A multiple indicator, multiple cause method for representing social capital with an application to psychological distress

• Published in: Journal of geographical systems Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 1 - 23
• Main Author: Congdon, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2010; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Areal geology; Areal geology. Maps; Community support; Computer Appl. in Social and Behavioral Sciences; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Econometrics; Economics; Economics and Finance; Education; Exact sciences and technology; Geographical Information Systems/Cartography; Geologic maps, cartography; Health aspects; Health surveys; Landscape/Regional and Urban Planning; Mental health; Methods; Morbidity; Neighborhoods; Original Article; Perceptions; Regional/Spatial Science; Risk factors; Social aspects; Social capital; Social support; Stress (Psychology); Studies; Trust; Urban Economics; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; Western Europe; C30; C11; Area deprivation; Structural equation; Psychological distress; Bayesian; I10; Social capital; differentiation; surveys; indicators; organization; populations
• ISSN: 1435-5930; 1435-5949
• DOI: 10.1007/s10109-009-0097-5

This paper describes a structural equation methodology for obtaining social capital scores for survey subjects from multiple indicators of social support, neighbourhood and trust perceptions, and memberships of organizations. It adjusts for variation that is likely to occur in levels of social capital according to geographic context (e.g. level of area deprivation, geographic region, level of urbanity) and demographic group. Social capital is used as an explanatory factor for psychological distress using data from the 2006 Health Survey for England. A highly significant effect of social capital in reducing the chance of psychiatric caseness is obtained after controlling for other individual and geographic risk factors. Allowing for social capital has considerable effects on the impacts on psychiatric health of other risk factors. In particular, the impact of area deprivation category is much reduced. There is also evidence of significant differentiation in social capital between population categories and geographic contexts.