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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2009

Francesca Borgonovi  and
M. Carmen Huerta
Francesca Borgonovi
Affiliation:
Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE E-mail: f.borgonovi@lse.ac.uk
M. Carmen Huerta
Affiliation:
Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE E-mail: f.borgonovi@lse.ac.uk
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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.

Type
Themed Section on Resilience and Social Exclusion
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , January 2009 , pp. 99 - 113
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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