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Mechanisms Linking Bonding and Bridging Social Capital and Self-Rated Health Among U.S. Refugees: A Structural
Kiran Thapa1, Aditi R Iyer2, Mario A Cruz-Gonzalez3
1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 125 Nashua St., Suite 800, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
|June 13, 2026
Summary
Social capital, including bonding and bridging, positively impacts refugee health. Sense of belonging and reduced discrimination are key pathways, highlighting the need for further research on refugee well-being.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Psychology
Background:
- Refugees face social network disruptions post-resettlement.
- Social capital (bonding and bridging) is crucial for health outcomes.
- Understanding psychosocial pathways is vital for refugee well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- Examine associations between social capital and self-rated health in U.S. resettled refugees.
- Evaluate psychosocial mediators, including sense of belonging, perceived discrimination, and public benefits.
- Investigate pathways linking social capital to physical and mental health.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of pooled cross-sectional data from the 2020-2022 Annual Survey of Refugees (N=4,530).
- Structural equation modeling to assess direct and indirect effects.
- Models adjusted for sociodemographic and resettlement covariates.
Main Results:
- Both bonding and bridging social capital positively associated with physical health.
- Bonding social capital uniquely associated with improved mental health.
- Sense of belonging mediated positive effects for both social capital types.
- Perceived discrimination mediated effects for bonding social capital.
Conclusions:
- Sense of belonging and discrimination experiences are key pathways linking social capital and refugee health.
- Findings suggest interventions targeting social integration and discrimination reduction.
- Longitudinal research is recommended to establish causality.
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