Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Social Isolation Model: A Noninvasive Rodent Model of Stress and Anxiety
Published on: November 11, 2022
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.
Background:
Refugees often experience disruptions in social networks after resettlement. This study examined associations between bonding (within-group) and bridging (across-group) social capital and self-rated health among resettled U.S. refugees and evaluated potential psychosocial pathways.
Methods:
We analyzed pooled cross-sectional data from the 2020-2022 Annual Survey of Refugees (N = 4,530). Structural equation modeling was used to estimate total effects of bonding and bridging social capital on self-rated physical and mental health and to quantify indirect effects operating through sense of belonging, perceived discrimination, and receipt of public benefits. All models adjusted for sociodemographic and resettlement-related covariates.
Results:
Total effects showed that bonding and bridging social capital were both positively associated with physical health (β = 0.0382, 95% CI: 0.0110, 0.0655 and β = 0.0402, 95% CI: 0.0132, 0.0672 respectively), while only bonding social capital was associated with mental health (β = 0.0877, 95% CI: 0.0571, 0.1183). Indirect effects indicated that sense of belonging mediated positive associations for both types of social capital (for bonding: βphysical health=0.0075, 95% CI: 0.0041, 0.0109 and βmental health=0.0126, 95% CI: 0.0076, 0.0177; for bridging: βphysical health=0.0046, 95% CI: 0.0015, 0.0078 and βmental health=0.0081, 95% CI: 0.0031, 0.0137), whereas discrimination only mediated the effects of bonding social capital (βphysical health=0.0026, 95% CI: 0.0002, 0.0050 and βmental health=0.0064, 95% CI: 0.0023, 0.0105). Receipt of public benefits did not significantly mediate either relationship.
Conclusions:
Sense of belonging and discriminatory experiences may represent key pathways linking social capital and refugee health. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms.
Related Concept Videos
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Relationship Formation
Sources of Self-Esteem III: Social Comparison
Importance of Need for Affiliation
Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences
Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity