AUTHOR=Souto Ester Paiva , Moreno Arlinda B. , Chor Dóra , Melo Enirtes C. Prates , Barreto Sandhi M. , Nunes Maria Angélica , Griep Rosane Harter 

TITLE=Social Capital and Depressive Episodes: Gender Differences in the ELSA-Brasil Cohort

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.657700

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.657700

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: This study investigates gender differences in the association of social capital with the incidence and maintenance of depressive episodes.
Methods: Baseline and second wave data (4 years of follow-up) from the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil), a multicenter cohort of civil servants with 15,105 workers aged 35-74 years, were used. Social capital was assessed using the Resource Generator scale. Depressive episodes were assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule - Revised (CIS-R). The statistical was performed using multinomial regression with adjustments for possible confounding factors. 
Results: Among men, low social capital in the "social support" dimension was associated with the incidence of depressive episodes (RR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.01-2.72). Among women, social support was associated with the maintenance of depressive episodes (RR = 2.66; 95% CI: 1.61 - 4.41). Social capital was not associated with the incidence or maintenance of depressive episodes in the "prestige and education" dimension in both genders.
Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of the dimension "social support" in both genders without its association with mental health.  The resource-based social capital approach proved to be adequate for investigating mental health and confirms the idea that social networks can be useful in the treatment and prevention of depressive episodes.