Neighborhood Collective Efficacy Research Articles

An exploratory study on material deprivation and loneliness among older adults in Hong Kong

BackgroundPoverty, as a risk factor for loneliness, has been understudied, and there is a need to gain a better understanding of the relationship between poverty examined by material deprivation and loneliness among older adults in Hong Kong. It also aimed to explore the possible mediation and moderation effects of social support, social networks, neighborhood collective efficacy, and social engagement in the link between material deprivation and loneliness.Methods1696 Chinese older adults aged 60 years and above (Mage = 74.61; SD = 8.71) participated in a two-wave study. Older adults reported their loneliness level, material deprivation, perceived level of social support, social network, neighborhood collective efficacy, social engagement, and sociodemographic information. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the effect of material deprivation on loneliness, as well as the mediation and moderation models.ResultsThe results indicated that material deprived older adults reported a significantly higher level of loneliness 2 years later when controlling for demographic variables, health-related factors, and loneliness at baseline. We also found that engagement in cultural activities partially mediated the effect of material deprivation and loneliness. Furthermore, neighborhood collective efficacy and engagement in cultural activities were significant moderators that buffer the relationship between material deprivation and loneliness.ConclusionsOur results suggested the need to alleviate the negative impact of material deprivation on loneliness by developing interventions focused on promoting neighborhood collective efficacy and social engagement, which could be aimed at building meaningful bonds among Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.

Lower Perceived Neighborhood Collective Efficacy Indirectly Influences the Association Between Perceived Maternal Exposure to Community Violence and Household Food Insecurity.

Individuals of color and of low socioeconomic status are at greater risk of experiencing community violence and food insecurity, which are both influenced by neighborhood conditions. We evaluated neighborhood collective efficacy as a linkage between community violence exposure and household food insecurity. Mothers from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study who completed phone surveys when the child was 3 (time 1, T1) and 5 years old (time 2, T2) were included (n = 2068). A covariate-adjusted structural equation model estimated direct and indirect effects of community violence exposure on household food insecurity. A covariate-adjusted multiple mediator model estimated the indirect effects of the 2 neighborhood collective efficacy subscales (informal social control; social cohesion and trust). At T1, 40% of mothers reported community violence exposure; 15% experienced food insecurity at T2. Mean neighborhood collective efficacy (range 1-5) at T1 was 2.44 (SD = 0.94). Neighborhood collective efficacy indirectly influenced the association between community violence exposure and food insecurity (indirect effect = 0.022, 95% CI = 0.007 to 0.040). Only social cohesion and trust contributed independent variance to the indirect effect model (indirect effect = 0.028, 95% CI = 0.001 to 0.056). Community-based efforts to reduce household food insecurity should emphasize building social cohesion and trust in communities experiencing violence.

Banking on the Neighborhood? Inequalities in Older Adults' Access to Local Banking and Neighborhood Perceptions.

Access to local banking represents an understudied dimension of neighborhood-based inequalities that could significantly influence older adults' perceptions of their neighborhood spaces in ways that matter for disparities in well-being. We evaluate disparities in banking access and then examine how local banking access informs older adults' perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy and danger, above and beyond other neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. We use nationally representative data from older adults in the United States who were interviewed at Round 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, linked with data on banks in respondents' residential and surrounding census tracts from the National Establishment Time-Series database, in a series of bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. White older adults and those with higher levels of education have significantly greater local banking access than Black and Hispanic older adults and those with lower levels of education. Higher rates of local banking institutions are associated with significantly lower perceptions of neighborhood danger, but not with perceived collective efficacy. This finding emerges when accounting for neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and physical disorder. Local banks may represent neighborhood investment and the broader economic vitality of a community, as well as the ability of communities to meet older adults' everyday needs in ways that enhance older residents' feelings of safety. Increasing access to local financial institutions may help attenuate neighborhood-based contributors to inequalities in health and well-being among the older adult population.

