Date of Award

Fall 2021

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Public Health, DPH

Program

School of Community and Global Health

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

Bin Xie

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Jason Siegel

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Paula Palmer

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© Copyright Abdulrahman Abudawood, 2021

Keywords

Depression, Rancho Cucamonga, Social Capital

Subject Categories

Public Health

Abstract

Mental health is an integral component of a healthy and balanced life, and deterioration in mental health has a significant impact on the quality of life. Being an active member of the community can positively impact personal mental health and emotional wellbeing. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers Social Capital (SC) a significant determinant of individual mental health. Despite that, there are limited studies analyzing the association between SC and the prevalence or severity of depressive symptoms experienced by suburban residents of the United States. This study aimed to assess the relationships between the six dimensions of SC introduced by the world bank in the Integrated Questionnaire for the measurement of Social Capital (IC-SC) and depression among adults living in the city of Rancho Cucamonga. Methods: Data from the 2019 city of Rancho Cucamonga Quality of Life Survey were analyzed. The logistic regression model was adopted to examine the relationships between SC dimensions and the risk of depression diagnosis using odds ratios. A linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between SC dimensions and the experience of depressive symptoms. Results: Among 1212 subjects, 24.4% reported a diagnosis of depression. Trust and Solidarity dimension and Social Cohesion and Inclusion dimension were significantly associated with the diagnosis of depression and experience of depressive symptoms (p < .05). The Groups and Networks, Collective Action and Cooperation, and Information and Communication dimensions showed no significant association with diagnosis of depression or experience of depressive symptoms. The Empowerment and Political Action dimension showed a significant positive association with the diagnosis of depression and experience of depressive symptoms (p < .05). Conclusions: SC can be seen as a valuable mental health resource, but some forms of it may be mentally harmful. The lower cognitive SC the participant has, the greater the risk for depression the participant would have. However, involvement in political actions such as signing a petition, participated in a march, rally, or a protest elevate the risk of developing depression. Future research should formally assess the mechanisms linking SC with depression and use a longitudinal design to address concerns about reverse causation.

ISBN

9798759994855

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