Mechanisms Linking Bonding and Bridging Social Capital and Self-Rated Health Among U.S. Refugees: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

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.

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.

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: β_{physical health}=0.0075, 95% CI: 0.0041, 0.0109 and β_{mental health}=0.0126, 95% CI: 0.0076, 0.0177; for bridging: β_{physical health}=0.0046, 95% CI: 0.0015, 0.0078 and β_{mental health}=0.0081, 95% CI: 0.0031, 0.0137), whereas discrimination only mediated the effects of bonding social capital (β_{physical health}=0.0026, 95% CI: 0.0002, 0.0050 and β_{mental health}=0.0064, 95% CI: 0.0023, 0.0105). Receipt of public benefits did not significantly mediate either relationship.

Sense of belonging and discriminatory experiences may represent key pathways linking social capital and refugee health. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify causal mechanisms.