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April 15, 2009
Neighborhoods Perceived as Dangerous Affect Residents’ Mental Health, Research Shows
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Living in a neighborhood perceived as dangerous may
cause anxiety, anger and depression among its residents, according to a
recent study conducted by sociologists at The University of Texas at
Austin.
The emotional impact may reside as much or more in the perceived threat
of the neighborhood than personally having experienced victimization
such as being robbed, burglarized or attacked. Residents who have not
experienced personal victimization may find their neighborhood just as
troubling. While personal victimization accounts for 10 percent of the
negative associations, mistrust and a sense of powerlessness account
for most.
Catherine Ross and John Mirowsky, professors of sociology at The
University of Texas at Austin’s Population Research Center, have
published their findings in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, a peer-reviewed publication of the American Sociological Association.
“A neighborhood perceived as unsafe creates emotional distress in large
part because it evokes mistrust of others,” said Ross. “It can create a
sense of powerlessness to control one’s own life, which in turn leads
to high levels of anxiety, anger and depression.”
One unexpected finding was that this environment could also tighten
social networks. People are less trusting in general, but nevertheless
feel more strongly that they have others they can rely on when in need.
However, the research revealed that even a stronger support network
gives little relief from the neighborhood’s distressing implications.
The article, “Neighborhood Disorder, Subjective Alienation and
Distress,” is available to members of the media. Contact Jackie Cooper,
media relations officer at the American Sociological Association, at jcooper@asanet.org or (202) 247-9871, to request the article or author interviews.
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The Journal of Health and Social Behavior is a quarterly journal of the American Sociological Association.