MATERIAL DEPRIVATION AND LONELINESS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN HONG KONG

Abstract Given that poverty as a risk factor on loneliness is understudied, this study examined the relationship between material deprivation and loneliness of older adults in Hong Kong, the mediation effects of social support and social network, and the moderation effects of social support and social engagement. A two-wave data were collected from 1,696 Chinese older adults between 2015 (T1) and 2017 (T2). All Chinese older adults aged 60 years and above, with 53.9% female. Older adults were asked about their level of loneliness, how material deprived they were, social support, social network, social engagement, demographic information, and self-rated health status. The result indicated that older adults who are more materially deprived reported a significantly higher level of loneliness at T2 when controlling for demographic variables and loneliness at baseline. Furthermore, we found that social support and the number of close children were full mediator. A significant moderator was found in neighbourhood collective efficacy and community participation specifically engagement in cultural activities. Hence, our results suggest the need to strengthen the anti-poverty policy measures for materially deprived, develop interventions focusing on improving social support and social network and enhance existing social engagement programmes that promote community participation and neighbour collective efficacy for older adults in Hong Kong.

The conditioning role of perceptions of collective efficacy in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and delinquency

PurposeAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic incidents linked to various negative outcomes, including delinquent behavior. Although research has demonstrated that exposure to ACEs increases involvement in delinquency, there is a lack of understanding of factors influencing this relationship. Not all who encounter adversity engage in delinquency, which suggests that other conditions can affect how youth respond to ACEs. We examine the potential influence of neighborhood collective efficacy on the relationship between ACEs and delinquency. MethodsUsing prospective longitudinal data from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), we investigate relationships between ACEs, perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy, and adolescent delinquency among a sample of 802 at-risk youth. ResultsNegative binomial regression estimates and evaluation of marginal effects reveal that the relationship between ACEs and delinquency is moderated by perceptions of collective efficacy, implying that stronger perceived collective efficacy attenuates the impact of ACEs on delinquency. This moderation effect is specific to youth exposed to five or more ACEs. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that neighborhood conditions play a crucial role in shaping the outcomes of youth exposed to ACEs. Implications for policy and future research on the interplay between ACEs, neighborhood factors, and delinquency are discussed.

Mexican-origin parent and child reported neighborhood factors and youth substance use.

Structural oppression affects health behaviors through residence in suboptimal neighborhoods and exposure to community violence. Youth and parents report perceptions of neighborhood factors that can affect youth substance use behaviors. Given that Latinx youth report higher levels of perceived community violence than other racial and ethnic groups, it is imperative to examine how youth- and parent-perceived neighborhood-level factors may relate to youth substance use. Data were collected using clinical interviews with family triads (fathers, mothers, and youth) and parent-child dyads (father or mother and youth) enrolled in the Seguimos Avanzando study of 344 Mexican-origin families in Indiana. Neighborhood measures, including perceptions of exposure to violence, neighborhood characteristics, and neighborhood collective efficacy, were included in parent and youth surveys. Self-report measures for past year alcohol and drug use were included in the youth survey only. T-tests were conducted to estimate differences in neighborhood reports among the sample triads. A series of linear regression models were used to estimate the associations between youth-, mother-, and father-reported perceptions of neighborhood factors and youth substance use. Preliminary results indicate that fathers reported higher levels of exposure to violence than mothers [t(163) = 2.33, p = 0.02] and youth [t(173) = 3.61, p < 0.001]. Youth reported lower negative neighborhood characteristics than mothers [t(329) = 6.43, p < 0.001] and fathers [t(169) = 3.73, p < 0.001]. Youth reported significantly better neighborhood collective efficacy than mothers [t(296) = 3.14, p = 0.002], but not statistically different from fathers. Results from the primary analysis showed that youth exposure to violence was positively associated with youth substance use (b = 0.24, SE = 0.06, p < 0.0001), but the youth's neighborhood characteristics and collective efficacy were not significantly associated with youth substance use. None of the parent-reported neighborhood variables were associated with youth substance use. The discrepant findings between parent and youth reports of perceived neighborhood characteristics and substance use have important implications for researchers and community stakeholders, and for developing targeted interventions and prevention strategies. Our study highlights the need to address youth experience of community violence and to prioritize creating safe and inclusive neighborhood environments. Potential strategies include improving community resources, strengthening social support networks, promoting open communication about neighborhood risks, and fostering collaborative efforts to address substance use behaviors.

Neighborhood Collective Efficacy: A Longitudinal Social Determinant of Access to Medical Care Among Recently Immigrated Latina Young Adults.

