Social class identity and mental health in emerging adults: The mediating roles of greenspace and spatial social networks

Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period often marked by elevated vulnerability to mental health challenges, including depressive symptoms and psychological distress (PD). Understanding how social, environmental, and digitally embedded factors interact to shape mental health during this stage is essential for developing effective interventions. This study examines the relationships between social class identity (SCI), green space utilization (GSU), spatial social networks (SSN), and mental health outcomes among 2413 U.S. emerging adults aged 18-29 years, using cross-sectional survey data collected between February and September 2023. Depressive symptoms and PD were assessed using the PHQ-9 and DASS-21 scales, respectively. Structural equation modeling revealed that SCI was directly and inversely associated with both depressive symptoms (β = -0.18, 95% CI -0.19, -0.17, p < 0.001) and PD (β = -0.22, 95% CI -0.23, -0.21, p < 0.001). SSN significantly mediated the association between SCI and both mental health outcomes, while GSU showed a smaller but statistically significant mediating effect for depressive symptoms only. Racial and sexual minority status was associated with higher levels of both mental health outcomes. Overall, the findings highlight how SCI, engagement with greenspace, and spatial (including digitally embedded) social networks jointly shape mental health among emerging adults, underscoring the importance of integrated social and environmental approaches to mental health promotion.