018803123?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tsuyoshi Hamano & Yoshikazu Fujisawa & Yu Ishida & S V Subramanian & Ichiro Kawachi & Kuninori Shiwaku, 2010. "Social Capital and Mental Health in Japan: A Multilevel Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-6, October.
    2. Berkman, Lisa F. & Glass, Thomas & Brissette, Ian & Seeman, Teresa E., 2000. "From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(6), pages 843-857, September.
    3. Ferlander, Sara & Mäkinen, Ilkka Henrik, 2009. "Social capital, gender and self-rated health. Evidence from the Moscow Health Survey 2004," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(9), pages 1323-1332, November.
    4. De Silva, Mary J. & Huttly, Sharon R. & Harpham, Trudy & Kenward, Michael G., 2007. "Social capital and mental health: A comparative analysis of four low income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 5-20, January.
    5. Villalonga-Olives, E. & Kawachi, I., 2017. "The dark side of social capital: A systematic review of the negative health effects of social capital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 105-127.
    6. Xinguang Chen & Peigang Wang & Rhiana Wegner & Jie Gong & Xiaoyi Fang & Linda Kaljee, 2015. "Measuring Social Capital Investment: Scale Development and Examination of Links to Social Capital and Perceived Stress," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(3), pages 669-687, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xinguang Chen & Mengting Gao & Yayun Xu & Yan Wang & Shiyue Li, 2018. "Associations between personal social capital and depressive symptoms: Evidence from a probability sample of urban residents in China," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 64(8), pages 767-777, December.
    2. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2011. "Quality and quantity: The role of social interactions in self-reported individual health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(11), pages 1644-1652.
    3. Maria Pavlova & Rainer Silbereisen & Kamil Sijko, 2014. "Social Participation in Poland: Links to Emotional Well-Being and Risky Alcohol Consumption," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 29-44, May.
    4. Alison Andrew & Orazio P. Attanasio & Britta Augsburg & Jere Behrman & Monimalika Day & Pamela Jervis & Costas Meghir & Angus Phimister, 2020. "Mothers' Social Networks and Socioeconomic Gradients of Isolation," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2261, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    5. Inaba, Yoji & Wada, Yuri & Ichida, Yukinobu & Nishikawa, Masashi, 2015. "Which part of community social capital is related to life satisfaction and self-rated health? A multilevel analysis based on a nationwide mail survey in Japan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 169-182.
    6. Lorenzo Rocco & Elena Fumagalli & Marc Suhrcke, 2014. "From Social Capital To Health – And Back," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(5), pages 586-605, May.
    7. Matthias Lühr & Maria K. Pavlova & Maike Luhmann, 2022. "Nonpolitical Versus Political Participation: Longitudinal Associations with Mental Health and Social Well-Being in Different Age Groups," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 159(3), pages 865-884, February.
    8. Adjaye-Gbewonyo, Kafui & Kawachi, Ichiro & Subramanian, S.V. & Avendano, Mauricio, 2018. "High social trust associated with increased depressive symptoms in a longitudinal South African sample," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 127-135.
    9. Gu, Naeun, 2020. "The effects of neighborhood social ties and networks on mental health and well-being: A qualitative case study of women residents in a middle-class Korean urban neighborhood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 265(C).
    10. Netta Achdut & Tehila Refaeli & Talia Meital Schwartz Tayri, 2021. "Subjective Poverty, Material Deprivation Indices and Psychological Distress Among Young Adults: The Mediating Role of Social Capital and Usage of Online Social Networks," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 158(3), pages 863-887, December.
    11. Heather Booth & Pilar Rioseco & Heather Crawford, 2014. "What can reverse causation tell us about demographic differences in the social network and social support determinants of self-rated health in later life?," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 12(1), pages 23-52.
    12. Damiano Fiorillo & Nunzia Nappo, 2017. "Formal volunteering and self-perceived health. Causal evidence from the UK-SILC," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 75(2), pages 112-138, April.
    13. Fiorillo Damiano & Sabatini Fabio, 2011. "Quality and quantity: The role of social interactions in individual health," wp.comunite 0073, Department of Communication, University of Teramo.
    14. Fiorillo, Damiano, 2013. "Friends and health of the workers in Italy," MPRA Paper 44270, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Kim, Harris Hyun-Soo, 2015. "School context, friendship ties and adolescent mental health: A multilevel analysis of the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 209-216.
    16. Verduin, Femke & Smid, Geert E. & Wind, Tim R. & Scholte, Willem F., 2014. "In search of links between social capital, mental health and sociotherapy: A longitudinal study in Rwanda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 1-9.
    17. Lumbwe Chola & Olufunke Alaba, 2013. "Association of Neighbourhood and Individual Social Capital, Neighbourhood Economic Deprivation and Self-Rated Health in South Africa – a Multi-Level Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-9, July.
    18. Shiell, Alan & Hawe, Penelope & Kavanagh, Shane, 2020. "Evidence suggests a need to rethink social capital and social capital interventions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 257(C).
    19. Herberholz, Chantal & Phuntsho, Sonam, 2018. "Social capital, outpatient care utilization and choice between different levels of health facilities in rural and urban areas of Bhutan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 102-113.
    20. Shen, Yuying, 2014. "Community building and mental health in mid-life and older life: Evidence from China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 209-216.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:64:y:2018:i:7:p:668-678. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.