Exploring the association between social capital and depressive symptoms: results of a survey in German information and communication technology companies

Effect of Psychological Distress on the Association of Workplace Social Capital with Presenteeism and Sickness Absence

Greater workplace social capital (WSC) can be related to workers' health and productivity. We sought to clarify the association between horizontal WSC and presenteeism and sickness absence (SA) and to examine the effects of psychological distress on these associations among Japanese workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 at seven large Japanese companies. Logistic regression analysis was performed with presenteeism and SA as the dependent variables, horizontal WSC as an independent variable, and sociodemographic characteristics and psychological distress as covariates. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, the results showed that greater horizontal WSC was associated with lower presenteeism and SA. The odds ratios for the relationship between horizontal WSC and presenteeism and that between horizontal WSC and SA dropped moderately after adjustment for psychological distress but remained significant. Further exploration of the factors underlying the relationship between WSC and productivity is needed to confirm if WSC enhances workers' health and productivity and to inform the development of effective occupational health initiatives.

Work-unit social capital and incident purchase of psychotropic medications: A longitudinal cohort-study of healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

Whether workplace social capital affects employees' mental health is debated. We examined the association between work-unit aggregated social capital and incident purchase of psychotropic medications among employees.

METHODS

We used data from the WHALE (Well-being in Hospital Employees) cohort study. The study population comprised 21,711 employees without recent psychotropic purchase-history nested within 2283 work units in the Capital Region of Denmark. Employees were invited to participate in a survey in March 2014 (86% response). We assessed workplace social capital by eight items (covering trust/justice and collaboration) and aggregated the mean of responses up to each work unit and categorized the scores into quartiles. Data on psychotropic purchases (antidepressants and anxiolytics/hypnotics/sedatives) were extracted via linkage to national registers. Using two-level mixed-effects survival models, we analyzed the association between work-unit social capital and psychotropic purchases during a one-year follow-up period adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital.

RESULTS

Low work-unit social capital was associated with higher purchases of overall psychotropic medications in a dose-response manner (low-versus-high: HR=1.32, 95% CI=1.05-1.65), but this effect attenuated after adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital (HR=1.14, 95% CI=0.88-1.46). Low work-unit social capital was associated with higher purchases of antidepressants (HR=1.78, 95% CI=1.16-2.73) even after adjusting for individual-level workplace social capital (HR=1.69, 95% CI=1.05-2.73).

LIMITATIONS

Medical doctors/dentists were underrepresented in the data on workplace social capital.

CONCLUSIONS

Low work-unit social capital may be associated with higher use of antidepressants among healthcare employees. Interventions to improve social capital could potentially promote mental health at work in the healthcare setting.

Workplace social capital and refraining from seeking medical care in Japanese employees: a 1-year prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES

We examined the association of workplace social capital (WSC), including structural and cognitive dimensions, with refraining from seeking medical care (RSMC) among Japanese employees.

DESIGN

One-year prospective cohort study.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We surveyed 8770 employees (6881 men and 1889 women) aged 18-70 years from 12 firms in Japan using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the WSC scale and the items on potential confounders (ie, age, educational attainment and equivalent annual household income) at baseline (from April 2011 to March 2013).

OUTCOME MEASURES

At a 1-year follow-up, we measured RSMC using a single-item question 'In the past year, have you ever refrained from visiting a hospital, clinic, acupuncturist or dentist despite your sickness (including a slight cold or cavity) or injury?'

RESULTS

The results of Cox regression with robust variance showed that, after adjusting for potential confounders, the low WSC group (ie, the lowest tertile group) had a significantly higher relative risk (RR) of RSMC compared with the high WSC group (ie, the highest tertile group) among both men and women (overall WSC: RR 1.09 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.17) and 1.20 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.37); structural dimension: RR 1.13 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.22) and 1.25 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.45); and cognitive dimension: RR 1.11 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.20) and 1.21 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.38), respectively). Trend analysis using a continuous score of the WSC scale also showed a significant association of low WSC with a higher risk of RSMC among both men and women.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the lack of social capital in the workplace is associated with RSMC among Japanese employees.

Social Support of Male Breast Cancer Patients-a Mixed-Methods Analysis

The aim of this study is to explore the social support of male breast cancer patients (MBCP) in Germany. In particular, three aspects of social support focus on (a) the used resources within the social environment, (b) the received support, and (c) the differences of used social support between MBCP. A mixed-methods design is applied including data of qualitative interviews (N = 27 MBCP) and a written questionnaire (N = 100 MBCP). MBCP use different resources of support from their social environment like partners, family, friends, colleagues, other breast cancer patients, and medical experts. Mostly, MBCP receive emotional and informational support. They often receive emotional support from their partners and informational support from medical experts. Different types of social support usage can be identified dependent on age, occupation, and severity of disease. The older the patients and the less the disease severity, the less social support MBCP use. Within cancer care, partners and the closer social environment should be included more as they are a key resource for MBCP. As health-care professions might also be an important resource of support for MBCP, further research should examine this resource.

Relationship between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Background

A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the associations between social capital and health. In residential or geographical areas, social capital has attracted attention for its protective effects against suicide. However, to this date, the relationship between social capital and suicidal ideation is not fully elaborated in the occupational setting. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the association between workplace social capital and suicidal ideation in the past year among employees in Japan.

Methods

A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in February/March 2017 via an anonymous self-administered questionnaire distributed to workers in Tsukuba Science City, Japan. Binomial logistic regressions were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for suicidal ideation in the past year, controlling for age group, marital status, educational attainment, and annual household income. The results were shown stratified by sex and occupation.

Results

In total, 7255 of 19,481 workers responded, out of which we could analyze 6325 responses (4030 men, 2295 women). The prevalence of suicidal ideation in the past year was 5.9% for men and 7.8% for women. Low workplace social capital was statistically significantly associated with suicidal ideation both for men (OR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.72–3.83) and for women (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.15–2.66), compared with high workplace social capital after controlling for socioeconomic factors.

Conclusion

Higher workplace social capital was associated with a reduced risk of suicidal ideation in the past year. Promoting workplace social capital could contribute to preventing suicide among employees in Japan.

Association of workplace social capital with psychological distress: results from a longitudinal multilevel analysis of the J-HOPE Study

OBJECTIVES

Workplace social capital (WSC) is increasingly recognised as a social contextual determinant of workers' mental health, but longitudinal data are sparse. We aimed to evaluate the impact of changes in unit-level WSC on psychological distress among Japanese employees using a prospective multilevel repeated-measures design.

PARTICIPANTS AND STUDY DESIGN

We conducted a 2-year prospective cohort study with 1,944 men and 786 women aged 18-65 years. Participants worked at two manufacturing worksites in Japan and were free from mental illness from the first to third study waves. We used a three-level multilevel regression design to evaluate the prospective association of unit-level WSC with individual-level psychological distress. WSC was measured using a validated six-item instrument and individual-level psychological distress with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6).

RESULTS

The null model indicated a significant degree of between-work unit variation in psychological distress (intraclass correlation=0.1%, p<0.001). In the full model, each SD increase in unit-level WSC was associated with 0.69 point improvement in K6 scores (95% CI -1.12 to -0.26).

CONCLUSIONS

This prospective study builds on existing knowledge by showing an association between unit-level WSC and modest improvements in mental health among employees in Japan. We recommend that WSC is considered alongside other contextual influences when assessing employees' mental health risks.

Investigation into the metric properties of the workplace social capital questionnaire and its association with self-rated health and psychological distress amongst Greek-Cypriot registered nurses: cross-sectional descriptive study

Background

Social capital can been described as an individual or a collective attribute, with structural and cognitive components, and a bonding, bridging and linking typology. While extensively studied in the community, studies in occupational settings are sparse by comparison. Furthermore, there is no uniformity in its measurement. This study investigated the construct validity of a Workplace Social Capital questionnaire (WSC), originally developed in the Finnish Public Sector occupational cohort, in a different socio-cultural setting (Cyprus), language (Greek) and occupational group (Registered Nurses). It also explored its criterion concurrent validity according to observed association with self-rated health and psychological distress.

