Creating socially inclusive communities : a multi-method study evaluating the relations between social capital, biopsychosocial constructs, and economic outcomes in disadvantaged settings

Research has shown that social and economic disadvantage are becoming more geographically concentrated, with social isolation and intergenerational poverty becoming entrenched in whole communities. Programs aimed at building social capital attempt to improve social support networks and inclusion within the community, and may have other benefits such as improving economic outcomes, family functioning, and individuals’ health and well-being. This project addresses the gap in the research for sound multidimensional assessment of social capital and its relationship with social, economic, and health outcomes. Social capital and adolescent biopsychosocial outcomes were studied in 1371 secondary students living in two disadvantaged communities within New South Wales, Australia. A new multidimensional measure of social capital was developed, tested, and found to be psychometrically sound. Preliminary analyses revealed a number of significant associations between facets of social capital and a range of youth socio-emotional outcomes. Higher levels of social capital and belongingness in school and community were generally associated with better academic self-concept, enhanced general health, as well as reduced negative mental health symptoms, perceived discrimination, and risky behaviours. Some outcomes were more strongly associated with family and peer social capital, while others associated more with neighbour and community social capital, indicating that attempts to build social capital need to be targeted across the whole community. This study supports the notion that social capital can be measured empirically and is beneficial in alleviating many of the detrimental outcomes that are commonly associated with those living in areas of entrenched disadvantage