General and Specific Social Trust as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms: Evidence from Post-Crisis Iceland

Haukur Freyr Gylfason ()
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Haukur Freyr Gylfason: School of Business, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavík, Iceland

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: Social trust has been linked to the development and severity of depression, but trust is a complex, multidimensional construct. This study examines the extent to which two distinct forms of trust, general trust and specific trust, predict depressive symptoms. Drawing on longitudinal data from the Directorate of Health’s national surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, the analysis includes responses from 3211 Icelanders selected through a stratified random sample. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), while specific trust captured trust in close relationships, and general trust measured broader perceptions of trustworthiness in others. The two forms of trust together explained 7.6% of the variance in depressive symptoms, with specific trust contributing a substantially greater share. Both remained significant predictors after controlling for prior depression and physical health. These findings highlight the protective role of specific trust and suggest that general trust, an indicator of broader social capital, may also help buffer against depression. The results underscore the relevance of trust as a public health resource and support continued research into social determinants of mental health in Iceland.

Keywords: general trust; specific trust; depression; social capital; mental health; Iceland; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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