Stress-Related Outcomes after a Period of Unrest in Two Low-Income African American Communities

Abstract

We examined the association of civil unrest with potentially stress-related outcomes among two low-income, African American communities in Baltimore following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody and whether neighborhood proximity to unrest moderated these associations. We leveraged data from a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected households in two public housing communities (n=342) collected before, during, and after the civil unrest (August 2014 to August 2015). We used multivariate regression to explore the association of unrest with depressive symptoms and elevated blood pressure adjusting for potential confounders and community attributes. After the 2015 civil unrest event in Baltimore, those living in a low-income community near the epicenter demonstrated higher rates of depressive symptoms, but not elevated blood pressure, compared with those living in a comparable neighborhood three miles away. Low-income communities in Baltimore could benefit from mental health services after periods of civil unrest.