Influence of social capital on mental health of men who have sex with men: The chain mediating effects of perceived stress and psychological resilience

Abstract

Objective: To probe the influence of social capital on the mental health of men who have sex with men.
Method: The study was conducted at the School of Nursing, Xuzhou Medical University, Xizhou, China, from January to
December 2023, and comprised men who have sex with men. Data was collected online using the Social Capital
Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Self-Rating Mental Health Scale. Data was
analysed using SPSS 24.
Results: Of the 624 questionnaires distributed, 546(87.5%) men returned them fully filled. The mean age of the respondent
was 27.77±7.77 years. Social capital, perceived stress, psychological resilience and mental health were significantly correlated
with each other (p<0.001). Perceived stress and resilience possessed a significant mediating effect in social capital along
with mental health, with effect sizes being 60.32% and 17.41%, respectively. Perceived stress-psychological resilience
harboured a significant chain mediating effect in social capital along with mental health, with the effect size being 6.48%.
Conclusion: Social capital could affect the mental health of men who have sex with men not only through the independent
mediating influence of perceived stress and psychological resilience, but also through the chain mediating influence of
perceived stress-psychological resilience.
Keywords: Men who have sex with men, Social capital, Mental health, Perceived stress, Psychological resilience.