Methods

Participants were 10% of all registered nurses (N = 362) who responded to the 8-item WSC scale during a nationwide educational programme. A unidimensional model was compared with the postulated two-factor (structural vs cognitive) and three-factor model (bonding, bridging, linking) in Confirmatory Factor Analyses. The association with self-rated health (0–100 Visual Analogue Scale) and mental distress (GHQ-12 ≥ 4) was assessed in linear and logistic regression models.

Results

A bonding (Cronbach’s a = 0.76), bridging (a = 0.78) and linking (a = 0.89) structure explained 77.6% of the variance and was a better fit as indicated by goodness of fit indices. Elevated odds of mental distress and poorer self-rated health were observed among participants with the lowest levels of perceived workplace social capital. In adjusted models, associations appeared stronger with bonding social capital (adjOR of mental distress = 2.71 95% CI = 1.08, 6.79) while those with the highest scores rated their health higher by 8.0 points on average (95% CI = 2.1, 13.8). Low linking social capital was also associated with poorer health but no consistent associations were observed with bridging.

Conclusion

While associations appeared stronger with bonding and linking, this may reflect a weakness of the measure to fully capture bridging social capital. Even though, this aspect might need strengthening, the WSC showed good metric properties in a different setting, language and occupational group. Cross-national and cognitive validation studies are needed.

A qualitative study on the attributes of nurses' workplace social capital in Japan

AIM

To identify attributes of nurses' workplace social capital in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Much attention has been paid to nurses' workplace social capital to improve the quality of the work environment; however, few studies are available on the attributes of nurses' workplace social capital.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 nurses at seven hospitals. Nurses reported on the attributes of workplace social capital, such as characteristics facilitating individual positive action in an organisation, which were qualitatively analysed using the Kawakita Jiro method.

RESULTS

The attributes of nurses' workplace social capital were organised into six groups: affirmation; exchange of appreciation; unrestricted information sharing; ability to trust; access to the strength; and altruistic reciprocity.

CONCLUSION

The attributes of nurses' workplace social capital included a social structure that allowed nurses to make full use of their abilities both vertically and horizontally and were supported by a sense of security. In particular, newly emerged exchange of appreciation and altruistic reciprocity were important for nurses in Japan in building cooperative relationships with others.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Managing human relationships, such as exchange of appreciation and altruistic reciprocity, in clinical settings based on nurses' workplace social capital may promote positive emotions in the organisation, positive ideas among staff and cooperative teamwork, which may lead to high-quality patient care.

Psychometric assessment of a scale to measure bonding workplace social capital

OBJECTIVES

Workplace social capital (WSC) has attracted increasing attention as an organizational and psychosocial factor related to worker health. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of a newly developed WSC scale for use in work environments, where bonding social capital is important.

METHODS

We assessed the psychometric properties of a newly developed 6-item scale to measure bonding WSC using two data sources. Participants were 1,650 randomly selected workers who completed an online survey. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted. We examined the item-item and item-total correlations, internal consistency, and associations between scale scores and a previous 8-item measure of WSC. We evaluated test-retest reliability by repeating the survey with 900 of the respondents 2 weeks later. The overall scale reliability was quantified by an intraclass coefficient and the standard error of measurement. We evaluated convergent validity by examining the association with several relevant workplace psychosocial factors using a dataset from workers employed by an electrical components company (n = 2,975).

RESULTS

The scale was unidimensional. The item-item and item-total correlations ranged from 0.52 to 0.78 (p < 0.01) and from 0.79 to 0.89 (p < 0.01), respectively. Internal consistency was good (Cronbach's α coefficient: 0.93). The correlation with the 8-item scale indicated high criterion validity (r = 0.81) and the scale showed high test-retest reliability (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). The intraclass coefficient and standard error of measurement were 0.74 (95% confidence intervals: 0.71-0.77) and 4.04 (95% confidence intervals: 1.86-6.20), respectively. Correlations with relevant workplace psychosocial factors showed convergent validity.

