Neighbourhood characteristics and socioeconomic inequalities in child mental health: Cross-sectional and longitudinal findings from the Growing Up in Ireland study

Abstract

This study examined the role of neighbourhood characteristics in explaining socioeconomic inequalities in child mental health (the total difficulties score from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) using data from Cohort ’08 of Growing Up in Ireland Waves 3 (age 5; baseline) and 5 (age 9; follow-up). Twenty neighbourhood items were grouped into neighbourhood safety, built environments, cohesion, interaction, and disorder. Data were analysed using regression, single and multiple mediation, and network psychometric analyses. We found that neighbourhood safety, cohesion, interaction, and disorder were associated with child mental health. These four domains separately (by up to 18 %) or in concert (by up to 23 %) partially explained socioeconomic inequalities in child mental health. Built environments may explain socioeconomic inequalities in mental health in urban children only. Findings from network analysis indicated that specific concerns over “people being drunk or taking drugs in public” and “this is a safe neighbourhood” had the strongest connections with child mental health. Improving neighbourhood characteristics may be important to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in child mental health in Ireland.