Det sociala nätverkets betydelse för politiskt deltagande bland medborgare med olika grader av psykisk ohälsa- En kvantitativ studie om psykisk ohälsa, socialt nätverk och politiskt deltagande i Sverige

Sammanfattning: Following the destigmatizing of mental illness, the health issue has gained increased political attention. New reports claim that mental illness is on the rise in many social groups starting at young ages. Simultaneously loneliness and lacking social networks are becoming increasingly important political issues. Previous research has discussed the consequences of physical health problems on political participation. Several studies have found indications that physical health problems might cause a decrease in voter turnout. Furthermore, some studies have found that a decent social network might inhibit the negative effects of health problems on political participation. This study aims to examine the effect of social networks on the political participation of citizens with different degrees of mental health issues. Using a quantitative method based on regression analysis with data from the European Social Survey, the connection between mental health issues and political participation in Sweden is analyzed. Furthermore, the effect of social networks on the connection between mental health issues and political participation is examined. This study finds no support for the hypothesis that mental health issues cause a decrease in political participation. Moreover, social networks appear to have no effect on the previously named connection. In order to facilitate the conducting of reliable studies on this topic, future research must focus on finding improved methods of determining the severity of mental illness within bigger populations.