This is the place: a multi-level analysis of neighbourhood correlates of adolescent wellbeing

Abstract

Objective: Adolescent wellbeing is a key research and policy priority, but little is known about neighbourhood-level influences. This study examined the extent to which adolescents’ life satisfaction and internalising symptoms vary between neighbourhoods, and which neighbourhood characteristics are associated with individual outcomes.Method: Baseline data from the #BeeWell cohort study were used, with the sample comprising 35,902 adolescents (aged 12-15) across 243 neighbourhoods. These data were linked to neighbourhood characteristics from the Co-op’s Community Wellbeing Index. Data were analysed using multilevel (individual, neighbourhood) regression models.Results: Neighbourhoods accounted for 0.61% and 1.17% of the variation in life satisfaction and internalising symptoms, respectively. Furthermore, socio-demographic inequalities in these outcomes varied across neighbourhoods. Several neighbourhood characteristics were found to predict wellbeing outcomes, but the relative influence of most was sensitive to model specification (e.g., adjusted vs unadjusted; unique associations vs grouped domains). However, higher levels of perceived wellbeing support from local people predicted lower internalising symptoms in all models. Furthermore, neighbourhoods with better access to health services and lower GP antidepressant prescription rates were associated with higher life satisfaction and lower internalising symptoms at the individual level in at least 50% of models. Conclusion: Neighbourhoods account for a small but significant proportion of the variance in adolescent life satisfaction and internalising symptoms, and some of their characteristics predict these outcomes at the individual level. Our findings speak to the role of place as a determinant of adolescent wellbeing, with consequent implications for intervention.

Neighbourhood effects on loneliness among adolescents

“…We, therefore, set out to determine whether neighbourhoods and their characteristics influence adolescent loneliness. This follows the recent DCMS Loneliness Evidence Gap report [5], which called for more research on place-based factors that are likely to contribute to loneliness, given that spatial environments affect mental health, mainly via opportunities for increased social interactions [6].…”