Social Policy and Society

Table of Contents - 2009 - Volume 8, Issue 01  

Themed Section on Resilience and Social Exclusion

Adversity in Childhood and Mental Health in Adulthood: The Role of Social Capital

Francesca Borgonovia1 and M. Carmen Huertaa1

a1 Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE E-mail: f.borgonovi@lse.ac.uk

Abstract

The study examines whether social capital fosters resilience among individuals who are at a high risk of developing mental distress in adulthood. Results suggest that social capital is not associated with a reduction in the probability that high-risk individuals will experience mental distress, while one form of social capital, membership in groups and associations, appears to play a protective role among low-risk individuals. Overall, our research suggests that policies aimed at increasing social capital would not be able to reduce the gap in mental health between disadvantaged individuals and the rest of the population.