CONCLUSIONS

The results confirmed that the newly developed WSC scale has adequate psychometric properties.

Workplace social capital and the onset of major depressive episode among workers in Japan: a 3-year prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study examined the prospective association of workplace social capital (WSC) with major depressive episode (MDE) among Japanese employees.

METHODS

A 3-year prospective cohort study was conducted among 1058 employees from a private think-tank company who participated in a baseline survey; after excluding those with MDE in the past 12 months, 929 were followed up. WSC at baseline was measured using a 3-item scale. MDE was assessed at baseline and at follow-up every year, by using a web-based, self-administered version of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WHO-CIDI) 3.0 depression section, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition: Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)/DSM-5 criteria. Cox discrete-time hazards analyses were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs, adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

A group with middle-level WSC scores had the lowest risk of MDE after being fully adjusted (HR 0.34, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.84, p=0.02). The relationship between WSC and MDE was U-shaped, although a non-linear model fit better than a linear model, with only marginally statistical significance (p=0.06). Dichotomised and continuous variables of WSC scores were significantly and negatively associated with MDE (p=0.03 and p<0.01, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study replicated a previous finding from Finland that WSC was a protective factor of the onset of MDE in Japan. The slightly U-shaped relationship, that is, the group with high WSC having a small elevated risk of MDE, may reflect a dark side of WSC in a country with collectivity-oriented and hierarchy-oriented culture, such as Japan.

Workplace social capital, mental health and health behaviors among Brazilian female workers

OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have investigated the relationship between workplace social capital and mental health, yet few have sought to examine the mediating mechanisms. We sought to explore the role of workplace social capital on health related behaviors and on mental health among female employees in Brazil.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 553 women aged 28-50 years working in the production line of a poultry processing plant. We assessed workplace social capital, common mental disorders, stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and health related behaviors (physical activity, healthy eating habits and co-occurrence of risk behaviors). We used structural equation modeling to clarify relationships between exposures, outcomes, and mediating variables.

RESULTS

Our model demonstrated a direct effect of social capital on the outcomes studied. Higher workplace social capital was associated with lower stress and common mental disorders as well as more favorable health-related behaviors. Our model also showed an indirect effect of social capital on mental health and on behaviors that was mediated by lower levels of perceived stress.

CONCLUSION

Workplace social cohesion may play an important role in the promotion of mental health and healthy behaviors among women employees.

Buffering effect of workplace social capital on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress in Japanese employees: a cross-sectional study

Objectives:

The present study aimed to examine the buffering effect of workplace social capital (WSC) on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress in Japanese employees.

Methods:

2,971 employees from two factories of a manufacturing company in Japan completed a self-administered questionnaire including the scales on job insecurity, WSC, psychological distress, demographic and occupational characteristics, and quantitative workload. Using psychological distress (defined as a total score of the K6 scale ≥5) as a dependent variable, multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. In a series of analyses, interaction term of job insecurity×WSC was included in the model.

Results:

After adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics as well as for quantitative workload and interaction effect of quantitative workload×WSC, high job insecurity and low WSC were significantly associated with psychological distress. Furthermore, a significant interaction effect of job insecurity×WSC was observed. Specifically, the association of job insecurity with psychological distress was greater among those who perceived lower levels of WSC (prevalence odds ratio=3.79 [95% confidence interval=2.70-5.32] for high vs. low job insecurity subgroup) than among those who perceived higher levels of WSC (prevalence odds ratio=2.96 [95% confidence interval=2.19-4.01] for high vs. low job insecurity subgroup). These findings were replicated among permanent male employees in the gender-stratified analyses.

Conclusions:

The present study suggests that WSC has a buffering effect on the association of job insecurity with psychological distress at least among Japanese permanent male employees.

