The relationship between social capital and mental health in individuals living with HIV in North of Iran

Introduction: Social capital, as one of the determinants of health, has a significant role on mental health of people especially chronic patients. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health and social capital in HIV patients in North of Iran. Material and methods: In this cross-sectional study, 49 persons with HIV referred to the consultation center of welfare organization in 2017 were included. Social capital of participants was measured by Bullen's social capital scale. Mental health questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used to determine the condition of mental health. Data were analyzed with SPSS 21 software. Pearson's correlation and regression analysis were applied to investigate the relation between variables. Results: The mean score was 59.2 +/- 13.3 for social capital and 31.4 +/- 12.2 for mental health. There was a significant relationship between the total score of social capital with better economic condition (p = 0.01, r = 0.33), lower duration of illness (p = 0.001, r = 0.47), and having insurance (p = 0.007, r = 0.38). The correlation between variables showed a negative and significant relationship between dimensions of feeling of trust and safety (r = -0.45, p = 0.002), activity in a social context (r = -0.41, p = 0.004), and value of life (r = -0.81, p = 0.001) with mental health. Conclusions: According to the study results, with increasing attention to health determinants and social capital as one of the international principles of health, mental health of people with AIDS should be promoted.