The present longitudinal study examined changes in perceived access to health care among a recently immigrated cohort of Latina young adults who were assessed annually during their first 3 years in the United States. A parallel process growth model of perceived access to health care and neighborhood collective efficacy was examined, accounting for socioeconomic indicators and immigration status. Five hundred thirty Latina young adults (ages 18-23) participated at baseline assessment, and approximately 95% were retained over three annual assessment time points. Participants' mean level of perceived access to health care increased during their initial 3 years in the United States. Women who reported more of an increase in perceived access to health care tended to also indicate increased neighborhood collective efficacy relative to their peers during their first 3 years in the United States. Findings offer important information about the individual- and community-level factors that influence recently immigrated Latinas' health care access.

Ethnic identity commitment as a moderator for perceived access to health care among Latinx sexual minority men.

Gay, bisexual, and other sexual minority men (SMM) face more barriers to accessing health care compared to other men. In comparison to other SMM populations, Latinx SMM (LSMM) report having less access to health care. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate how theorized environmental-societal-level (i.e., immigration status, education level, and income level), community-interpersonal-level (i.e., social support and neighborhood collective efficacy [NCE]), and social-cognitive-behavioral-level factors (i.e., age, heterosexual self-presentation [HSP], sexual identity commitment, sexual identity exploration [SIE], and ethnic identity commitment [EIC]) may relate with perceived access to health care (PATHC) in a sample of 478 LSMM. We conducted a hierarchical regression analysis examining the hypothesized predictors of PATHC, as well as EIC as a moderator of the direct association between predictors and PATHC. We hypothesized that Latinx EIC would moderate relations between the aforementioned multilevel factors and PATHC. LSMM perceived greater access to care when indicating the following: higher education level, more NCE, more HSP, more SIE, and more EIC. Latinx EIC acted as a moderator of four predictors of PATHC, including education, NCE, HSP, and SIE. Findings inform outreach interventions of researchers and health care providers about psychosocial and cultural barriers and facilitators of health care access. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Neighborhood collective efficacy and environmental exposure to firearm homicide among a national sample of adolescents

BackgroundLiving near an incident of firearm violence can negatively impact youth, regardless of whether the violence is experienced firsthand. Inequities in household and neighborhood resources may affect the prevalence and consequences of exposure across racial/ethnic groups.FindingsUsing data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study and the Gun Violence Archive, we estimate that approximately 1 in 4 adolescents in large US cities lived within 800 m (0.5 miles) of a past-year firearm homicide during 2014–17. Exposure risk decreased as household income and neighborhood collective efficacy increased, though stark racial/ethnic inequities remained. Across racial/ethnic groups, adolescents in poor households in moderate or high collective efficacy neighborhoods had a similar risk of past-year firearm homicide exposure as middle-to-high income adolescents in low collective efficacy neighborhoods.ConclusionsEmpowering communities to build and leverage social ties may be as impactful for reducing firearm violence exposure as income supports. Comprehensive violence prevention efforts should include systems-level strategies that jointly strengthen family and community resources.

The spatial distribution of neighborhood safety ties: Consequences for perceived collective efficacy?

ABSTRACT There is conflicting evidence in the literature regarding the relationship between residents’ social networks and their perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy. This study proposes addressing this challenge with several theoretically motivated refinements using a large spatially stratified sample of residents in the Western United States. First, we consider various distinct types of social relationships, and find that our novel measure of neighborhood safety ties is much more strongly related to perceived collective efficacy than is a measure of socializing relationships. Second, we explicitly account for the spatial distribution of ties, and find that it is not just local neighborhood ties that increase a sense of cohesion or informal social control, but that more spatially distant ties also matter. Third, we make a distinction between urban and rural areas, finding that in rural areas, social ties from an even broader area are associated with stronger feelings of collective efficacy.

Perceived neighbourhood collective efficacy and adolescent health determinants: Investigating outdoor play as a mediator.

Research demonstrates that play is promotive of health and development in children across multiple domains. Outdoor play may be especially beneficial as environmental elements are conducive to recreation and relaxation. Maternal perception of neighbourhood collective efficacy (NCE), or sense of cohesion among residents, may be a form of social capital especially effective in promoting outdoor play, and thus healthy development. Yet little research has examined the long-term benefits of play beyond childhood. We utilized longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4441) to evaluate outdoor play during middle childhood as a mediator between perceived NCE in early childhood and adolescent health determinants. Maternal self-reported perceived NCE at age 5, children's outdoor play was assessed at age 9 and adolescents' self-reported height, weight, physical activity and depressive and anxiety symptoms at age 15. Total play served as mediator between NCE and later adolescent health determinants. Perceived NCE in early childhood (age 5) significantly predicted more total play in middle childhood (age 9), which in turn predicted more physical activity and lower anxiety symptoms in adolescence (age 15). Consistent with a developmental cascades approach, maternal perceptions of NCE shaped children's engagement in outdoor play that may serve as a foundation for later emerging health behaviours.

