Mental health of older people and social capital

Abstract

Objective (s): To assess mental health and its relationship with social capital in older people.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of older people aged over 60 living in Tehran, district 9. The sample was selected by multistage random sampling. To assess mental health and social capital the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the Urban HEART Questionnaire were used, respectively.Results: In all 320 older adults were studied. There was relationship between mental health and individual trust, social cohesion, and social support while mental health and social trust and collective relations did not show significant association. Conclusion: The findings suggest that there is a mutual relationship between mental health and social capital.

Keywords

• mental health
• older people
• trust
• social cohesion
• social capital