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Pathways to depression: The impact of neighborhood violent crime on inner-city residents in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

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  • Curry, Aaron
  • Latkin, Carl
  • Davey-Rothwell, Melissa

Abstract

Crime and neighborhood disorder may negatively impact the health of urban residents. Neighborhoods with high levels of violent crime may also increase residents' risk of experiencing violence. Most studies supporting the assertion that neighborhood disorder impacts mental health have used residents' own ratings of their neighborhoods. The present study examines the relationships among block-group level crime, perceived neighborhood disorder, violence experienced in the neighborhood, and depression. The sample comprising the current and former drug users (n = 786) nested in 270 block groups within Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Using path analysis, we tested the hypothesis that neighborhood violent crime has a direct impact on experiences of violence. Also, we hypothesized that neighborhood violence had a direct and indirect impact on depressive symptoms. Results support a model in which violence is associated with psychological distress through perceptions of neighborhood disorder, and through experiences of violence. We conclude that community and structural level interventions are needed to decrease neighborhood crime and improve residents' perception of their neighborhood.

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  • Curry, Aaron & Latkin, Carl & Davey-Rothwell, Melissa, 2008. "Pathways to depression: The impact of neighborhood violent crime on inner-city residents in Baltimore, Maryland, USA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 23-30, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:67:y:2008:i:1:p:23-30
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    1. Cromley, Ellen K. & Wilson-Genderson, Maureen & Pruchno, Rachel A., 2012. "Neighborhood characteristics and depressive symptoms of older people: Local spatial analyses," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2307-2316.
    2. Balmori de la Miyar Jose Roberto, 2019. "Violence and Avoidance Behavior: The Case of the Mexican Drug War," Peace Economics, Peace Science, and Public Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 25(4), pages 1-7, December.
    3. Meffert, Susan M. & McCulloch, Charles E. & Neylan, Thomas C. & Gandhi, Monica & Lund, Crick, 2015. "Increase of perceived frequency of neighborhood domestic violence is associated with increase of women's depression symptoms in a nationally representative longitudinal study in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 89-97.
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    9. Muñoz, Elizabeth & Hyun, Jinshil & Diaz, Jose A. & Scott, Stacey B. & Sliwinski, Martin J., 2024. "Exposure to neighborhood violence, and laboratory-based and ambulatory cognitive task performance in adulthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    10. Vallée, Julie & Cadot, Emmanuelle & Roustit, Christelle & Parizot, Isabelle & Chauvin, Pierre, 2011. "The role of daily mobility in mental health inequalities: The interactive influence of activity space and neighbourhood of residence on depression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1133-1144.
    11. Alloush, Mo & Bloem, Jeffrey R., 2022. "Neighborhood violence, poverty, and psychological well-being," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    12. Giurgescu, Carmen & Misra, Dawn P. & Sealy-Jefferson, Shawnita & Caldwell, Cleopatra H. & Templin, Thomas N. & Slaughter- Acey, Jaime C. & Osypuk, Theresa L., 2015. "The impact of neighborhood quality, perceived stress, and social support on depressive symptoms during pregnancy in African American women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 172-180.
    13. Megan M. Shannon & Jane E. Clougherty & Clare McCarthy & Michal A. Elovitz & Max Jordan Nguemeni Tiako & Steven J. Melly & Heather H. Burris, 2020. "Neighborhood Violent Crime and Perceived Stress in Pregnancy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-11, August.
    14. Swope, Carolyn B. & Hernández, Diana, 2019. "Housing as a determinant of health equity: A conceptual model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    15. Hill, L.M. & Moody, J. & Gottfredson, N.C. & Kajula, L.J. & Pence, B.W. & Go, V.F. & Maman, S., 2018. "Peer norms moderate the association between mental health and sexual risk behaviors among young men living in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 77-85.
    16. Wilson-Genderson, Maureen & Pruchno, Rachel, 2013. "Effects of neighborhood violence and perceptions of neighborhood safety on depressive symptoms of older adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 43-49.
    17. O'Brien, Daniel T. & Farrell, Chelsea & Welsh, Brandon C., 2019. "Broken (windows) theory: A meta-analysis of the evidence for the pathways from neighborhood disorder to resident health outcomes and behaviors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 272-292.
    18. Linton, Sabriya L. & Haley, Danielle F. & Hunter-Jones, Josalin & Ross, Zev & Cooper, Hannah L.F., 2017. "Social causation and neighborhood selection underlie associations of neighborhood factors with illicit drug-using social networks and illicit drug use among adults relocated from public housing," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 81-90.
    19. Mirella Dragone & Concetta Esposito & Grazia De Angelis & Gaetana Affuso & Dario Bacchini, 2019. "Pathways Linking Exposure to Community Violence, Self-serving Cognitive Distortions and School Bullying Perpetration: A Three-Wave Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-18, December.
    20. Joseph Gibbons & Tse-Chuan Yang & Elizabeth Brault & Michael Barton, 2020. "Evaluating Residential Segregation’s Relation to the Clustering of Poor Health across American Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-18, June.
    21. Giulia Melis & Elena Gelormino & Giulia Marra & Elisa Ferracin & Giuseppe Costa, 2015. "The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, November.
    22. Tyler P. Pittman & Candace I. J. Nykiforuk & Javier Mignone & Piush J. Mandhane & Allan B. Becker & Anita L. Kozyrskyj, 2012. "The Association Between Community Stressors and Asthma Prevalence of School Children in Winnipeg, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-17, February.

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