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Mean Streets and Mental Health: Depression and Post‐Traumatic Stress Disorder at Crime Hot Spots
Author(s) -
Weisburd David,
Cave Breanne,
Nelson Matthew,
White Clair,
Haviland Amelia,
Ready Justin,
Lawton Brian,
Sikkema Kathleen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1002/ajcp.12232
Subject(s) - mental health , depression (economics) , psychiatry , traumatic stress , psychology , residence , health psychology , clinical psychology , spots , poison control , demography , public health , medicine , medical emergency , nursing , pathology , sociology , economics , macroeconomics
This study explores the relationship between mental health and place at microgeographic units of analysis. We examine self‐reported symptomology for depression and PTSD for 2,724 survey respondents interviewed in three types of randomly selected street segments: violent crime hot spots, cool spots, and cold spots. We find that the mean symptomology score is 61% higher for depression in violent crime hot spots than cold spots, and 85% higher for PTSD . Overall, we estimate that 14.8% of residents of violent crime hot spots meet thresholds for moderate depression or a diagnosis of PTSD . This can be compared to only 6.5% of residents at the cold spots. Using PSM and weighted negative binomial regression approaches we show that observable selection factors are not responsible for the relationships identified. Examining geographic influences, we find an important area effect of violent crime for both mental health measures, and an additional impact of the specific street of residence for PTSD .