Abstract
Background: Prior to the housing crisis in 2008, research had seldom been conducted on the effects of housing foreclosures on health outcomes. Even though national housing markets have somewhat recovered from the 2008 recession, mortgage loan borrowers across the U.S. remain adversely impacted by the foreclosure crisis. Objectives: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the relationship between foreclosure rates and mental and physical health outcomes, at the U.S. state-level, over a period of seventeen years (2000-2016). This study expects that all the seven health variables in question will share a significant positive relationship with foreclosure. Methods: In this study (N=816), panel regression analysis, using a fixed effects model, is used to analyze the relationship between the two economic variables and seven health variables in question. Results: A significant positive relationship exists between foreclosure and the following health outcomes: major depressive disorder (0.35*** p < 0.001, CI = 0.26 — 0.43), nutritional deficiencies (3.80*** p < 0.001, CI = 3.04 — 4.57), and self-harm and interpersonal violence (0.71*** p < 0.001, CI = 0.55 — 0.86). The health outcomes shown to share a statistically significant negative correlation between foreclosure include: anxiety disorders (0.52*** p < 0.001, CI = -0.60 — -0.44), alcohol use disorders (0.41*** p < 0.001, CI = -0.57 — -0.25), and drug use disorders (0.24*** P = 0.001, CI = -0.39 — -0.10). No significant relationship was elucidated between foreclosure and hypertensive heart disease. Conclusion: Although significant relationships were uncovered between foreclosure and rates of major depressive disorder, nutritional deficiencies, and self-harm and interpersonal violence, more research is required to further evaluate the relationship between economic outcomes and health outcomes. Specifically, more research is necessary to unveil the relationships between foreclosure and the health outcomes: anxiety disorders, drug use disorders, alcohol use disorders, and hypertensive heart disease. Keywords: foreclosure, health, unemployment, major depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, nutritional deficiencies, self-harm and interpersonal violence, drug use disorder, alcohol use disorder, hypertensive heart disease
Highlights
Having one’s home lost to foreclosure can impose major physiological and psychological damage on the health and well-being of homeowner households (Libman, Fields, & Sagert, 2011; Alley, Lloyd, Pagán, Pollack, Shardell, & Cannuscio, 2011)
In the same regression analysis, anxiety disorder shares a weakly significant positive relationship with unemployment, at p < 0.05, where every 1% rise in unemployment leads to a 0.15% increase in the prevalence of the health outcome
The findings highlight the importance of policy-level approaches, both in real estate, health, and insurance domains, that work towards minimizing the impact of depleted resources, as economic conditions fluctuate
Summary
Having one’s home lost to foreclosure can impose major physiological and psychological damage on the health and well-being of homeowner households (Libman, Fields, & Sagert, 2011; Alley, Lloyd, Pagán, Pollack, Shardell, & Cannuscio, 2011). When a homeowner loses their home by way of foreclosure, the event can be financially devastating, especially given that most homeowners consider their home to be one of their most valuable investments, but the event can be emotionally traumatic and physiologically distressing (Carter & Gottschalck; Government of Canada, 2011; Osypuk et al, 2012) Given this information, this study serves to broaden and build on the scope of prior research conducted, to address, and attempt to clarify, the relationship between foreclosure and seven selected health outcomes. This study examines how changes in foreclosure rates in the United States, between 2000-2016, influence state-level rates of: major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, self-harm and interpersonal violence, drug-use disorders, alcohol use disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and hypertensive heart disease. Conclusion: significant relationships were uncovered between foreclosure and rates of major depressive disorder, nutritional deficiencies, and self-harm and interpersonal violence, more research is required to further evaluate the relationship between economic outcomes and health outcomes. More research is necessary to unveil the relationships between foreclosure and the health outcomes: anxiety disorders, drug use disorders, alcohol use disorders, and hypertensive heart disease
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