Abstract
There is immense literature demonstrating the influence of social capital on mental health outcomes in adolescents. However, there is a dearth of knowledge on the practical applications of the theoretical principles underpinning social capital in public health interventions. This thesis argues that developing a social capital theory of change holds the potential to advance social capital from an explanatory theory to a theory of change that can inform the practical application of the concept in interventions. Hence, this thesis aimed to develop a social capital theory of change for promoting young people's mental health.The thesis achieved its aim through three objectives explored across three studies using multiple qualitative data collection methods. The first study (Study 1) utilised scoping review method to map the status of literature on social capital and adolescents' mental health. The second study (Study 2) used a Delphi technique involving 24 experts to establish the agreements and disagreements on the best ways to utilise social capital in interventions promoting adolescents' mental health. The third study (Study 3) involved interviewing 15 adolescents to explore their perspectives un the relationship between social capital and mental health.
The thesis challenges the predominant positions such as the long-held support for cohesion approaches in social capital interventions in public health by showing the importance of individual-level social capital over community-level social capital in interventions for promoting adolescent mental heath. The theory of change presents a temporal sequence showing the structural dimension as distal to mental health outcomes and cognitive1'mensions as proximal. Also, the thesis underscores the importance of conceptualisation in determining the ease or difficulty of applying and measuring social capital in interventions. The thesis confirms the highly contextual nature of social capital by illustrating that what is true for one adolescent may not be true for the other.
Combining evidence from the literature with professionals' and adolescents' perspectives is the key strength of this thesis, whose aim is to advance the practical application of social capital in interventions. Co-creation of knowledge enhances this research's potential to inform policy and practice. Adolescents are portrayed in this research as having agency and capacity to co-produce effective public health solutions. The thesis underscores that there should not be any research about adolescents without adolescents.
| Date of Award | 2023 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Antony Morgan (Supervisor) & Kerri McPherson (Supervisor) |