Neighboring Behavior and Social Adaptation of Low-Income Groups: The Mediating Role of Mental Health

We examine the effects of neighboring behavior on the social adaptation of low-income Chinese employees. We further examine the mediating role of mental health in this relationship. To conduct a thorough examination, the neighboring behavior scales, the 12-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-12), and the social adaptation self-evaluation scale were presented to 241 low-income residents in a mixed-income community. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to evaluate data from a two-wave survey conducted in China. The findings of this study indicate that, for low-income groups, neighboring behavior has an effect on social adaptation, and the effect is partially mediated by mental health. Our research expands the scope of current community support literature by incorporating bi-directional neighboring behavior. By adopting mental health as a mediator, our findings examine the spillover mechanisms through which social adaptation and mental health are influenced by neighboring behavior. This study also provides suggestions on how low-income groups in mixed-income communities can improve their social adaptation.