Research on social capital and mental health among older people living with HIV remains insufficient and is dominated by studies of social support, which is generally associated with lower depressive symptoms and better mental well-being, while broader social capital dimensions are largely unexamined.
Only 10 articles out of 9,060 identified met inclusion criteria for the review of social capital and mental health among adults aged ≥50 living with HIV.
Research has overwhelmingly focused on social support, leaving broader dimensions of social capital largely unexamined.
Higher social support was generally associated with lower depressive symptoms and better mental well-being, but the strength and significance of associations varied.
Community/society-level social capital showed mixed associations with mental health.
Evidence for mental health outcomes other than depressive symptoms was sparse.
Substantial heterogeneity in instruments and operational definitions limited comparability, so findings were synthesized narratively.
The authors recommend standardized, multidimensional social capital measures and longitudinal designs in future research.
This systematic review looked for studies on whether social capital—such as social support, trust, and community participation—is linked to mental health in people aged 50 and older who live with HIV. Out of more than 9,000 articles screened, only 10 met the criteria, showing that this topic has received little research attention. Nearly all of the studies measured only social support. In these, having more support was generally linked to fewer depressive symptoms and better mental well-being, although how strong the link was differed between studies. The few studies that looked at broader community-level social capital found mixed results. Little evidence existed on mental health outcomes other than depression, and studies used very different measurement tools, making them hard to compare. This research suggests that social support may be beneficial for the mental health of older people living with HIV, but that the wider picture of social capital is still largely unknown. Because most studies were not designed to follow people over time, it is unclear whether support improves mental health or whether better mental health leads to more support. The authors call for more consistent measurement and long-term studies.
Xia H, Cao X, He Y, Yang L, Yu Q. (2026). The association between social capital and mental health among older people living with HIV: a systematic review.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1827140