Young people, social capital and mental health

Social exclusion, or being disconnected from a society's organization and communities (Room, 1995), has consistently been linked with negative health and social outcomes (Silburn, 2003; Dudley et al, 1998a & b). Social capital has been argued to address social exclusion. In this paper, the concept of social capital is used to explore how young people may be positioned within society in ways which enhance their mental health. We present findings in which young people linked practices of 'care' with the development of bonds of trust with the community of adults. A key finding is that young people read a lack of 'trust' as a lack of 'care'. This was found to have important implications for young people's emotional resilience. Social capital in the form of bridging capital (Putnam, 2000) can open up 'spaces' where young people's expression of themselves and needs become discernible.