Depression and social cohesion: Is there a connection

Depression is a serious disability around the world that can cause harm to a person's physical and mental well-being. Little research has been done on the effects of social cohesion on depression. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey design to analyze a sample from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to determine whether or not there was a relationship between how often a person feels depressed and social cohesion factors: (1) willingness of people in the neighborhood to help each other, (2) trust in people in the neighborhood and (3) doing volunteer work or community service in the past year.;Using, Chi-square analysis, it was determined that these three social cohesion variables showed a significant relationship with how often a person feels depressed. Having substantial social networks may act as protective barriers to stress, fear, and lack of control. These protections have positive impacts on depression and depressive symptoms.