Perceptions of neighborhood safety and depressive symptoms among older minority urban subsidized housing residents: the mediating effect of sense of community belonging

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Older minority subsidized housing residents represent a population that is particularly vulnerable to depression. Although research suggests that neighborhood characteristics influence older adults’ mental health, it has not been explored in this target population. Drawing on social disorganization and social capital theories, this study's aim was to explore if perceptions of neighborhood safety are associated with depressive symptoms; and, whether a sense of community belonging has a mediating effect on this potential relationship.

Methods: The data are from interviews with 216 older adults (50% Black, 45% Latino/a) living in a U.S. urban subsidized housing development.

Results: Among participants, 80% identified feeling ‘very safe’ during the day while 63% expressed feeling ‘very safe’ at night in their neighborhood. Approximately 60% possessed a stronger sense of community belonging and 26% had clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that perceptions of feeling less safe in one's neighborhood were significantly associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms; however, a greater sense of community belonging buffered (or had a significant mediating effect on) this relationship.

Conclusion: The findings suggest the importance of continued exploration of the role of social capital in relation to feelings of safety in later life.

KEYWORDS:

• Urban
• neighborhood
• minority aging
• depression
• sense of belonging

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Heartland Institutional Review Board (HIRB) Approval Project Number: 150 209-24.

Notes

1. The CES-D 10 items are: I was bothered by things that usually don't bother me; I had trouble keeping my mind on what I was doing; I felt depressed; I felt that everything I did was an effort; I am hopeful about my future; I felt fearful; My sleep was restless; I was happy; I felt lonely; and I could not get ‘going.’

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Boston University Initiatives on Cities (IOC) and The American City Coalition (TACC).