Cooperation with the police: a path analysis of residents in two Arab American-concentrated cities

PurposeThis study seeks to answer (1) how perceived neighborhood collective efficacy and disorder affect residents' cooperation with the police, both directly and indirectly through perceptions of the police and (2) how Arab American ethnicity moderates the linkages between perceived collective efficacy, disorder and cooperation.Design/methodology/approachRelying on survey interview data from a probability sample of 414 residents in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, MI and path model analysis, this study tests an explanatory model of public cooperation with the police that integrates both neighborhood and policing factors.FindingsPerceived neighborhood disorder undermines residents' desires to cooperate, and this influence is chiefly direct. Meanwhile, although no significant total effect, perception of neighborhood collective efficacy does have a positive effect on cooperation through the mediator of positive assessment of police effectiveness. Further, collective efficacy has a direct, positive effect on cooperation among Arab Americans only. Finally, perceptions of police equal treatment and effectiveness, rather than procedural justice, are significant correlates of public cooperation.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the extremely limited literature on policing and Arab American communities. The findings can deepen the understanding on why and for which groups neighborhood context is related to cooperation with the police. Findings can also add to the knowledge base for designing policies and practices that help secure and promote public support and cooperation in both Arab and non-Arab communities.

Neighborhood matters: Neighborhood violence, collective efficacy, and social emotional development in early childhood

Exposure to community violence has been associated with a range of negative behavioral outcomes among school-age children and adolescents; yet there is limited evidence in the preschool setting. In the current study we examined the association between objective and parent-perceived neighborhood safety, and perceived collective efficacy, on behavioral concerns of children aged 3–5 enrolled at an early childhood school in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 2014 to 19 (n = 165). Teachers collected data on outcome measures of child social emotional well-being in the classroom setting. A parent survey included data on residential address, how safe they felt in their neighborhood, and perceived collective efficacy. Addresses were geocoded and linked by Census tract number to data on violent crime rates (per 1,000 tract residents). Associations between neighborhood violent crime, perceived safety, perceived collective efficacy, and child social emotional development were assessed with generalized estimating equations. After mutually adjusting for perceived neighborhood safety and violent crime rate, children of parents with the lowest perceived neighborhood collective efficacy had similar findings: children of parents that perceive the neighborhood as unsafe had a lower attachment (β = −6.55, 95 % CI 1.44, 11.66) and protective score (β = −4.51, 95 % CI 0.89–8.13) and a 10-unit increase in violent crime was associated with a decrease in attachment score (β = −2.77, 95 % CI −4.22, −1.32). Overall, child attachment and protective scores were significantly associated with perceived unsafe neighborhoods and violent crime, and the relationship was moderated by perceived neighborhood efficacy. These findings suggest a negative impact of perceived neighborhood safety and protective impact of collective efficacy on early childhood social emotional development.

The role of neighborhood collective efficacy in moderating associations between adversity and internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents.

Neighborhood collective efficacy is associated with lower internalizing and externalizing problems. There is evidence that neighborhood factors may moderate associations between child adversity and behavior problems (e.g., Riina et al., 2014). There is a limited understanding of whether neighborhood collective efficacy moderates the associations between adversity (threat/deprivation) and internalizing and externalizing problems. Our study tested these associations in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 2666). Parental disengagement (deprivation) and parental harshness (threat) severity scores from ages 1-9 years were calculated by using caregiver report. Neighborhood collective efficacy, including its components informal social control and social cohesion, was reported at age 9. Internalizing and externalizing problems were reported at age 15. The lowest level of internalizing problems was reported for adolescents living in neighborhoods with high neighborhood collective efficacy who also experienced low parental disengagement. Among adolescents who lived in neighborhoods with high neighborhood collective efficacy or high informal social control at age 9, higher parental disengagement was associated with higher externalizing problems at 15. Further research is needed to understand complex associations between adversity, neighborhood collective efficacy, and adolescent behavior problems.

