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Socioeconomic Inequalities in Psychological Distress among Urban Adults: The Moderating Role of Neighborhood Social Cohesion

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  • Özcan Erdem
  • Frank J Van Lenthe
  • Rick G Prins
  • Toon A J J Voorham
  • Alex Burdorf

Abstract

Background: Various studies have reported socioeconomic inequalities in mental health among urban residents. This study aimed at investigating whether neighborhood social cohesion influences the associations between socio-economic factors and psychological distress. Methods: Cross-sectional questionnaire study on a random sample of 18,173 residents aged 16 years and older from 211 neighborhoods in the four largest cities in the Netherlands. Psychological distress was the dependent variable (scale range 10–50). Neighborhood social cohesion was measured by five statements and aggregated to the neighborhood level using ecometrics methodology. Multilevel linear regression analyses were used to investigate cross-level interactions, adjusted for neighborhood deprivation, between individual characteristics and social cohesion with psychological distress. Results: The mean level of psychological distress among urban residents was 17.2. Recipients of disability, social assistance or unemployment benefits reported higher psychological distress (β = 5.6, 95%CI 5.2 to 5.9) than those in paid employment. Persons with some or great financial difficulties reported higher psychological distress (β = 3.4, 95%CI 3.2 to 3.6) than those with little or no financial problems. Socio-demographic factors were also associated with psychological distress, albeit with much lower influence. Living in a neighborhood with high social cohesion instead of low social cohesion was associated with a lower psychological distress of 22% among recipients of disability, social assistance or unemployment benefits and of 13% among citizens with financial difficulties. Conclusions: Residing in socially cohesive neighborhoods may reduce the influence of lack of paid employment and financial difficulties on psychological distress among urban adults. Urban policies aimed at improving neighborhood social cohesion may contribute to decreasing socio-economic inequalities in mental health.

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  • Özcan Erdem & Frank J Van Lenthe & Rick G Prins & Toon A J J Voorham & Alex Burdorf, 2016. "Socioeconomic Inequalities in Psychological Distress among Urban Adults: The Moderating Role of Neighborhood Social Cohesion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-15, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0157119
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157119
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    2. Adekunle Adedeji, 2021. "Social Capital and Migrants’ Quality of Life: a Systematic Narrative Review," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 87-101, March.
    3. Yinhua Tao & Jie Yang & Yanwei Chai, 2019. "The Anatomy of Health-Supportive Neighborhoods: A Multilevel Analysis of Built Environment, Perceived Disorder, Social Interaction and Mental Health in Beijing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Ling Zhang & Junfeng Jiang & Peigang Wang, 2021. "Social cohesion associated with health mediated by emotional experience and life satisfaction: Evidence from the internal migrants in China," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 16(3), pages 1285-1303, June.
    5. Anna Ploszaj, 2024. "Does Stress Make You Less Neighbourly?," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 43(2), pages 124-144, June.
    6. Mawuli K Kushitor & Maame B Peterson & Paapa Yaw Asante & Naa Dodua Dodoo & Sandra Boatemaa & Raphael Baffour Awuah & Francis Agyei & Lionel Sakyi & F Nii-Amoo Dodoo & Ama de-Graft Aikins, 2018. "Community and individual sense of trust and psychological distress among the urban poor in Accra, Ghana," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, September.
    7. Renata Rego Lins Fumis & Antonio Bento Ferraz & Isac de Castro & Henrique Souza Barros de Oliveira & Marcelo Moock & José Mauro Vieira Junior, 2019. "Mental health and quality of life outcomes in family members of patients with chronic critical illness admitted to the intensive care units of two Brazilian hospitals serving the extremes of the socio," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Haobin Fan & Xuanyi Nie & Sarah Wilson, 2023. "Mental Health, Material Possessions, and Social Capital During COVID-19: A Study of the United States Urban Working-Age Population," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 561-599, February.

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