Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated sharp increases in adolescent emotional and behavioral difficulties, highlighting the need for effective psychosocial buffers during large-scale crises. While several protective factors have been identified, the stress-buffering role of social capital remains largely underexplored. This study investigates whether different dimensions of peri-pandemic social capital acted as stress-buffers for adolescent emotional and behavioral difficulties during the pandemic. Using four waves of nationally representative UK panel data (n = 1,203 individuals; M(age)=12.2 years; SD(age)=1.74; female = 53%; non-White = 21.5%), this study examined changes in adolescents’ self-reported ‘Internalizing and Externalizing Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire’ scores from pre-pandemic (2017–18) over three time-points during the first year of the pandemic (2020–21). Social capital was measured across three domains: strong-tie network structure (e.g., family connectivity, close friendships), extracurricular involvement, and neighborhood social capital (adolescent perceived neighborhood safety, the social embeddedness of adolescents’ parents in local networks, and community- (contextual-) level social capital). Multilevel modelling and longitudinal fixed-effects modelling reveal that adolescents with stronger peer and family networks experienced significantly smaller increases in internalizing symptoms. Meanwhile, only perceived neighborhood safety consistently buffered externalizing difficulties. Indicators of parent- and contextual-level neighborhood social capital showed minimal protective effects. Perceived social support explained much, although not all, of why peer/family networks moderated trajectories in internalizing difficulties. However, it explained little of why neighborhood safety buffered externalizing difficulties. These findings suggest social capital can confer protection on adolescent mental health during large-scale crises but also underscore how different dimensions of social capital may be more/less effective in safeguarding particular clusters of emotional-behavioral problems. Crisis-preparedness and youth policy should reflect this outcome conditionality to foster protection via social capital from future crises. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10964-025-02295-5.