Understanding the Effect of Social Capital on the Depression of Urban Chinese Adolescents: An Integrative Framework
January 17th, 2010 Posted by: admin
Abstract Using data from an ongoing longitudinal study of 5,164 adolescents and their parents from seven cities in mainland China,
this study investigated how social capital embedded in the family and the community, together with family human capital and
financial capital, influenced the depressive symptoms of urban Chinese adolescents within an integrative framework. The structural
equation modeling results suggested that higher community social capital was associated with lower level of adolescent depressive
symptoms and was the strongest predictor among all these contextual factors. Family social capital played a significant role
in mediating the effects of all other contextual factors on adolescent depressive symptoms. Unexpectedly, higher family financial
capital predicted increased depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its negative effect on family social
capital. As for gender, female adolescents reported more depressive symptoms as a result of less available family social capital.
Implications of these findings for theory, practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
this study investigated how social capital embedded in the family and the community, together with family human capital and
financial capital, influenced the depressive symptoms of urban Chinese adolescents within an integrative framework. The structural
equation modeling results suggested that higher community social capital was associated with lower level of adolescent depressive
symptoms and was the strongest predictor among all these contextual factors. Family social capital played a significant role
in mediating the effects of all other contextual factors on adolescent depressive symptoms. Unexpectedly, higher family financial
capital predicted increased depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly through its negative effect on family social
capital. As for gender, female adolescents reported more depressive symptoms as a result of less available family social capital.
Implications of these findings for theory, practice, policy, and future research are discussed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- DOI 10.1007/s10464-009-9284-2
- Authors
- Qiaobing Wu, The Chinese University of Hong Kong Department of Social Work Shatin NT Hong Kong
- Bin Xie, Claremont Graduate University School of Community and Global Health Claremont CA 91711 USA
- Chih-Ping Chou, University of Southern California Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, Keck School of Medicine Alhambra CA 91803 USA
- Paula H. Palmer, Claremont Graduate University School of Community and Global Health Claremont CA 91711 USA
- Peggy E. Gallaher, Claremont Graduate University School of Community and Global Health Claremont CA 91711 USA
- C. Anderson Johnson, Claremont Graduate University School of Community and Global Health Claremont CA 91711 USA
- Journal American Journal of Community Psychology
- Online ISSN 1573-2770
- Print ISSN 0091-0562