Immigrant status and neighborhood context on perceptions of police procedural justice

AbstractObjectiveThis study examines the relationship between immigration generational status and people's perception of police procedural justice, net of individual‐level and neighborhood‐level control variables. It also explores the importance of contextual variables, particularly neighborhood foreign‐born concentration and collective efficacy, on residents’ perceptions of police procedural justice.MethodsWith a multi‐stage, clustered sample approach, we randomly selected census tracts in San José, California, and then households inside each tract were chosen to participate in a survey. We used multi‐level modeling to explore factors that were associated with procedural justice.ResultsResults show first‐generation immigrants, compared to second or third‐and‐plus‐generation immigrants, are more positive in their evaluations of police procedural justice. Results also show that neighborhood collective efficacy can significantly affect people's perceptions of procedural justice, even after controlling for individual‐level predictors and neighborhood characteristics.ConclusionBoth individual‐level immigration measures and neighborhood factors should be included in future research.

Preventing early harsh parenting and toddler behavior problems: The role of neighborhood collective efficacy among low-income Latine families.

Harsh parenting behaviors are alarmingly prevalent during infancy and toddlerhood. From an ecological perspective, predicting and preventing harsh parenting requires probing not only micro- and exosystem-level processes but also the interactions among them. In the current longitudinal study, we examined associations among maternal depressive symptoms, harsh parenting, and neighborhood collective efficacy in 142 low-income Latina mothers and their infants (Mchild age = 14.11 months, SD = 3.60). We hypothesized that there would be a mediated pathway from maternal depressive symptoms to harsh parenting to toddler behavior problems, and that neighborhood collective efficacy would moderate this pathway. As predicted, maternal depressive symptoms predicted toddler behavior problems, and harsh parenting significantly mediated this association. Moreover, neighborhood collective efficacy was a significant moderator such that this indirect pathway was maintained in the context of low neighborhood collective efficacy only. When collective efficacy was high, this pathway was not significant. Results are discussed in terms of the buffering potential of neighborhood collective efficacy. Tentative implications for leveraging neighborhood supports to prevent early harsh parenting are suggested.

Risk and Resilience Pathways, Community Adversity, Decision-making, and Alcohol Use Among Appalachian Adolescents: Protocol for the Longitudinal Young Mountaineer Health Study Cohort.

BackgroundAlcohol use impairs psychosocial and neurocognitive development and increases the vulnerability of youth to academic failure, substance use disorders, and other mental health problems. The early onset of alcohol use in adolescents is of particular concern, forecasting substance abuse in later adolescence and adulthood. To date, evidence suggests that youth in rural areas are especially vulnerable to contextual and community factors that contribute to the early onset of alcohol use.ObjectiveThe objective of the Young Mountaineer Health Study is to investigate the influence of contextual and health behavior variables on the early onset of alcohol use among middle school–aged youth in resource-poor Appalachian rural communities.MethodsThis is a program of prospective cohort studies of approximately 2200 middle school youth from a range of 20 rural, small town, and small city (population <30,000) public schools in West Virginia. Students are participating in 6 waves of data collection (2 per year) over the course of middle school (sixth to eighth grades; fall and spring) from 2020 to 2023. On the basis of an organizational arrangement, which includes a team of local data collection leaders, supervising contact agents in schools, and an honest broker system to deidentify data linked via school IDs, we are able to collect novel forms of data (self-reported data, teacher-reported data, census-linked area data, and archival school records) while ensuring high rates of participation by a large majority of youth in each participating school.ResultsIn the spring of 2021, 3 waves of student survey data, 2 waves of data from teachers, and a selection of archival school records were collected. Student survey wave 1 comprised 1349 (response rate 80.7%) participants, wave 2 comprised 1649 (response rate 87%) participants, and wave 3 comprised 1909 (response rate 83.1%) participants. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the sampling frame size, resulting in a reduced number of eligible students, particularly during the fall of 2020. Nevertheless, our team structure and incentive system have proven vitally important in mitigating the potentially far greater negative impact of the pandemic on our data collection processes.ConclusionsThe Young Mountaineer Health Study will use a large data set to test pathways linking rural community disadvantage to alcohol misuse among early adolescents. Furthermore, the program will test hypotheses regarding contextual factors (eg, parenting practices and neighborhood collective efficacy) that protect youth from community disadvantage and explore alcohol antecedents in the onset of nicotine, marijuana, and other drug use. Data collection efforts have been successful despite interruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/40451

Neighborhood cohesion and violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and their relationship to stress, depression, and hypertension: Findings from the Haiti cardiovascular disease cohort study.

