ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief introduction to social capital, its importance for mental well-being and the implications for promoting men's mental health. A report by the Health Development Agency based on qualitative research concluded that men tend not to be involved in health-enhancing networks because of the constraints of playing out hegemonic masculinity. Women tend to engage in more reciprocal and confiding relationships than men and rely more on wider family and friends for support. Boosting social connectedness should be seen as an essential element of health promotion rather than a separate fringe activity. Social capital, with its entanglement of confused definitions, may not instinctively seem like a concept that has much to offer those seeking to understand and address problems of mental well-being on the ground, especially when the evidence is unclear. Social capital is crucial for maintaining mental well-being and dealing with mental health problems when they arise.
