Abstract
Forced displacement imposes severe psychological burdens on refugees, with post-migration stressors often compounding pre-existing trauma. This mixed-methods study examines the mechanisms through which distinct dimensions of social capital—bonding, bridging, and linking—influence mental health resilience among Syrian refugees resettled in Germany. Utilizing a convergent mixed-methods design, we collected cross-sectional survey data from 412 adult Syrian refugees residing in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia, alongside 28 in-depth qualitative interviews. Validated psychometric instruments, including the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), were analyzed using multivariable linear regression and structural equation modeling. Qualitative narratives were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Quantitative findings revealed that while bonding social capital provided immediate emotional stabilization, bridging social capital demonstrated the strongest positive association with psychological resilience (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) and was significantly protective against depressive and anxiety symptoms. Linking social capital significantly moderated the relationship between institutional acculturative stress and psychological well-being. Qualitative insights illuminated how cross-cultural community initiatives foster self-efficacy, agency, and social belonging. These findings highlight that post-migration public health strategies must move beyond clinical psychiatric paradigms to incorporate community-level interventions that systematically build bridging and linking social infrastructure.
