Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 28;19(11):6604. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116604.
Mental illness is rising worldwide and is more prevalent among the older population. Among others, socioeconomic status, particularly income, has a bearing on the prevalence of mental health. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism that explains the association between income and mental health. Hence, this study seeks to examine the mediating effect of social capital on the association between income and mental illness. Cross-sectional data consisting of 6651 respondents aged 55 years and above were used in this study. A validated tool known as the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, 21 items (DASS-21) was applied to examine mental illness, namely depression, anxiety, and stress. The Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) method was employed to assess the intervening role of social capital on the association between income and mental illness. Results showed that those who disagreed in trust within the community had the highest partial mediation percentage. Those who disagreed in reciprocity, however, had the lowest partial mediation percentage, which explained the positive association between the middle 40% (M40) of the income group and depression, anxiety, and stress. Overall, the study suggests the need to increase trust and attachment within society to curb the occurrence of depression and anxiety.
精神疾病在全球范围内呈上升趋势，在老年人群体中更为普遍。在其他因素中，社会经济地位，特别是收入，对心理健康的流行程度有影响。然而，人们对解释收入与心理健康之间关联的潜在机制知之甚少。因此，本研究旨在探讨社会资本对收入与精神疾病之间关联的中介效应。本研究使用了包含 6651 名 55 岁及以上受访者的横断面数据。采用经过验证的工具，即 21 项抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（DASS-21）来检查精神疾病，即抑郁、焦虑和压力。采用 Karlson、Holm 和 Breen（KHB）方法评估社会资本在收入与精神疾病之间关联中的干预作用。结果表明，那些在社区内不信任的人具有最高的部分中介百分比。然而，那些在互惠方面存在分歧的人具有最低的部分中介百分比，这解释了中等收入群体（M40）与抑郁、焦虑和压力之间的正相关关系。总体而言，该研究表明需要增加社会内部的信任和归属感，以遏制抑郁和焦虑的发生。