Neighborhood factors have been associated with health outcomes, but this relationship is underexplored in low-income countries like Haiti. We describe perceived neighborhood cohesion and perceived violence using the Neighborhood Collective Efficacy and the City Stress Inventory scores. We hypothesized lower cohesion and higher violence were associated with higher stress, depression, and hypertension. We collected data from a population-based cohort of adults in Port-au-Prince, Haiti between March 2019 to August 2021, including stress (Perceived Stress Scale), depression (PHQ-9), and blood pressure (BP). Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg, diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, or on antihypertensive medications. Covariates that were adjusted for included age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, diet, income, and education, multivariable linear and Poisson regressions assessed the relationship between exposures and outcomes. Among 2,961 adults, 58.0% were female and median age was 40 years (IQR:28-55). Participants reported high cohesion (median 15/25, IQR:14-17) and moderate violence (9/20, IQR:7-11). Stress was moderate (8/16) and 12.6% had at least moderate depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 11). Median systolic BP was 118 mmHg, median diastolic BP 72 mmHg, and 29.2% had hypertension. In regressions, higher violence was associated with higher prevalence ratios of moderate-to-severe depression (Tertile3 vs Tertile1: PR 1.12, 95%CI:1.09 to 1.16) and stress (+0.3 score, 95%CI:0.01 to 0.6) but not hypertension. Cohesion was associated with lower stress (Tertile3 vs Tertile1: -0.4 score, 95%CI: -0.7 to -0.2) but not depression or hypertension. In summary, urban Haitians reported high perceived cohesion and moderate violence, with higher violence associated with higher stress and depression.

Deadly gun violence, neighborhood collective efficacy, and adolescent neurobehavioral outcomes.

Gun violence is a major public health problem and costs the United States $280 billion annually (1). Although adolescents are disproportionately impacted (e.g. premature death), we know little about how close adolescents live to deadly gun violence incidents and whether such proximity impacts their socioemotional development (2, 3). Moreover, gun violence is likely to shape youth developmental outcomes through biological processes-including functional connectivity within regions of the brain that support emotion processing, salience detection, and physiological stress responses-though little work has examined this hypothesis. Lastly, it is unclear if strong neighborhood social ties can buffer youth from the neurobehavioral effects of gun violence. Within a nationwide birth cohort of 3,444 youth (56% Black, 24% Hispanic) born in large US cities, every additional deadly gun violence incident that occurred within 500 meters of home in the prior year was associated with an increase in behavioral problems by 9.6%, even after accounting for area-level crime and socioeconomic resources. Incidents that occurred closer to a child's home exerted larger effects, and stronger neighborhood social ties offset these associations. In a neuroimaging subsample (N= 164) of the larger cohort, living near more incidents of gun violence and reporting weaker neighborhood social ties were associated with weaker amygdala-prefrontal functional connectivity during socioemotional processing, a pattern previously linked to less effective emotion regulation. Results provide spatially sensitive evidence for gun violence effects on adolescent behavior, a potential mechanism through which risk is biologically embedded, and ways in which positive community factors offset ecological risk.

The Longitudinal Impact of Maternal Depression and Neighborhood Social Context on Adolescent Mental Health.

PurposeMaternal depression and neighborhood characteristics are known to be associated both with each other and with adolescent mental health outcomes. These exposures are also subject to change throughout the life of a child. This study sought to identify multi-trajectories of maternal depression (MD) and self-reported neighborhood collective efficacy (NCE) over a 12-year period and determine whether these trajectories are differentially associated with adolescent mental health.MethodsData from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a longitudinal cohort study of new parents and their children, were used. Maternal depression (MD) and self-reported NCE when the child was 3, 5, 9, and 15 years of age were the primary exposures of interest. Adolescent depression and anxiety symptomology when the child was 15 years of age were the primary outcomes. Primary analyses were conducted using multi-trajectory modeling and linear regressions.ResultsFive multi-trajectories were identified, two of which were characterized by no MD but either high or low NCE, and three of which were characterized by similarly moderate levels of NCE but either increasing, decreasing, or consistently high MD. Children of mothers with increasing or consistently high depressive symptomology and moderate NCE had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores compared to children of mothers with no depressive symptomology and high NCE.ConclusionAdolescents with consistent and proximal exposure to MD are most likely to suffer from adverse mental health and should be provided with appropriate support systems to mitigate these outcomes.