Are Changes in Neighbourhood Perceptions Associated with Changes in Self-Rated Mental Health in Adults? A 13-Year Repeat Cross-Sectional Study, UK

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine changes in neighbourhood perceptions on self-rated mental health problems over time, and to explore demographic, geographic and socio-economic factors as determinants of increased or decreased anxiety and depression symptoms. We conducted a repeat cross-sectional study of individuals (N: 4480) living in the same areas of west central Scotland in 1997 and 2010. Individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire at both time-points, containing 14 questions relating to neighbourhood perceptions and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). A three-level linear regression model was fitted to HADS scores and changes in neighbourhood perceptions over time; controlling for a number of individual and area-level variables. Overall, area-level mean HADS scores decreased from 1997 to 2010. When adjusted for individual and area-level variables, this decrease did not remain for HADS anxiety. Applying an overall 14-scale neighbourhood perception measure, worsening neighbourhood perceptions were associated with small increases in depression (0.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.07) and anxiety (0.04, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.08) scores over time. This highlights a need for local and national policy to target areas where neighbourhood characteristics are substantially deteriorating in order to ensure the mental health of individuals does not worsen.

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“…A similar suite of questions has been used in other UK studies including the General Household Survey and the Hereford Cohort Study [53, 54]. At each wave, to provide a more differentiated score on the perceived severity of the problems [55, 56], scores were revised so that ‘serious problem’ was given a score of one and ‘minor problem’ and ‘not a problem’ were each scored as zero. Responses to each of the individual problems were then summed, with scores ranging from 0 to 6 at each wave, with the higher score indicating greater problems in the neighbourhood.…”

Perceived Neighbourhood Problems over Time and Associations with Adiposity

“…Respondents were asked about six socio-environmental problems (vandalism, litter and rubbish, assaults and muggings, disturbances by children or youngsters, smells and fumes, burglaries) and invited to reply using a three-point scale (‘not a problem’ score 1, ‘minor problem’ score 2, ‘serious problem’ score 3). As we were interested in how respondents who consider that there is a ‘major‘ problem with an issue in their area may vary in their adiposity outcomes compared to those who have more positive perceptions and to provide a more differentiated score on the perceived severity of the problems [ 35 ], scores were revised at each wave so that ‘serious problem’ was given a score of one and ‘minor problem’ and ‘not a problem’ were each scored as zero. Neighbourhood perceptions were subsequently coded as 0 (‘none’) or 1 (1–6) for each wave and then this dichotomy was used for the life course approach to the analyses.…”

Case-comparison study protocol for gauging effects of neighbourhood trends and sickness: examining the perceptions of transit-Induced gentrification in Prince George’s County

“…69 Likewise, a repeated cross-sectional study determined that worsening neighbourhood perceptions were associated with small increases in depression. 70 Again, perceptions were found to impart a negative health outcome. Yet, given all the research, it still is not well known if these mental health outcomes, or even increased CVD risk, are more likely to occur among current residents with poor or good health.…”