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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.
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    9. 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.
    10. 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.
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    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. Chan, Dara V. & Gopal, Sucharita & Helfrich, Christine A., 2014. "Accessibility patterns and community integration among previously homeless adults: A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 142-152.
    16. Hannah L F Cooper & Sabriya Linton & Mary E Kelley & Zev Ross & Mary E Wolfe & Yen-Tyng Chen & Maria Zlotorzynska & Josalin Hunter-Jones & Samuel R Friedman & Don C Des Jarlais & Barbara Tempalski & E, 2016. "Risk Environments, Race/Ethnicity, and HIV Status in a Large Sample of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(3), pages 1-21, March.
    17. Kristen Burwell-Naney & Sacoby M. Wilson & Siobhan T. Whitlock & Robin Puett, 2019. "Hybrid Resiliency-Stressor Conceptual Framework for Informing Decision Support Tools and Addressing Environmental Injustice and Health Inequities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, April.
    18. 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).
    19. Alloush, Mo & Bloem, Jeffrey R., 2022. "Neighborhood violence, poverty, and psychological well-being," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Swope, Carolyn B. & Hernández, Diana, 2019. "Housing as a determinant of health equity: A conceptual model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    21. 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.
    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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