The mounting mental health issues faced by elderly urban residents increase the social and economic costs to society associated with dementia and depression. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the characteristics of elderly urban residents suffering from mental health issues, to address these issues more effectively. We used 2015 Community Health Survey data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify the demographic and social characteristics of 11,408 elderly urban residents in relation to stress levels and symptoms of depression in seven metropolitan areas in Korea, and to calculate the odds ratio for urban green space. We found that the prevalence of these mental health issues generally decreased in relation to the ratio of green space of an area. These findings suggest identifying elderly people who are vulnerable to certain mental health issues based on demographic and social characteristics and demonstrate that the ratio of urban green space within a community is an important component in improving mental health outcomes for elderly urban residents. These findings have policy implications for assisting elderly people vulnerable to certain mental health issues and for establishing a green welfare policy targeting this population.

The role that psychological variables play in depression among elderly urban residents has received little research attention. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social capital, social capital satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression among elderly urban residents. We used the responses provided by 701 elderly persons to scales assessing social capital (i.e., network, trust), social capital satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression, as part of the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS). We conducted a confirmatory factor analysis and tested the validity of a proposed statistical model using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that trust in social capital, social capital satisfaction, and self-esteem were significantly related to depression. Further, social capital satisfaction and self-esteem fully and partially mediated the relationship between trust and depression, respectively. These findings serve as an empirical base upon which social welfare policies can be founded that benefit elderly urban residents with weak social capital, low social capital satisfaction, and poor self-esteem.