The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

The 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) is among the most widely used questionnaires assessing subjective psychological well-being. Since its first publication in 1998, the WHO-5 has been translated into more than 30 languages and has been used in research studies all over the world. We now provide a systematic review of the literature on the WHO-5.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic search for literature on the WHO-5 in PubMed and PsycINFO in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. In our review of the identified articles, we focused particularly on the following aspects: (1) the clinimetric validity of the WHO-5; (2) the responsiveness/sensitivity of the WHO-5 in controlled clinical trials; (3) the potential of the WHO-5 as a screening tool for depression, and (4) the applicability of the WHO-5 across study fields.

RESULTS

A total of 213 articles met the predefined criteria for inclusion in the review. The review demonstrated that the WHO-5 has high clinimetric validity, can be used as an outcome measure balancing the wanted and unwanted effects of treatments, is a sensitive and specific screening tool for depression and its applicability across study fields is very high.

CONCLUSIONS

The WHO-5 is a short questionnaire consisting of 5 simple and non-invasive questions, which tap into the subjective well-being of the respondents. The scale has adequate validity both as a screening tool for depression and as an outcome measure in clinical trials and has been applied successfully across a wide range of study fields.

Change in psychological distress following change in workplace social capital: results from the panel surveys of the J-HOPE study

PURPOSE

Research on the longitudinal association of workplace social capital and mental health is limited. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prospective association of social capital in the workplace with mental distress, measured by K6, adjusting for individuals factors as well as workplace-related factors among employees in Japan.

METHODS

The participants included 6387 men and 1825 women from 12 private companies in Japan. Questionnaires, inquiring about workplace social capital, K6, job strain and effort-reward imbalance were administered at the baseline survey between October 2010 and December 2011 (response rate=77.4%). At 1-year follow-up, social capital and K6 were assessed again (follow-up rate=79.5%), and a generalised linear model was used to estimate the association between changes in workplace social capital and change in K6.

RESULTS

After adjusting for baseline demographic characteristics and workplace-related factors (Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ)), increased workplace social capital between waves was associated with improved psychological distress (β=-0.2327, p<0.0001). An inverse association was found in both men and women, all age groups, and among employees with high or low baseline mental health. The association was stronger among those who reported higher stress at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Boosting workplace social capital may promote mental health in the workplace.

The mediating and moderating effects of workplace social capital on the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress among Japanese workers

Our current study investigated how workplace social capital (WSC) mediates and moderates the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress among Japanese workers. We collected cross-sectional data (N=9,350) from a baseline survey of an occupational Japanese cohort study. We focused on individual WSC and considered job demands/control, effort/reward, and two types (i.e., procedural and interactional) of organizational justice as work-characteristic variables. We defined psychological distress as a score of ≥5 on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6 scale). Multivariate logistic regression analyses predicted a binary variable of psychological distress by individual WSC and adverse work characteristics, adjusting for individual-level covariates. Individual WSC mediated the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress in almost all model specifications. Additionally, individual WSC moderated the associations of psychological distress with high job demands, high effort, and low interactional justice when we used a high WSC cutoff point. In contrast, individual WSC did not moderate such interactions with low job control, reward, or procedural justice. We concluded that individual WSC mediated the associations between adverse work characteristics and psychological distress among Japanese workers while selectively moderating their associations at high levels of WSC.

Relationships of organizational social capital with the presence of "gossip and slander," "quarrels and conflicts," sick leave, and poor work ability in nursing homes

PURPOSE

This study aimed to explore the associations of organizational social capital (OSC) with the presence of "gossip and slander," the presence of "conflicts and quarrels," sick leave prevalence, and prevalence of poor work ability in frontline working personnel of nursing homes.

METHODS

A total of 239 subjects (81 % participation), working in 11 different nursing homes, took part in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Following end points were considered, they are as follows: prevalence of "gossip and slander," "conflicts and quarrels," sick leave, and poor work ability. Associations with OSC were explored at individual level (binomial log-linear regression analysis) and on group level (Kendall's tau correlation coefficients).

