Collaborative competence, social capital, and mental health: A cross-sectional analysis of a community-based intervention for older adults

Social capital interventions for the mental health of older adults have been inconclusive to date, and have rarely investigated the psychological resources that are important to having social capital. This study focused on the "Neighborhoods in Solidarity" (NS), which are a series of Swiss community-based interventions that aim to empower older adults to participate in their communities. Our goal was to understand whether the NS were associated with collaborative competence, social capital, and subsequently, symptoms of depression. Cross-sectional data were collected from 947 individuals aged 55 and over (M-age= 68.66,SD= 9.04) in 10 Swiss neighbourhoods (five with the NS [n= 479] and five control neighbourhoods [n= 468]). Structural equation modelling was used to model the relationship between the NS intervention, collaborative competence, cognitive and structural dimensions of social capital, and symptoms of depression (measured by the CESD-R-10). Individual participation in the NS had total and indirect effects on symptoms of depression via collaborative competence and both social capitals. These findings suggest that existing community-based interventions can be indirectly associated with better mental health outcomes in the ageing population.