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The Geography of Mental Health, Urbanicity, and Affluence

Author

Listed:
  • Jeronimo Cortina

    (Department of Political Science and Population Health, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

  • Shana Hardin

    (Department of Political Science and Population Health, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA)

Abstract

Residential location has been shown to significantly impact mental health, with individuals in rural communities experiencing poorer mental health compared to those in urban areas. However, the influence of an individual’s social group on the relationship between residential location and mental health outcomes remains unclear. This study disaggregates the rural-urban binary and investigates how geography and social groupings interact to shape mental health outcomes. Merging data from PLACES and Claritas PRIZM, we conducted a hotspot analysis, generated bivariate choropleth maps, and applied multiscale geographically weighted regressions to examine the spatial distribution of mental health and social groupings. Our findings reveal that mental health is influenced by complex interactions, with social groups playing a critical role. Our study highlights that not all rural and urban areas are alike, and the extent to which social groups influence mental health outcomes varies within and across these areas. These results underscore the need for policies that are tailored to meet the unique mental health needs of individuals from different social groups in specific geographic locations to inform policy interventions that more effectively address mental health disparities across diverse communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeronimo Cortina & Shana Hardin, 2023. "The Geography of Mental Health, Urbanicity, and Affluence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(8), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:8:p:5440-:d:1118429
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Giulia Melis & Elena Gelormino & Giulia Marra & Elisa Ferracin & Giuseppe Costa, 2015. "The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Ezzy, Douglas, 1993. "Unemployment and mental health: A critical review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 41-52, July.
    3. Ohrnberger, Julius & Fichera, Eleonora & Sutton, Matt, 2017. "The relationship between physical and mental health: A mediation analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 195(C), pages 42-49.
    4. A. Stewart Fotheringham & Wenbai Yang & Wei Kang, 2017. "Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR)," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 107(6), pages 1247-1265, November.
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