Multiple vulnerabilities: The effects of neighborhood structural changes upon older residents' mental health and perceptions of the broader community

Aims: Neighborhoods’ structural conditions are consequential for their social circumstances and residents’ well-being. Neighborhood effects might be accentuated among older residents because their daily activities and social lives are more confined to their immediate communities. This study examines how changing neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage affects older residents’ depression and stress, as well as perceptions of neighborhood context.

Methods: This study employed waves 2 (2010-2011) and 3 (2015-2016) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project survey (N=2,357) and fixed-effects linear regression models to study these relationships.

Results: While rising neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with more depression and stress, it was negatively associated with overall neighborhood social capital and neighborhood social cohesion, and was only associated with lower perceptions of neighborhood safety among respondents who relocated to new neighborhoods.

Conclusions: Beyond cross-sectional associations, changing neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with changes in mental health and perceptions of neighborhood social context.