Pearson Amber L, Sadler Richard C, Kruger Daniel J
Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Appl Res Qual Life. 2019 Sep;14(4):1129-1144. doi: 10.1007/s11482-018-9646-8. Epub 2018 Jun 8.
Long-term residence in neighborhoods is thought to promote the development and maintenance of supportive relationships and trust. These strong social ties may, however, be limited in communities in post-industrial cities characterized by high levels of vacant properties. This study aimed to examine the relationship between neighborhood vacancy and mental health with adjustment for length of residence and possible moderation by social (dis)integration in a sample of Flint, MI, residents. We found that short-term (but not long-term) increases in neighborhood vacancy were associated with poorer mental health, after adjustment for individual covariates. When considering neighborhood vacancy, length of residence and individual covariates, however, the only significant association detected was between higher social disintegration and lower wellbeing. This effect was direct and not mediated by other factors. In this way, it appears that the social conditions of neighborhoods may be important, particularly in places that have experienced declines in the built environment. In addition, we identified evidence that social integration moderates the relationship between neighborhood vacancy and mental health outcomes. The level of neighborhood vacancies had a weaker relationship to wellbeing among those with higher levels of social ties. But none of the independent variables in our study were able to predict social integration, highlighting some potential areas for future research. From these findings, we posit that establishing strong social connections can buffer residents against negative mental health outcomes, and health promotion efforts could usefully assist in maintaining social ties among neighbors.
长期居住在社区被认为有助于促进支持性人际关系的发展和维持，以及增强信任。然而，在以大量空置房产为特征的后工业化城市社区中，这些紧密的社会关系可能会受到限制。本研究旨在调查密歇根州弗林特市居民样本中，社区空置率与心理健康之间的关系，并对居住时长进行调整，同时探讨社会融合（或解体）可能产生的调节作用。我们发现，在对个体协变量进行调整后，社区空置率的短期（而非长期）上升与较差的心理健康状况相关。然而，在考虑社区空置率、居住时长和个体协变量时，唯一检测到的显著关联是较高的社会解体程度与较低的幸福感之间的关联。这种影响是直接的，不受其他因素介导。由此看来，社区的社会状况可能很重要，尤其是在建筑环境出现衰退的地方。此外，我们发现有证据表明社会融合对社区空置率与心理健康结果之间的关系具有调节作用。在社会关系较强的人群中，社区空置率水平与幸福感之间的关系较弱。但我们研究中的自变量均无法预测社会融合情况，这凸显了一些未来研究的潜在领域。基于这些发现，我们认为建立紧密的社会联系可以缓冲居民免受负面心理健康结果的影响，健康促进工作可以有效地帮助维持邻里之间的社会关系。
