The association between social capital and mental health and behavioural problems in children and adolescents: an integrative systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundMental health is an important component of overall health and wellbeing and crucial for a happy and meaningful life. The prevalence of mental health problems amongst children and adolescent is high; with estimates suggesting 10-20% suffer from mental health problems at any given time. These mental health problems include internalising (e.g. depression and social anxiety) and externalising behavioural problems (e.g. aggression and anti-social behaviour). Although social capital has been shown to be associated with mental health/behavioural problems in young people, attempts to consolidate the evidence in the form of a review have been limited. This integrative systematic review identified and synthesised international research findings on the role and impact of family and community social capital on mental health/behavioural problems in children and adolescents to provide a consolidated evidence base to inform future research and policy development.MethodsNine electronic databases were searched for relevant studies and this was followed by hand searching. Identified literature was screened using review-specific inclusion/exclusion criteria, the data were extracted from the included studies and study quality was assessed. Heterogeneity in study design and outcomes precluded meta-analysis/meta-synthesis, the results are therefore presented in narrative form.ResultsAfter screening, 55 studies were retained. The majority were cross-sectional surveys and were conducted in North America (n = 33); seven were conducted in the UK. Samples ranged in size from 29 to 98,340. The synthesised results demonstrate that family and community social capital are associated with mental health/behavioural problems in children and adolescents. Positive parent–child relations, extended family support, social support networks, religiosity, neighbourhood and school quality appear to be particularly important.ConclusionsTo date, this is the most comprehensive review of the evidence on the relationships that exist between social capital and mental health/behavioural problems in children and adolescents. It suggests that social capital generated and mobilised at the family and community level can influence mental health/problem behaviour outcomes in young people. In addition, it highlights key gaps in knowledge where future research could further illuminate the mechanisms through which social capital works to influence health and wellbeing and thus inform policy development.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2050-7283-2-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Social Capital and Vulnerable Urban Youth in Five Global Cities

“…5–6 A growing body of evidence suggests that the presence and amount of social capital is essential for the health and successful development of young people. 7–9 …”

“…10–11 Some in the US argue that the rise of single parent households threatens these networks. 7 Researchers in the US 12–13 and Europe 14 have shown that young people who grow up without both parents are disadvantaged over peers who do, and this effect persists when the effects of reduced economic resources are controlled. 15 Research documents similar findings in Latin America 16 and Africa, 17–19 most visibly among orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, while in India, norms prescribing strict age and gender hierarchies within the family inhibit parent-child connections.…”

Material Well-being, Social Relationships and Children’s Overall Life Satisfaction in Hong Kong

“…shared activities) (Ferguson 2006;R a l e y2014), perception of relationships with parents and teachers (e.g. being respected and treated fairly at home and school) (Goswami 2012;McAuley and Rose 2014;Rees and Main 2015), norms of reciprocity and trust at home and school (McPherson et al 2014), feeling of safety at home and school (Dufur et al 2015;Huebner et al 2014), and experience of being bullied (Klocke et al 2014). However, the existing evidence might have limited generalisability as most factors contributing to positive and negative child well-being so far identified in the field were based on western societies (with some exceptions, Kim and Main 2016;Re esetal .2016;Re es and Main 2015, See also: www.isciweb.org).…”

The Impacts of Social Netw Orking Sites in Higher Learning

“…According to McPherson et al (2014) social capital is related to improved self-esteem, reduced psychological and behavioral problems, and improved quality of life. Social capital can be appeared within the relationship among close friends, family members and society members.…”