The impact of social capital on depression among older Chinese and Korean immigrants: similarities and differences

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to examine similarities and differences in terms of the influence of social capital on depression among older Chinese and Korean immigrants. METHODS: The study used data collected from both 172 Chinese and 210 Korean immigrants living in Los Angeles County. The variables included depression Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form, (GDS-SF), social capital (five indices of norms, trust, partnership in community, information sharing, and political participation), and demographics. RESULTS: The study found that partnership in community was significantly associated with a lower level of depression for both the groups. On the other hand, political participation was only associated with a lower level of depression for older Chinese immigrants. Also, norms and information sharing were only associated with a lower level of depression for older Korean immigrants. CONCLUSION: There was an evidence for the correlation between social capital and depression in older Chinese and Korean immigrant population. It suggests the needs to develop social programs and service in order to build more social capital for older immigrants.