The protective effect of neighbourhood social cohesion on adolescent mental health following stressful life events

Abstract

BackgroundExposure to stressful life events is an established risk factor for the development of adolescent mental disorder. Growing evidence also suggests that neighbourhood social environments, including strong social cohesion, could have a protective effect on mental health. However, little is known about how neighbourhood social cohesion may buffer against the effects of stressful life events on adolescent mental health. Our aim was to assess whether neighbourhood social cohesion modifies the association between stressful life events and adolescent mental health outcomes.MethodsData were drawn from a nationally-representative prospective sample of Canadian adolescents, including 5183 adolescents aged 12/13 years at T1 and 14/15 years at T2. Caregivers reported neighbourhood social cohesion at T1, and exposure to stressful life events between T1 and T2. Symptoms of mental health and behaviour problems were self-reported by adolescents at T1 and T2. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine whether the relationship between stressful life events and outcomes was modified by neighbourhood social cohesion.ResultsAssociations between stressful life events and adolescent outcomes were statistically significantly lower in neighbourhoods with greater social cohesion for: depression/anxiety (high cohesion OR = 0.98 v. low cohesion OR = 3.11), suicidal ideation (ORhigh = 1.30 v. ORlow = 5.25), aggression/conduct disorder (ORhigh = 1.09 v. ORlow = 4.27), and property offence (ORhigh = 1.21 v. ORlow = 4.21).ConclusionsGreater neighbourhood social cohesion appeared to buffer the effects of stressful life events on several domains of adolescent mental health. This potentially presents a target for public health intervention to improve adolescent mental health and behavioural outcomes.

Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Governments worldwide have appealed to the altruism of individuals to work collectively to implement stringent public health measures. Reassuringly, such altruism and sense of purpose, known to act as protective factors to mental ill health, may potentially offset some of the anticipated psychological morbidity (Post, 2005;Kingsbury et al 2019;Brooks et al 2020). However, there is unquestionably an urgent need to develop an understanding of how we can assist frontline workers and their families to utilise adaptive coping strategies both in the short-term and to enhance future pandemic preparedness (Duan & Zhu, 2020;Gavin et al 2020).…”

Gun Violence Exposure and Experiences of Depression Among Mothers

“…Local violence can also exacerbate risk factors for depression by preventing individuals from going outside and socializing, thereby corresponding to physical inactivity (Kneeshaw-Price et al 2015;Yu and Lippert 2016), social isolation (Barnes et al 2006;Cohen-Mansfield et al 2016), and lower social cohesion among neighbors (Kingsbury et al 2020;Newbury et al 2018). Low social cohesion has even been found to exacerbate the relationship between violence exposure and adverse mental health outcomes (Kingsbury et al 2020;Newbury et al 2018). Additionally, neighborhoods with a greater prevalence of gun violence tend to be more socioeconomically disadvantaged, racially segregated, and have lower access to healthcare resources (Kane 2011;Knopov et al 2019;Williams and Collins 2001;Wong et al 2020).…”

Does spatial proximity supplant family ties? Exploring the role of neighborly support for older people in diverse, aging cities

“…In general, the value of neighborhoods for encounters, support, and social cohesion within cities has experienced a revival in recent years as a research subject. Severalstudies have scrutinized the aspects of integration, social cohesion, local social networks, and the impact of local living conditions on physical and mental health (Jensen, 2016;Kingsbury et al, 2019;Lancee & Dronkers, 2011;Strobl et al, 2016). The spatial proximity between neighbors, which makes it easy to meet one another has, in particular, regained attention as a unique characteristic of social networks in the neighborhood (Nocon & Pearson, 2000).…”

“…Various studies stress the benefits of neighborhoods as sites of social connection across different cultural groups (Hudson et al, 2009;Jensen, 2016;Lancee & Dronkers, 2011), spaces of support in everyday life (Fromm & Rosenkranz, 2019), and places of social cohesion through place-based identity formation (Buffel, 2017;Forrest & Kearns, 2001). Further, the research points to positive effects on health when neighborhoods are socially connected (Kingsbury et al, 2019). However, little research has been undertaken on the particular relationship between demographic change, increasing social diversity, and neighborly support.…”