Correlation Between Different Domains of Social Capital and Psychological Distress Among Chinese High School Students

Xueshuang Wang, Filip Svalina, Brigita Mieziene

Abstract


Social capital has been shown to have positive effects on multiple health outcomes among young people. Studies suggest that social capital is an important predictor of health and wellbeing of children and adolescents, including their mental health. This research examined the correlation between different domains of social capital – in the family, in the neighborhood, and at school – and the level of psychological distress among high school students in China. A cross-sectional survey among 501 high school students (217 males and 284 females), aged 15–19 years old, was carried out in the 2020–2021 school year. Logistic regression was used to examine the association of family, neighborhood, and school social capital with the risk of high psychological distress, measured by the Kessler–6 scale. The findings in this study suggest that young people with a higher level of family support, higher level of neighborhood trust and higher level of teacher-student interpersonal trust are less likely to report high psychological distress. Social connectedness within the family, neighborhood and school thus appear to be important factors influencing mood among young people. 

doi:10.5671/ca.47.1.6


Keywords*


social capital; psychological distress; Chinese high school students

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