Characteristics of neighborhood environment (social cohesion and safety) and common mental disorders in ELSA-Brasil study: a multilevel analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if self-reported characteristics of social cohesion and local neighborhood safety positively affect the mental health of their residents, regardless of individual characteristics. A sample of participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) baseline was used. The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) instrument was used for tracking common mental disorders (CMD). Social cohesion and safety were measured by validated scales of neighborhood environment self-reported characteristics. The multilevel logistic regression model was used to estimate the effect in neighborhoods (level 2) and individuals (level 1), as well as the odds ratios for each neighborhood explanatory variable and social characteristics in the CMD. The results showed that part of the variance (2.3%), in the common mental disorders prevalence is attributed to local neighborhoods. The characteristics of social cohesion and safety remained significant, even after the adjustment of individual explanatory variables. This study confirmed the hypothesis that individuals living in neighborhoods where they perceive low social cohesion and safety present a higher chance of developing CMD.

The Relationship between Social Cohesion and Urban Green Space: An Avenue for Health Promotion

“…Though the mechanisms are not defined, in each of the sample populations observed, the likelihood of mental illness (and negative consequences of mental illness) lessened with increased social capital [45] and social cohesion [46]. During their longitudinal study in Brazil, Secretti et al [47] found that persons with lower levels of perceived social cohesion had a higher probability of developing a common mental disorder. Others note strong evidence to support that high levels of individual social capital correlate with fewer mental health challenges [45,48,49] and enhanced well-being [9,50].…”

The impact of neighbourhood crime on mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Publication bias could only be detected among studies with depression as outcome (Kendall's tau=0.20; p<0.05; Supplementary Figure 1). Outlier and influence diagnostic identified two outlier estimates for depression (Mair et al, 2010;Secretti et al, 2019) and one for psychological distress (Astell-Burt et al, 2015) (Supplementary Figure 2); after excluding them from the analyses the pooled associations decreased but remained significant for depression (r=0.03, 95%CI 0.02-0.05) and psychological distress (r=0.03, 95%CI 0.02-0.05).…”

Association Between Perceived Neighborhood Characteristics and Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness: Cross-Sectional Results From the ELSA-Brasil Study

“…CCIMT, through a stress-reduction mechanism, as lack of social cohesion has been associated with mental illness processes [13] and with myocardial infarction and coronary artery calcification [15]. But the study in which atherosclerosis was associated with low social cohesion measured the association 5 years later than the exposure.…”

“…Community disadvantage was associated with greater CIMT; plaque occurrence; and a poorer profile of hypertension, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and diabetes [11]. Most neighborhood studies to date investigate only 1 or 2 domains at the same time [12,13], and the role of neighborhood characteristics as a risk factor for subclinical CVD has not yet been studied in low-middle income countries [9,11,14,15].…”