Effects of social capital on the psychosocial well-being among Thai adolescents in the Northeast Region of Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine causal effects of four dimensions of social capital (i.e. family, school, peer, and community) on the psychosocial wellbeing of adolescents in the northeast region of Thailand. A survey research was employed to collect data from 1,142 adolescents and their parents living in three provinces; i.e. Udon Thani, Khonkean, and Nakhon Ratchasima. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the surveyed data The findings showed that: only three dimensions of social capital; i.e. family (B=.37,p<.01) , school (B=.25,p<.01) were directly affected the psychosocial well-being of adolescents. However, it was also found that the community social capital affected the psychosocial well-being through the other three dimensions of social capital. The study results give benefits to those who are involved in administration and politics, policy and planning will have a better understanding of the Thai family’s current well-being state. Also, they can use the results of this study to plan and improve physiological social capital of Thai families. Based on the results of the study, we will have a better understanding of adolescents’ adaptation, parental nurturance, and adolescents’ relationships in schools and in the community, and social cohesion and trust. With this meaning, better plans for the development of future strong families, communities, and society can be made. In addition, the future research should adopt longitudinal and comparative designs to further understand the functioning of social capital within various populations and socio-cultural contexts.