Mental health impact of social capital interventions: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose Mental disorders are a major contributor to the global burden of disease and disability, and can be extremely costly at both individual and community level. Social capital, (SC) defined as an individual’s social relationships and participation in community networks, may lower the risk of mental disorders while increasing resilience capacity, adaptation and recovery. SC interventions may be a cost-effective way of preventing and ameliorating these conditions. However, the impact of these SC interventions on mental health still needs research. Methods We conducted a systematic review of SC-based interventions to investigate their effect on mental health outcomes from controlled, quasi-experimental studies or pilot trials. We searched twelve academic databases, three clinical trials registries, hand-searched references and contacted field experts. Studies’ quality was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias tools for randomized and non-randomized studies. Results Seven studies were included in the review, published between 2006 and 2016. There was substantial heterogeneity in the definitions of both SC and mental disorders among the studies, preventing us from calculating pooled effect sizes. The interventions included community engagement and educative programs, cognitive processing therapy and sociotherapy for trauma survivors, and neighbourhood projects. Conclusions There are paucity of SC interventions investigating the effect on mental health outcomes. This study showed that both SC scores and mental health outcomes improved over time but there was little evidence of benefit compared to control groups in the long term. Further high-quality trials are needed, especially among adverse populations to assess sustainability of effect.

Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among High School Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda

“…Similar ndings have been documented for hopelessness [41,42]. In addition, the relationship between family and community social capital and mental health outcomes among children and adolescents has been widely documented [43][44][45][46]. Social capital in the form of social support, especially from parents/caregivers and family members is consistently associated with adolescent's protection from depression [47][48][49][50].…”

How does social capital affect individual health among the elderly in rural China?—Mediating effect analysis of physical exercise and positive attitude

“…Among the elderly, social capital significantly promotes their self-rated health, activities of daily living, and chronic disease and mental health status, where its most important role is to promote activities of daily living [22]. Cognitive social capital can significantly alleviate depressive symptoms, relieve loneliness and increase life expectancy among older adults [23]. Structural social capital in the form of social networks is more likely to be associated with better mental health than with better self-related health among the elderly [24].…”

Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among High School Adolescent Girls in Southern Uganda

“…This study was however conducted in the central region of Uganda, with a sample of 591 adolescents, within a mix of boarding schools and single sex schools, with slightly different socioeconomic status of the students' body, compared to the general student population in Uganda. In addition, this study did not assess social support -which has been documented as an important predictor of mental health wellbeing among individuals, including children and adolescents [43][44][45]74].…”