Journals Information
Universal Journal of Public Health Vol. 9(6), pp. 418 - 430
DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090609
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The Role of Bonding, Bridging and Linking: Aspects of Social Capital in Mental Health of Bosnian Refugees in the U.S.
Huaibo Xin 1,*, Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic 2
1 Department of Applied Health, School of Education, Health & Human Behavior, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois, USA
2 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences, Saint Louis University, Missouri, USA
ABSTRACT
This study explored the role of bonding, bridging, and linking aspects of social capital among Bosnian refugees in the U.S. and their impact on the community's mental health. Using snowball sampling and criterion sampling, a total of 74 Bosnian refugees resettled in the U.S. participated in a cross-sectional study and responded to the modified online Personal Social Capital Scale. Most of the participants resided in Missouri, Illinois, New York, Georgia, Florida, California, and Virginia. They reported modest levels of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital; Married participants had higher levels of both bonding and bridging social capital than single, divorced, and widowed participants (p = 0.036; 0.013); religious neutral/not religious participants had a higher level of bridging social capital (p = 0.018) than religious/very religious participants; males had a higher level of linking social capital than females (p = 0.047). Age and the number of years living in the U. S. also made significant differences in participants' social capital. Bonding and overall social capital were significantly associated with participants' mental health, although the relationships did not appear to be strong. Multi-level social capital building interventions/approaches tailored to Bosnian refugees are recommended, and their long-term mental health effects should be further examined.
KEYWORDS
Bonding, Bridging, Linking Social Capital, Mental Health, Refugees
Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Huaibo Xin , Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic , "The Role of Bonding, Bridging and Linking: Aspects of Social Capital in Mental Health of Bosnian Refugees in the U.S.," Universal Journal of Public Health, Vol. 9, No. 6, pp. 418 - 430, 2021. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090609.
(b). APA Format:
Huaibo Xin , Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic (2021). The Role of Bonding, Bridging and Linking: Aspects of Social Capital in Mental Health of Bosnian Refugees in the U.S.. Universal Journal of Public Health, 9(6), 418 - 430. DOI: 10.13189/ujph.2021.090609.