社会関係資本に関する研究では、地域レベルの社会関係資本が、抑うつ症状、認知症発症、死亡と関連することを示してきました（Nakagomi et al., 2020；Fujihara et al., 2023；Nakagomi et al., 2024）。これらの結果は、地域における信頼や相互扶助といった社会的資源が、長期的な健康に関与する可能性を示しています。
社会参加に着目した研究では、スポーツ活動、ボランティア活動、グループ参加といった日常的な社会参加が、抑うつ症状、認知機能、死亡リスクと関連することを明らかにしてきました（Tsuji et al., 2018；Tsuji et al., 2024）。また、災害後の居住環境の変化に伴う社会参加の変化が、精神的健康に影響を及ぼすことも示されています（Matsuoka et al., 2023）。
一方で、社会的孤立や不利な社会条件の影響には地域差が存在することや（Nakagomi et al., 2024）、農地密度や農業形態といった地域の社会・職業的特性が抑うつ症状と関連する可能性も示されています（Kanamori et al., 2021）。さらに、社会関係資本のダークサイドとして、社会的結束が心理的負担や援助要請行動に異なる影響を及ぼす可能性も指摘されています（Huang et al., 2025）。
都市・空間デザインへの視座
社会的交流や社会参加は自然に生じるものではなく、交流の機会を生み出す空間構成や施設配置と密接に関係していると考えられます。一方で、社会関係資本のダークサイドに関する知見は、参加を強制しない余地や、関わり方を選択できる空間設計の重要性を示しています。多様な関与のあり方を許容する都市・空間デザインが、包摂的な地域環境の形成に寄与すると考えられます。
Overview
This area investigates how social environmental factors—social ties, participation, isolation, and social capital—relate to health. It aims to reframe health issues within community and social contexts rather than attributing them solely to individual characteristics or behavior.
Detail
Studies have shown that community-level social capital is associated with depressive symptoms, dementia incidence, and mortality (Nakagomi et al., 2020; Fujihara et al., 2023; Nakagomi et al., 2024), suggesting that social resources such as trust and reciprocity may contribute to long-term health.
Research focusing on social participation indicates that engagement in sports, volunteering, and group activities is related to depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and mortality risk (Tsuji et al., 2018; Tsuji et al., 2024). Changes in participation following disaster-related relocation have also been linked to mental health outcomes (Matsuoka et al., 2023).
Other work highlights regional heterogeneity in the associations of social isolation and disadvantage with health (Nakagomi et al., 2024), as well as potential links between local occupational structures (e.g., farm density and types of agriculture) and depressive symptoms (Kanamori et al., 2021). In addition, studies point to possible “dark sides” of social cohesion, where strong ties may increase psychological burden or affect help-seeking behavior (Huang et al., 2025).
Perspective for Urban / Spatial Design
Social interaction and participation are closely related to spatial configuration and facility placement. At the same time, evidence on the dark side of social capital emphasizes the importance of designs that allow voluntary and selective engagement. Urban and spatial environments that accommodate diverse levels of involvement may contribute to more inclusive communities.
Selected Publications
- Nakagomi, A., Saito, M., Ojima, T., Ueno, T., Hanazato, M., & Kondo, K. (2024).
Sociodemographic heterogeneity in the associations of social isolation with mortality.
JAMA Network Open, 7(5), e2413132. - Nakagomi, A., Koichiro, S., Hanazato, M., Kondo, K., & Kawachi, I. (2020).
Does community-level social capital mitigate the impact of widowhood and living alone on depressive symptoms?
Social Science & Medicine, 113140. - Fujihara, S., Tsuji, T., Nakagomi, A., Miyaguni, Y., Hanazato, M., Muto, G., & Kondo, K. (2023).
Association of community-level social capital with dementia.
Social Science & Medicine, 338, 116316. - Tsuji, T., Okada, E., Saito, M., Kanamori, S., Miyaguni, Y., Hanazato, M., … & Ojima, T. (2024).
Community-level group sports participation and mortality.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 44. - Tsuji, T., Miyaguni, Y., Kanamori, S., Hanazato, M., & Kondo, K. (2018).
Community-level sports group participation and older individuals’ depressive symptoms.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50(6), 1199–1207. - Matsuoka, Y., Haseda, M., Kanamori, M., Sato, K., Amemiya, A., Ojima, T., … & Kondo, N. (2023). Does disaster-related relocation impact mental health via changes in group participation among older adults? Causal mediation analysis of a pre-post disaster study of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. BMC public health, 23(1), 1982.
- Kanamori, M., Hanazato, M., Kondo, K., Stickley, A., & Kondo, N. (2021).
Neighborhood farm density, types of agriculture, and depressive symptoms among older farmers.
BMC Public Health, 21, 1–11. - Huang, K. J., Uchida, Y., Takemura, K., Fukushima, S., Aida, J., Hanazato, M., & Kanamori, M. (2025).
Paradoxical effects of community social cohesion on mental health and help-seeking among older adults.
Social Science & Medicine, 118234.