Community capital, gender, and depression in older caregivers for people living with dementia: a moderated mediational analysis with urban big geospatial data

Older caregivers of people living with dementia face the health risks of geriatric depression, largely attributed to the barriers of surrounding built capital and their weak psychological capital. Limited research evidence has led to an ambiguous understanding of the factors related to a multidimensional living environment that contribute to depression. This cross-sectional study considered a multidimensional living environment as a socio-ecological system and comprehensively examined the integrative effects of built capital, psychological capital, social capital, and gender on depression in older caregivers, especially in exploring how these multidimensional factors interacted and modified the proposed mechanism influencing depression. A moderated mediation model using big geospatial data was used to examine intricate relationships. The findings showed that psychological capital can be a community indicator that may buffer the negative impact of built capital on depression, with social capital and gender acting as modifiers. Specifically, lower social capital in older caregivers was linked to worse depression. Gender differences exist for female caregivers being more affected by disadvantageous community capital and psychological capital, whereas males with stronger social capital have less severe depression. The theoretical framework integrating the Ecological Health Resilience Model showed that the roles of community capital and gender as community indicators in depression, which emphasized human-environment interactions across a socio-ecological system and suggested clinical and responsive policy actions. Our empirical evidence targeting health impacts of various community indicators across a socio-ecological system as a whole can also contribute to the UN SDGs related to well-being, gender equality, and sustainable cities and communities. • Community capital theoretically has synergistic effects on reducing depression. • Social capital and gender moderate psychological capital's impact on depression. • Gender-specific strategies targeting depression in older caregivers are crucial. • Community capital with ecological perspective calls for responsive policy actions. • Findings support UN SDGs on health, gender equality, and sustainable communities.