Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The aim of this master thesis was to examine the relationship between micro level social capital\naspects (i.e. parental and peer relations), meso level aspects (i.e. neighborhood quality and\norganization membership) and depression symptoms in middle school-aged adolescents. This is\nimportant in the light of reports that depression rates in this population are increasing.\nFurthermore, there is a lack of research regarding this development, and a need to expand the\nknowledge on how adolescents relate to social resources that affect mental health.\nThe comprehensive scientific literature on health and social capital shows that social capital,\nthrough a variety of definitions, is psychologically and emotionally beneficial, but a focus on\nadolescents and their agency in social capital creation is limited. The present study utilizes\nquantitative data from the 2015 Young in Oslo cross-sectional survey (N=12449) by the Norwegian\nInstitute for Research on Childhood, Welfare and Aging (NOVA). The survey is designed to map\nthe health and welfare of Oslo adolescents, as well as to gain insight into certain aspects of their\neveryday lives.\nThe relationship between the dependent variable, self-reported depressed mood, and the\nindependent social capital variables was analyzed through multiple linear regression. The\nindependent variables include Parent-adolescent relationship quality, Peer network quality,\nEmotional support from parents, Emotional support from peers, Neighborhood satisfaction, and\nOrganization membership.\nThe results showed that these factors, along with gender and socioeconomic status, account for 25.5\n% of the variation in subjective depressed mood in the sample. When accounting for gender and\nsocioeconomic status, the most important single correlate was neighborhood satisfaction, showing a\nsignificant negative association with depressed mood. Parent-related social capital also displayed a\nsignificant negative association, as did peer-related social capital, albeit with half the effect of the\nparent factors. Organizational membership showed a significant positive association with depressed\nmood.\nThe thesis addresses methodological imitations, as well as practical implications for social work.\nSuggestions for further research are discussed, and include the need to examine the mechanisms\nunderneath these correlations.
Author: Eva C. Lyngstad-Alderfer
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2558054169