RESULTS

Significant associations were found between OSC and "gossip and slander," sick leave, and poor work ability, both in the individual- and group-level analyses. The associations showed a higher significance level in the group-level analyses, with the strongest association found between mean OSC of the workplace and the prevalence of poor work ability at the workplace (τ = -0.722; p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated significant associations of OSC with three end points that are relevant within the framework of well-being at work in nursing homes. The results are suggestive that OSC should be treated as a characteristic of the entire workplace, rather than as an individually experienced characteristic. The strikingly strong association between OSC and prevalence of poor work ability is suggestive for an important role of OSC within the context of maintaining work ability.

Workplace social capital and mental health among Chinese employees: a multi-level, cross-sectional study

Background

Whereas the majority of previous research on social capital and health has been on residential neighborhoods and communities, the evidence remains sparse on workplace social capital. To address this gap in the literature, we examined the association between workplace social capital and health status among Chinese employees in a large, multi-level, cross-sectional study.

Methods

By employing a two-stage stratified random sampling procedure, 2,796 employees were identified from 35 workplaces in Shanghai during March to November 2012. Workplace social capital was assessed using a validated and psychometrically tested eight-item measure, and the Chinese language version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) was used to assess mental health. Control variables included sex, age, marital status, education level, occupation status, smoking status, physical activity, and job stress. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore whether individual- and workplace-level social capital was associated with mental health status.

Results

In total, 34.9% of workers reported poor mental health (WHO-5<13). After controlling for individual-level socio-demographic and lifestyle variables, compared to workers with the highest quartile of personal social capital, workers with the third, second, and lowest quartiles exhibited 1.39 to 3.54 times greater odds of poor mental health, 1.39 (95% CI: 1.10–1.75), 1.85 (95% CI: 1.38–2.46) and 3.54 (95% CI: 2.73–4.59), respectively. Corresponding odds ratios for workplace-level social capital were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.61–1.49), 1.14 (95% CI: 0.72–1.81) and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.05–2.53) for the third, second, and lowest quartiles, respectively.

Conclusions

Higher workplace social capital is associated with lower odds of poor mental health among Chinese employees. Promoting social capital at the workplace may contribute to enhancing employees’ mental health in China.

Reciprocity and depressive symptoms in Belgian workers: a cross-sectional multilevel analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the multidimensional association between reciprocity at work and depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Data from the Belgian BELSTRESS survey (32 companies; N = 24,402) were analyzed. Multilevel statistical procedures were used to account for company-level associations while controlling for individual-level associations.

RESULTS

Different dimensions of individual reciprocity were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. On the company level, only vertical emotional reciprocity was negatively associated (β = -4.660; SE = 1.117) independently from individual reciprocity (β = -0.557; SE = 0.042). Complex interactions were found such that workplace reciprocity (1) may not uniformly benefit individuals and (2) related differently to depressive symptoms, depending on occupational group.

CONCLUSIONS

This study extends the existing literature with evidence on the multidimensional, contextual, and cross-level interaction associations of reciprocity as a key aspect of social capital on depressive symptoms.

A multilevel analysis of association between neighborhood social capital and depression: evidence from the first South African National Income Dynamics Study

BACKGROUND

As neuropsychiatric disorders account for a great proportion of the total burden of disease in sub-Saharan Africa, depression is rapidly emerging as a public health issue in South Africa. Given the divisions enforced by a legacy of the apartheid spatial and economic policies, features of communities such as neighborhood-level social capital may play a critical role in depression. However, the extent to which neighborhood-level social capital is associated with depression in South Africa at the population-level is unknown.

METHODS

Data from the first wave of the South African National Income Dynamics Study (SA-NIDS) was used to examine the association between the neighborhood-level social capital and individual depression using multilevel regression models.

RESULTS

There was a negative association between neighborhood-level social capital and depression score with social trust and neighborhood preference accounting for this association. Structural social capital, namely civic participation, was not related to depression. Individual predictors, including social class, self-rated health status and education, were strong covariates of depression.

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design of the study limits our understanding of the temporal order of social capital and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

In post-apartheid South Africa, low social capital remains an important social determinant of health, including depression outcome. This is in addition to individual determinants related to class such as unemployment, education and social class which play an important role in influencing depression. Further research utilizing a longitudinal study design is warranted to examine the association between social capital and depression in South Africa.